Table of contents
How much sand do I need?All right, but how much does a yard of sand weigh?What if I use concrete?FAQsOur sand calculator is a tool designed specifically to help you with calculations you may do on the building site, or when you are doing a bit of home improvement.
Estimating the required amount of any building material is a difficult task, and errors may result in either the material running out when the project is in full swing, or in heaps of sand lying around after the earthwork is completed. Use this sand calculator or our paver sand calculator to answer the question "how much sand do I need" and never worry about it again!
How much sand do I need?
The first step is to establish the volume of sand needed. It is equal to the volume of excavation, and you can do it with the following method:
- Determine the length and width of the cuboidal excavation. For example, we can assume an excavation of length
L = 12 ydand widthb = 3 yd. - Calculate the area of the excavation by multiplying the length by the width. In our case,
A = 12 × 3 = 36 yd². You can also type the area of the excavation directly into our calculator if you choose an excavation of some more sophisticated shape. - Establish the depth of the excavation. Let's say it's
d = 0.5 yd. - Multiply the area by the depth of the excavation to obtain its volume:
36 × 0.5 = 18 cu yd. - The volume of sand required is equal to the volume of excavation. Our sand calculator will display this value for you.
Any sand left? How about building a sandbox? 🏖️
All right, but how much does a yard of sand weigh?
To calculate the weight of a cubic yard of sand, you simply have to multiply its volume by its density. You don't have to remember the density of sand though - our calculator has a preset value for density. Of course, if you decide to use some unusual material, feel free to change the value!
Once you know the total weight of sand you have to buy, you won't have to worry about overspending on building materials. But exactly how much will you spend? Our sand calculator can help you with that - all you have to do is enter the price of sand (per unit of mass, such as per tonnage, or per unit of volume, such as cubic yard). The calculator will then display the total cost of the sand you need.
What if I use concrete?
Then head to our concrete estimator to calculate the number of bags of pre-mixed concrete needed to cast the concrete element of your design.
How heavy is a bag of sand?
Between 30-40 kg or 66-88 lb. Using the sand density as 1601.95 kg/m³ means each bag would fill a volume of up to 0.025 m³ or 0.882 ft³.
How do you calculate cubic meters of sand?
Calculating cubic meters of sand means finding the volume of the container the sand will be put into. For that, follow these steps:
- Measure the area (its width multiplied by its length) or opening of the container.
- Measure the depth of this container.
- Multiply area and depth to get the volume.
- If you want to find the weight of the sand that has this volume, multiply this number by the sand's density (or simply use 1601.95 kg/m³).
What is the volume of 1 tonne of sand?
A tonne of sand is approximately 0.624 m³ or 22.045 ft³. If you divide the mass of sand by its density, you obtain the volume that the amount of sand occupies. In this case, 1000 kg / 1601.95 kg/m³ = 0.624 m³.
Is sand heavier when it's wet?
Yes. When sand gets wet, the water occupies the space between the grains of sand, thus, increasing the overall density of the material. This means that wet sand will be heavier than regular sand, given equal volumes.
Related calculators
