Hot Mix Asphalt Calculator

Hot mix asphalt is a paving material made from roughly 95% stone aggregate and sand mixed with about 5% liquid asphalt binder, heated to 275°F to 325°F at the plant and laid while hot. It is the standard surface used on roads, driveways, and parking lots across the United States. About 94% of paved roads in the US are surfaced with asphalt, according to the National Asphalt Pavement Association.

Compacted hot mix asphalt weighs about 145 pounds per cubic foot, with real values ranging from 140 to 155 depending on the mix design. One cubic yard (27 cubic feet) weighs about 3,915 pounds, or just under 2 tons. The 145 figure is the planning value estimators commonly use; the FHWA Federal Lands estimating table lists 145.2.

Hot mix asphalt should be between 225°F and 275°F when it comes out behind the paver, and compaction (rolling) must be completed before the mat cools below 175°F. On a warm day, that gives you about 15 to 30 minutes from laydown to finished compaction. The material should cool to below 150°F before traffic is allowed on it.

Hot mix asphalt costs about $70 to $130 per ton picked up at the plant in the 2026 public bid tabulations we checked. In those bids, base mix ran $70 to $80 in Ohio and $100 to $104.50 in New York, and surface or top course ran $90 to $93 in Ohio and $104 to $107.50 in New York. Stone matrix asphalt and polymer-modified mixes were not in the plant-price bids we checked, so ask your plant. A small residential order usually costs more per ton than these bulk prices.

The compacted density of standard hot mix asphalt is about 145 pounds per cubic foot, or about 110 pounds per square yard per inch of thickness. Surface course mixes (9.5mm and 12.5mm) run 145 to 148 lb per cubic foot. Base course mixes (25mm and 37.5mm) run 140 to 145. Stone matrix asphalt is denser at 148 to 155.

Residential driveways should have at least 2 to 3 inches of compacted HMA over a 6 to 8 inch gravel base. Parking lots need 3 to 4 inches. Roads and areas with truck traffic need 4 to 6 inches or more. Thicker asphalt lasts longer and handles heavier loads, but costs more in material.

Hot mix is produced at 275 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, requires professional equipment to install, and lasts 15 to 20+ years. Cold mix is sold in bags at ambient temperature, can be applied by hand, and lasts months to a few years. Hot mix is for permanent paving. Cold mix is for temporary patches and pothole repairs. You cannot build a driveway or parking lot with cold mix.

Hot mix asphalt cools from laydown temperature (225°F to 275°F) to traffic-ready temperature (below 150°F) in about 30 to 90 minutes depending on air temperature, wind, layer thickness, and sun exposure. Thinner layers cool faster. On a hot, sunny day, a 2 inch lift may be ready for traffic in 30 to 45 minutes. On a cool, cloudy day, a 4 inch lift may take 90 minutes or more.

You can, but it is risky. Hot mix needs a ground temperature of at least 50°F for proper compaction. Below that, the material cools too fast for the rollers to compress the voids, resulting in a porous, weak surface that cracks early. If you must pave in cool weather, warm mix asphalt is the safer choice because it compacts at lower temperatures and has a longer working window.

One cubic yard of compacted hot mix asphalt weighs about 3,915 pounds, or approximately 1.96 tons. For ordering purposes, round up to 2 tons per cubic yard. Loose hot mix before compaction weighs about 20% less per cubic yard, because the paver lays the mat about 25% thicker than its compacted depth and rolling presses the air voids out.

The number refers to the nominal maximum aggregate size. A 9.5mm mix uses smaller aggregate particles, producing a smoother, tighter surface ideal for top coats and driveways. A 12.5mm mix uses slightly larger aggregate, providing more structural strength and better drainage, making it the standard for parking lots and medium-traffic roads. Both weigh about the same (145 to 148 lb per cubic foot compacted). Your contractor or spec will typically call for one or the other based on the traffic load and layer position.

Yes. The National Asphalt Pavement Association states that asphalt pavements are recycled into new roadway surfaces at a rate greater than 95%, which it describes as making asphalt pavement the most recycled material in the country. Its annual survey put the reclaimed asphalt pavement used in new asphalt mixtures at 96.1 million tons in 2023. When an old road or lot is milled up, the material (called RAP or recycled asphalt millings) is crushed and mixed back into new hot mix at the plant, or used as aggregate in base layers.

PG 64-22 is a Performance Grade binder classification used in the Superpave mix design system. The first number (64) is the high temperature limit in Celsius, meaning the binder performs reliably up to 64°C (147°F) in summer pavement temperature. The second number (-22) is the low temperature limit, meaning the binder resists cracking down to -22°C (-8°F) in winter. PG 64-22 is the most common grade in moderate US climates. Hotter regions use higher first numbers (PG 76-22), and colder regions use lower second numbers (PG 64-28 or PG 58-34).