# Material density table

Check this before converting volume to weight — bulk and solid density differ by a factor of two, and picking the wrong one ruins the tonnage.

- Page: https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/material-density-table
- Data checked: 2026-10-25

## Table

| Material | Density (kg/m³) | State |
|---|---|---|
| Plain concrete | 2200~2400 | Solid |
| Reinforced concrete | 2400~2500 | Solid, usually 2500 |
| Lightweight aggregate concrete | 1400~1900 | Solid |
| Cement mortar | 2000 | Solid |
| Compo mortar | 1900 | Solid |
| Clay brick | 1800 | Solid, about 2.6 kg each |
| AAC block | 500~700 | Solid, grades B05-B07 |
| Hollow concrete block | 1200~1400 | Solid, by void ratio |
| Cement (bulk) | 1200~1300 | Loose |
| Cement (particle) | 3100 | For mix design |
| Medium sand (dry) | 1450~1550 | Bulk |
| Medium sand (wet) | 1600~1800 | Bulk, 5-8% moisture |
| Crushed stone | 1450~1550 | Loose, 5-40 mm |
| Lime putty | 1350 | Paste |
| Carbon steel | 7850 | Solid |
| Stainless steel | 7930 | Solid, 304 |
| Aluminium | 2700 | Solid |
| Glass | 2500~2560 | Solid |
| Granite | 2800 | Solid |
| Marble | 2700 | Solid |
| Softwood | 500~600 | Solid, air dry |
| Hardwood | 700~900 | Solid, air dry |
| Bitumen | 1000~1100 | Solid |
| Asphalt concrete | 2300~2400 | Solid, compacted |
| Water | 1000 | At 4°C |
| Clay (natural) | 1800~2000 | In situ |
| Sandy soil (natural) | 1600~2000 | In situ |
| EPS board | 20~30 | Solid |
| XPS board | 30~40 | Solid |
| Rock wool board | 100~150 | Solid |

## How to use

- Buying aggregate: convert m³ to t with the bulk density; 1.5 t/m³ is the usual working figure for medium sand.
- Structural self-weight: use solid density, and take 2500 kg/m³ for reinforced concrete.
- Mix design: use particle densities (cement 3100, sand 2650, stone 2700) in the absolute volume method, never bulk density.

## Common mistakes

- Using sand's bulk density (1500) to compute aggregate volume in a mix — the whole mix is then wrong.
- Ignoring moisture: wet sand is 10% heavier, so 30 t ordered against dry density delivers 27 t of volume.
- Assuming 700 kg/m³ for AAC when grade B05 is 525 — a 25% error in wall weight that fails the compression check.

## Questions

### How many tonnes in a cubic metre of sand?

Bulk density of medium sand is 1450-1650 kg/m³, so 1.45-1.65 t per cubic metre; use the top of the range when wet.

### How much does a cubic metre of reinforced concrete weigh?

2400-2500 kg, and 2500 is the normal design figure. That is solid density, not loose.

### What is the density of cement?

Particle density is 3100 kg/m³ while bulk density is only 1200-1300. Mix design uses particle density; storage and haulage use bulk.

## Related calculators

- [Concrete Mix Design Calculator](https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/concrete-mix-ratio): Work out cement, sand, gravel and water per cubic metre from the target grade and water-cement ratio.
- [Sand and Gravel Tonnage Converter](https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/sand-ton): Cubic metres to tonnes by bulk density, with truck loads.
- [Concrete Volume Calculator](https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/concrete-volume): Enter length, width and thickness to get the concrete volume you need and how many truck loads that is.