How to calculate the amount of pebble needed

The pebble is a type of stone highly valued precisely for its smoothed edges. In fact, it has many uses in both construction and gardening. If you are not quite sure how to calculate how much you need for your project, stay with us and you will clear up your doubts. Today we offer you a foolproof formula (and a very simple one).

Uses of pebble

Before finding out how to calculate how much of this beautiful material you need, it is a good idea to know exactly what it is, what you are going to use it for, and whether it is the right stone. You can use it in any of these types of project.

• In construction it is often used because of its great resistance, since it wears down very little. In addition, it can be treated to increase that resistance even further.
• Because it adheres very well to cement, it is used for the manufacture of spaces in which to stack other materials.
• In gardening it is very common, and not only because of its great decorative power, but because it protects the soil and plants from sudden changes in temperature.
• Interior designers also turn to it a lot.
• It is not unusual to find it as part of a spa circuit, for walking on, since doing so helps improve circulation.

And now that you know what types of projects you can use it in, let’s see how to calculate the exact amount you need.

How to calculate the required amount of pebble

Regardless of the type of project you are going to carry out, to calculate the amount of material you will need you must note the following data, in meters.

• Height of the pebbles layer you are going to place

• Width of the area

• Length of the area

Once you know that data, the steps to follow to do the calculation are very simple.

Calculate the surface area to cover, which is done by multiplying the width by the height. The result will be a number of square meters.

Next, multiply those square meters by the layer height. If your project is for gardening, these layers are usually between 5 and 6 cm.

The result of this last operation will be a quantity in cubic meters. This is what you need to buy.

But all this is easier to understand with an example. Imagine that I have a piece of garden where I cannot get grass to grow and I have decided to fill it with pebbles. The dimensions of that piece of land would be: 5 m wide by 5 m long, and I want to put a 5 cm layer of pebble.

The calculation would be as follows:

5 m x 5 m = 25 m²

25 m² x 0.05 m = 1.25 m³

I will need a total of 1.25 m³ of pebble.

This is the first formula we make available to you, but now we must translate this volume into kilos with a second formula to calculate the weight.

There is a standard generic measure that says that 1 m³ is equivalent to 1,600 kg of rounded stones; the numbers may scare you a little, but in the case of the example you will need:

1.25 m³ x 1,600 kg. = 2,000 kg.

Although this final number may vary depending on the chosen stone size.

That is, 80 kg of material per square meter are needed to fill to a thickness of 5 cm.

Want one last tip? This formula also serves to calculate the amount of gravel. But they vary when we want to use stones such as chamotte, slate, or volcanic stone; in these cases 1 m³ is equivalent to 1,000 kg. That is, 50 kg per square meter. In the case of pine bark, 1 m³ is equivalent to 600 kg.