Sand, gravel, or crushed stone used in concrete, asphalt, and as a base layer in construction.
Aggregate is granular material such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, or recycled concrete used in construction as a base material, in concrete mixes, or in asphalt pavement. Coarse aggregate includes gravel and crushed stone; fine aggregate is sand. Aggregate makes up approximately 60 to 75% of concrete volume and significantly affects concrete strength and workability.
Aggregate is one of the highest-tonnage line items in any concrete, asphalt, or sitework bid, so small unit-price swings move the whole estimate. Because it is priced by the ton or cubic yard plus hauling, the distance to the nearest quarry or pit often drives cost more than the material itself, making local sourcing a key competitive edge when bidding.
When estimating a 5,000-square-foot slab on grade, an estimator takes off roughly 90 tons of crushed stone base and prices it delivered, adding haul cost from a pit 18 miles away before applying markup.
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