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Units of Measureaka: short tonaka: US tonaka: T

Ton (material)

In Plain English

A unit of weight (2,000 pounds in the U.S.) used to price bulk materials like steel, asphalt, and aggregate.

Definition

In construction materials, a ton is a unit of mass commonly used for pricing and quantifying bulk materials such as asphalt paving, aggregate, gravel, crushed stone, steel, and soil. In the U.S., a short ton equals 2,000 pounds, while a metric ton (tonne) equals 1,000 kilograms (approximately 2,205 pounds). Structural steel is priced and estimated by the ton, and asphalt paving mix is ordered and placed in tons.

Example

The structural steel package for the parking garage totals 380 tons; at $4,200 per ton erected, the structural steel cost is approximately $1.6 million.

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