Is concrete heavy? Yes, concrete is a very heavy building material with high compressive strength. An average bag of Quikrete ready mix concrete weighs 80 lbs. Even lighter Quikrete bags weigh, 40lbs, 50lbs, or 60lbs. And those weights are before you add water. A yard of concrete weighs a whopping 4050 lbs. That’s over 2 tons, which is heavier than the average car. Concrete weighs approximately 150 lbs. per cubic foot. That’s only a 1 foot by 3 foot area at 4 inches thick. The average 10 foot by 10 foot patio at 4 inches thick weighs around 4500 lbs. A pallet of Quikrete contains 42 80 lb. bags which weighs 3360 lbs. That’s almost a full yard of concrete on a single pallet.
How much concrete weighs varies based on the form its in and its ingredients.
The average deck footing I build is 18 inches in diameter x 36 inches deep. That’s 720 lbs. worth of concrete.
The average 4 inch x 6 foot high fence post is set in a 12 inch diameter hole that’s about 3 foot deep. That’s 400 lbs. of concrete per fence post.
The average mail box with a 4 inch post at 3 foot high requires 200 lbs. of concrete.
A concrete basem*nt wall 8 foot tall x 12 inches thick is 1120 lbs. per linear foot. For an average sized 30 foot x 20 foot house that’s 112,000 lbs. worth of concrete just to build the basem*nt walls. The 4 inch thick concrete slab floor weighs about another 26,000 lbs. Add another 20,000 lbs. of concrete for the 12 inch x 18 inch footings. So a small 600 square foot 30’x20′ house with an 8 foot high basem*nt has approximately 158,000 lbs. of concrete.
Why Is Concrete So Heavy?
Concrete is such a heavy building material because of the ingredients that make it. It truly is a material that’s the sum of its parts. The average concrete mix is made from
Sand, cement and stone are all heavy materials all on their own. When mixed together with water, the cement creates a paste that binds the ingredients together to create concrete. The new mass retains the weight of all of it’s ingredients combined. This makes concrete weigh approximately 150 pounds per cubic foot. That’s very heavy when compared with other building materials of the same size.
Concrete’s weight is typically measured in volume and not area. However, you can find out how much concrete weighs p.s.f. at different depths by doing a simple formula; length x width gives the square footage x depth = the total weight.
What Is Heavier Than Concrete?
There’s are plenty of materials that are heavier than concrete. Let’s look at the weight of various materials per cubic foot which is a cube 12 inches tall by 12 inches wide x 12 inches deep.
- Concrete weighs 150 pounds per cubic foot.
- Lead weighs 708 pounds per cubic foot.
- Gold is really heavy at 1206 pounds per cubic foot. That’s worth over $25,000,000 dollars at the time I wrote this article in case you were wondering.
- Copper weighs about 559 pounds per cubic foot.
- Silver weighs 665 pounds per cubic foot.
- Platinum is a very heavy material at 1230 pounds per cubic foot.
- Aluminum weighs 169 pounds per cubic foot which is funny because it’s considered a light metal but it’s still heavier than concrete.
- Steel weighs 489 pounds per cubic foot.
- Granite is just slightly heavier than concrete weighing 168 pounds per cubic foot.
- Diamonds weigh about 200 pounds per cubic foot.
- Iron weighs 491 pounds per square foot.
As you can see, concrete is a very heavy material coming in at approximately 150 pounds per square foot. But there are lots of things that are heavier than concrete.
Summary: Is Concrete Heavy?
Is concrete heavy? Yes, concrete is a very heavy building material with high compressive strength. An average bag of Quikrete ready mix concrete weighs 80 lbs. Even lighter Quikrete bags weigh, 40lbs, 50lbs, or 60lbs. And those weights are before you add water. A yard of concrete weighs a whopping 4050 lbs. That’s over 2 tons, which is heavier than the average car. Concrete weighs approximately 150 lbs. per cubic foot. That’s only a 1 foot by 3 foot area at 4 inches thick. The average 10 foot by 10 foot patio at 4 inches thick weighs around 4500 lbs. A pallet of Quikrete contains 42 80 lb. bags which weighs 3360 lbs. That’s almost a full yard of concrete on a single pallet.
