How to Estimate the Quantity of Materials Required for the Installation of Slabs and Pavers

First, you need to excavate up to 15″ for a patio or walkway, and 20″ for a driveway on a non-muddy surface. This allows the slabs and pavers to rest on enough 0 to 3/4″ crushed stone to ensure their stability and durability. To figure out how much 0 to 3/4″ to order to fill the excavated section, you will need to measure its length and width in feet. Multiply these two measurements together and multiply again by 12″ if you are building a patio, or by 16″ if you are building a driveway. Finally, divide by 200 and you will get the required amount of aggregate in tons.

The calculation is as follows: L’ x W’ x H” (12″ or 16″) ÷ 200

After the crushed stone, a layer of bedding sand must be added. This second layer is calculated using the same method, but it only needs to be 3/4″ thick. This will provide you with the amount of sand needed for your project in tons.

The calculation is as follows: L’ x W’ x H” (3/4″) ÷ 200

Next, figure out how many slabs or pavers you need by multiplying the length and width of the area you want to cover in feet and then adding 5% to account for waste caused by the cuts. This will tell you what quantity you need to purchase. Be aware that distributors place orders in square feet, not in number of concrete products.

The calculation is as follows: L’ x W’ x 1.05

For a landscaping project with curved lines, use a 15% waste factor (x 1.15) instead. This will give you the total square footage for your outdoor project.

It’s important to remember that these estimates don’t take into account every possible cut and angle. However, they will give you a good idea of how much you need to buy, especially if the project you want to do is simple.

Once the pavers and slabs are in place, you’ll need to put polymeric sand in the space between the concrete products to stabilize the structure. To make sure you have enough sand to fill all the joints, you can look at this technical data sheet. It tells you how much surface area a bag of polymeric sand can cover based on the type of concrete product used.

Following these calculations, you will be able to determine the amount of material required for your project and will be ready to visit a distributor to purchase it. Use our geolocation tool to find out where you can purchase each of the products you need.