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Rip Rap Cubic Yards to Tons Calculator

Convert a rip rap volume into short tons for ordering, disposal and transport planning.

Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Figures are presented for United States against IRC 2024, and every formula is cited under regulatory standards below.

Last verified 2026-08-26 · v1.0.0

Market
Imperial · sales tax

Approximate weight

14 short tons

High confidence

About 1.4 short tons per cubic yard for graded rip rap; large angular stone leaves substantial voids. A planning figure, not a specification. Confirm the figure with your supplier or waste contractor before relying on it.

Conversion factor applied
1.4 short tons per cu yd

Rip rap is the large angular stone used for erosion protection on banks, outfalls and shorelines, and it is specified by stone size as much as by quantity. The density reflects large pieces with correspondingly large voids between them. Sizing matters more than volume: stone too small for the flow it faces is simply washed away, and the required size comes from the design velocity rather than from what looks substantial on site.

Add the equipment this sizes

This result is a specification — 14 short tons — not a quantity. Put the thing it sizes into your project: how many, what you call it, and your supplier’s price.

Preliminary estimate, not certified engineering. This tool produces an indicative quantity calculation for planning purposes only — it is not a certified structural analysis, a guaranteed material takeoff, or a substitute for building department approval. Always verify measurements on-site and have a licensed contractor or structural engineer review any load-bearing, code-sensitive, or safety-critical work before purchasing materials or starting construction. Spotted an arithmetic or standards error? Report it to contact@craftquantities.com with your inputs — confirmed fixes become pinned regression tests.

[Schema Verified] Computed in alignment with American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-19) formulas and International Residential Code (IRC 2024) spatial boundaries.

Regulatory standards & verification citations

  • Typical bulk density used here: approximately 1.4 short tons per cubic yard
  • Density varies with moisture, grading and how the material was processed

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Frequently asked questions

What size stone do I need?
It comes from the design flow velocity, not from appearance. Stone too small for the conditions washes out, and undersizing is the commonest reason rip rap protection fails. The specification should state a graded size range.
Does rip rap need a filter layer?
Almost always. Without a geotextile or graded filter beneath, fine soil washes out through the voids and the protection settles and fails from below while the stone still looks in place.
How thick should the layer be?
Typically related to the stone size, so that the layer is more than one stone deep and the pieces can key together. A single-stone layer has nothing holding it in place.