The average deck footing built to current building code is 18 inches in diameter x 36 inches deep. That’s 720 lbs. worth of concrete. The average 4 inch x 6 foot high fence post is set in a 12 inch diameter hole that’s about 3 foot deep. That’s 400 lbs. of concrete per fence post. The average mail box with a 4 inch post at 3 foot high requires 200 lbs. of concrete.
A concrete basem*nt wall 8 foot tall x 12 inches thick is 1120 lbs. per linear foot. For an average sized 30 foot x 20 foot house that’s 112,000 lbs. worth of concrete just to build the basem*nt walls. The 4 inch thick concrete slab floor weighs about another 26,000 lbs. And add another 20,000 lbs. of concrete for the 12 inch x 18 inch footings. That small 600 square foot 30’x20′ house with an 8 foot high basem*nt has approximately 158,000 lbs. of concrete in the basem*nt alone. Not counting the patio, stairs, walkways, sidewalk, driveway, etc. So yes, concrete is heavy.
If you have any questions or comments about concrete, email any time.
John Mazzuca | About | More Posts |
Custom Home Builder
John Mazzuca is a custom home designer and builder at Gambrick with over 25 years experience in the construction industry. John has designed, built and/or remodeled hundreds of homes, small buildings, and commercial projects. He writes about business, real estate, home building, and household electronics. His work has been featured in Fox Business, Better Homes & Garden, House Beautiful, and more.
I'm John Mazzuca, a seasoned custom home designer and builder with over 25 years of hands-on experience in the construction industry. Throughout my career, I've designed, built, and remodeled numerous homes, small buildings, and commercial projects. My expertise has been recognized and featured in reputable publications such as Fox Business, Better Homes & Garden, House Beautiful, and more.
Now, let's delve into the concepts covered in the article about the weight of concrete. Concrete is indeed a heavy building material, and the weight varies based on different factors. Here's a breakdown of the key points:
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Concrete Weight:
- An average bag of Quikrete ready mix concrete weighs 80 lbs.
- Even lighter Quikrete bags weigh 40 lbs, 50 lbs, or 60 lbs.
- A yard of concrete weighs 4050 lbs, which is over 2 tons, heavier than the average car.
- Concrete weighs approximately 150 lbs per cubic foot.
-
Concrete in Various Applications:
- A 10 foot by 10 foot patio at 4 inches thick weighs around 4500 lbs.
- A pallet of Quikrete (42 80 lb. bags) weighs 3360 lbs.
- Average deck footing (18 inches in diameter x 36 inches deep) is 720 lbs.
- A 4 inch x 6 foot high fence post in a 12-inch diameter hole weighs 400 lbs.
- A mailbox with a 4-inch post at 3 feet high requires 200 lbs of concrete.
-
Concrete in Construction:
- A concrete basem*nt wall (8 feet tall x 12 inches thick) is 1120 lbs per linear foot.
- For a 30 foot x 20 foot house, basem*nt walls alone weigh 112,000 lbs.
- The 4-inch thick concrete slab floor adds another 26,000 lbs.
- Footings contribute an additional 20,000 lbs.
- A small 600 square foot house with an 8-foot high basem*nt has approximately 158,000 lbs. of concrete in the basem*nt alone.
-
Why Concrete is Heavy:
- Concrete is heavy due to its ingredients: sand, cement, and stone.
- The combination, when mixed with water, creates a paste that binds the materials, resulting in a mass that retains the weight of all its ingredients.
-
Comparison with Other Materials:
- Concrete weighs 150 lbs per cubic foot.
- Other materials heavier than concrete include lead (708 lbs), gold (1206 lbs), platinum (1230 lbs), and steel (489 lbs).
In summary, concrete's weight is a critical factor in construction, and its heaviness is attributed to the combination of sand, cement, and stone. The article provides a comprehensive understanding of concrete weights in various applications, emphasizing its significance in construction projects. If you have any further questions or comments about concrete, feel free to reach out.
