Crusher run calculator for Illinois

After compaction, crusher run takes up 10-15% less space than it did loose in the truck. Buying only the measured finished depth can leave the base half an inch short, so this calculator starts with a +10% allowance. It can also be called crush and run or 2 inch minus on some tickets. These names describe crushed stone with its fines included, roughly 3,000 lb per cubic yard, which packs into a surface tires do not easily push aside.

Order for compacted depth

1. Use feet for the area. Multiply lane length by width, or enter the pad measurements.
2. Choose the required compacted finish depth: 4 inches for paths and pavers, 4-6 for driveways, and 6-8 for trucks.
3. Take cubic feet / 27 to get yards, then x 1.5 for tons. Leave the +10% enabled. The listed depth is the depth after rolling.

Tons of coverage

Uses and limits

• Driveway work calls for a 4-6 inches compacted base, followed by 2-3 inches of #57 or driveway gravel as the travel surface.
• For budget-minded rural lanes, crusher run can serve on its own as a drivable layer. Dry summer conditions bring dust, and plan to regrade every 2-4 years.
• For pavers and slabs, install 4 inches in compacted 2-inch lifts. Use the Paver Base Calculator for the whole paver stack.
• Shed and garage pads: place 4 inches over stripped soil, or 6 on soft ground.
• Keep it out of a French drain. The fines that help it bind also retain water. For drainage, use clean #57 or drain rock.

Example: a 20 x 10 parking pad

For Two hundred square feet at 4 inches after compaction, the math is 200 x 0.333 = 67 cubic feet = 2.5 cubic yards, or 3.7 tons. Order 4 tons to cover the allowance. Put down half the material and compact it, then place and compact the remaining half. Two 2-inch lifts hold up for years longer than one 4-inch pour. Renting a plate compactor for an afternoon costs less than repairing the first pothole. In prairie clay, ruts can show up by the second delivery when compaction is skipped.

Delivery details

• Schedule the base stone and surface stone together so work can continue without interruption. Delivery is free either way.
• Start the pile at the far end of the run, then spread toward it. On large pads, working downhill can save a full day over spreading uphill.
• Before compaction, lightly mist each lift. Crusher run binds more tightly when damp than when dry.
• Leave a wheelbarrow-load aside for touchups. Road crews use the same material for potholes, and you will need some too.

Price details

Crusher run comes from crusher output instead of washed, sorted stone. On a 4-ton order, the +10% allowance can prevent the need for another half-ton delivery. Visit the Crusher Run product page for the per-ton price, look at Road Base as well, and order both driveway layers in one free delivery.

Crusher run and crush and run FAQs

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