Concrete is made from cement, sand and aggregate that’s mixed with water. Once water is added, the dry ingredients harden and cure to form concrete. The strength of concrete is measured in pounds per square inch or psi. The psi of concrete is listed as a number on the bag. For example, a Quikrete bag that says 3500 means 3500 psi strength concrete. Ingredient ratios can be adjusted to make different strength concrete. Concrete is most commonly sold by the cubic yard, but it’s also available in pre-mixed bags like Quikrete or Sakrete. A yard of concrete is a measurement of volume and not weight or strength. One cubic yard is equal to the volume of a cube with edges that are one yard (three feet) in length. In general, about 90 x 40lb, 60 x 60lb, 75 x 50lb, or 45 x 80lb bags equal a yard of concrete.
Knowing how to calculate the amount of concrete you need is very important. There are online calculators that can do it for you but it’s good to know how to do it yourself.
Calculating the amount of concrete you need for a slab is a little tricky. It’s both a square footage and a volume calculation. First, you have to figure out how many yards of concrete you need to pour the slab. Then you have to figure out how many bags of concrete that equals out to.
In this article, we’ll explain the entire process you’ll need to estimate how many concrete bags equal a yard.
The amount of concrete bags you need for a job is a measurement of volume, not weight or strength.
It’s just as important to know how many yards of concrete you need as it is to know how many concrete bags equal a yard.
To calculate this, you’ll need three numbers and a very simple calculation. Length x Width x Height. The length of the space you intend to fill, the width of that space, and the depth of the concrete. Remember, how many concrete bags of concrete equal a yard is a measurement of volume and square footage.
Another way of looking at is is calculating the square footage surface area times the depth. For example a 10×10 patio has a surface area of 100 sq. ft. But to calculate the amount of concrete you need, that 100 sq. ft. must be multiplied by the depth.
The first two measurements, length and width, are easy to figure out. But the third is harder because it depends on what and how your building. For example, that same 100 sq. ft. slab of concrete would probably be 4″ thick if it were a patio but 6-8″ thick if it were a driveway. That could require twice as many concrete bags.
Once you have all your numbers, convert them into inches. This will make the math easier.
Next, multiply the width x length x depth of the space that you want to fill with concrete. When you’ve got your answer, it will be in cubic inches.
Finally, divide the number that you came up with by 46,656 which gives you the cubic yards. When you know how many yards of concrete there is to fill it’s easy to figure out how many bags of concrete you need.
how much water will i need per bag?
The amount of mixing water youll need per bag of concrete will depend on the brand of concrete youre using and the size of the bag.
Always check the manufactures recommendations for mixing water on the back of the bag.
Below is a chart of approximately how much water youll need per bag.
Min. amount of water pt (L)
Max. amount of water pt (L)
If you want to check how many bags of concrete you will need, use my concrete calculator.
Youll type in your thickness, length, and width, then the calculator will tell you how many 40, 60, or 80 lb bags youll need to do your project.
how many 60 pound bags of concrete make a yard?
You will need 60 bags of concrete mix to make a cubic yard of concrete.
A 60 lb bag (27.2 kg) of concrete yields approximately .45 cubic feet (12.7L)
Theres 27 cubic feet of concrete in a yard. If you divide 27 by .45 it equals 60 bags of concrete.
How many square feet will a 60 lb bag of concrete do?
How Many 80lb Bags Of Concrete Are In A Yard?
80lb Quikrete is the most popular bag size of premixed concrete. You’ll need 45 bags of concrete mix to make a cubic yard of concrete.
An 80 lb bag (36.3 kg) of concrete mix yields approximately 0.60 cubic feet (17L) of concrete.
There’s 27 cubic feet of concrete in a cubic yard. If you divide 27 by .60 it equals 45 bags.
FAQ
How many 80 lb bags makes a yard?
How many bags of concrete makes a yard?
How many 80 pound bags of concrete make a half yard?
How many bags of concrete is 2 yards?
