Calculate tonnage of asphalt to be removed, milled, or demolished for road rehabilitation. Includes volume, truck load count, and optional disposal cost.
Surface milling: 40–75 mm for routine maintenance. Partial depth: 75–150 mm for surface + binder removal. Full depth: 150–300+ mm for complete rehabilitation.
Existing compacted asphalt: 2100–2300 kg/m³. Milled loose material (RAP): 1700–2000 kg/m³ (bulk density). Use compacted density for tonnage calculations.
Milled material (RAP) can be reused in new asphalt mixes, reducing new bitumen requirements by 15–30% and saving aggregate. See the Millings Calculator.
Enter area and depth to calculate
Typical removal approach based on rehabilitation scope and pavement condition.
| Removal Type | Depth | Typical Application | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface milling | 40–75 mm | Routine maintenance, pre-overlay | Removes wearing course only |
| Partial depth removal | 75–150 mm | Surface + binder removal | Leaves base course intact |
| Full depth removal | 150–300+ mm | Base failure rehabilitation | Exposes subbase or subgrade |
| Selective patching | Varies | Localised failure areas | Saw-cut perimeter for clean edges |
| Cold planing (fine mill) | 10–25 mm | Smoothing, texture restoration | Creates textured surface for overlay |
The calculator converts area and milling depth into volume, then multiplies by the in-place compacted density to give total removal weight in tonnes.
Area: 500 m². Milling depth: 50 mm (0.05 m). Density: 2,200 kg/m³.
Volume: 500 × 0.05 = 25 m³
Weight: 25 × 2,200 ÷ 1,000 = 55 t
Truck loads: ⌈55 ÷ 20⌉ = 3 loads at 20 t each.
Road section: 200 m × 7.5 m = 1,500 m². Full depth: 200 mm (0.20 m). Density: 2,250 kg/m³.
Volume: 1,500 × 0.20 = 300 m³
Weight: 300 × 2,250 ÷ 1,000 = 675 t
Truck loads: ⌈675 ÷ 25⌉ = 27 loads at 25 t each.
Area: 2,000 m². Partial removal: 100 mm (0.10 m). Density: 2,200 kg/m³.
Volume: 2,000 × 0.10 = 200 m³
Weight: 200 × 2,200 ÷ 1,000 = 440 t
Truck loads: ⌈440 ÷ 20⌉ = 22 loads. RAP value: ~$15–30/t at recycler.
Essential for anyone planning road rehabilitation, demolition, or mill-and-fill overlays.
Scope milling and removal works for road rehabilitation tenders. Calculate total RAP tonnage for each road segment, estimate truck movements for traffic management planning, and determine whether RAP quantity justifies on-site crushing and reuse versus disposal at a certified recycling facility.
Estimate disposal costs by entering the cost per tonne for your local tip or RAP recycler. Use truck load counts to plan haulage subcontractor scope, calculate tip fees, and reconcile actual milling dockets against calculated tonnages for contract payment verification and progress claims.
Plan annual road resurfacing programmes by estimating RAP tonnage from surface milling across multiple sites. Budget for disposal or recycling costs per suburb or district. The truck load output helps schedule haulage contracts and minimise disruption to local traffic during rehabilitation works.
Input the length, width, and milling depth of the asphalt to be removed. For a full-depth removal, enter the total pavement thickness. For a mill-and-fill overlay, enter only the milling depth (typically 40–75 mm). The calculator determines total asphalt volume and weight for haulage planning.
Choose between cold milling (rotary drum milling machine produces granular RAP), full-depth removal (hydraulic breaker/excavator produces slab demolition), or saw cutting. Cold milling produces usable RAP for reuse or recycling. Full-depth demolition produces irregular chunks that require crushing before reuse. Select the appropriate density for your material type.
Click Calculate to get total asphalt removal weight in tonnes, volume in cubic metres, and estimated truck loads. Standard 10-wheel dump trucks carry 12–15 tonnes; large articulated trucks up to 25 tonnes. Use results for skip/container hire, tip fees estimation, and subcontractor scope of works documentation.
Milled asphalt (RAP) has a bulk density of approximately 1100–1400 kg/m³ when loose in a truck or stockpile. The in-place compacted density of the original asphalt is typically 2300–2400 kg/m³. When the compacted asphalt is milled, it breaks into granular fragments with air voids, reducing the bulk density by roughly 40–50%. This means 1 tonne of in-place compacted asphalt produces approximately 1 tonne of RAP, but occupies about twice the volume when loose.
Yes — RAP (Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement) is one of the most recycled construction materials in the world. It can be incorporated back into new hot mix asphalt at up to 50% content (with appropriate binder adjustments), used as road base material, applied as driveway surfacing, or used as aggregate fill. Recycling RAP saves significant amounts of virgin aggregate and bitumen binder, reducing material cost and environmental impact. Most highway authorities actively promote RAP use in new mixes.
Cold milling machines (road planers) can mill at depths from 5 mm (micro-milling for surface texture removal) to 300+ mm for deep reclamation in a single pass. Standard single-lift milling for overlay preparation is typically 40–75 mm. Large highway machines with 2-metre drum widths can mill full lanes efficiently. For deeper removals, multiple passes may be required. Always verify the existing pavement structure before specifying milling depth to avoid damaging underlying base layers.
Divide total removal tonnage by the payload capacity of the truck being used. Standard 10-wheel rigid trucks carry 12–15 tonnes per load; large semi-trailer/articulated combinations carry 20–28 tonnes. Always round up to whole loads. Example: 275 t removal ÷ 20 t/load = 13.75, so order 14 truck loads. Allow for milling machine productivity — a 2-metre drum cold planer typically mills 500–1,500 m²/hour depending on depth and mix type. Coordinate truck arrival times to avoid the machine waiting or trucks queuing on live roads.
For existing in-place compacted asphalt pavement, use a density of 2,200–2,300 kg/m³. Older pavement (20+ years) may be slightly denser due to long-term compaction creep, typically 2,250–2,350 kg/m³. Open-graded or porous asphalt is less dense at around 2,000–2,100 kg/m³. If you have core results from the pavement, use the measured bulk density for more accurate tonnage. For conservative (higher) estimates, use 2,300 kg/m³; for typical calculations, 2,200 kg/m³ is a reliable standard value used across the industry.
Yes — reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) can often be reused on the same project, which significantly reduces material costs and environmental impact. Options include: incorporating RAP into new hot mix asphalt at 15–40% replacement rate (requires binder testing and mix design adjustment); using RAP as granular base or sub-base fill after crushing and grading; applying milled RAP directly to low-traffic unsealed driveways or access tracks. Check with your asphalt plant regarding their RAP acceptance policy and any state or local road authority limits on RAP content in new mixes. Use our Millings Calculator to estimate the value of recovered RAP material.
Cold milling uses a rotating drum with tungsten carbide cutting teeth to grind away asphalt to a precise, controlled depth while leaving the underlying layers intact. It produces granular RAP that can be directly recycled. Full-depth removal uses an excavator with a hydraulic breaker, ripper, or bucket to break out the entire asphalt structure to the subbase or subgrade. Full-depth removal is messier, produces irregular chunks that require crushing before reuse, and is typically used when the entire pavement structure has failed or when road realignment or level changes are required. Cold milling is preferred for overlay preparation because it leaves a textured, mechanically clean surface that bonds well with tack coat and new asphalt.