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Demolition Waste Volume Calculator

Work out demolition waste volume instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Demolition Waste Volume Calculator

Demolition arisings are estimated per square metre of floor area: roughly 1000-1500 kg/m² for a concrete framed building and less for timber or steel. Loose debris volume is mass divided by bulk density, and the recycled split matters because crushed concrete has value while landfill carries disposal tax.

Formulas

Waste mass

Tonnes = floor area x waste rate kg/m² / 1000

Volume and split

m³ = kg / loose bulk density; landfill = total x (1 - recycled share)

Worked example

With the default values below, Demolition Waste Volume Calculator returns Total demolition waste of 600.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Floor area to demolishminimum 0.1 m²
500 m²
Waste generated per square metreminimum 1 kg/m²
1,200 kg/m²
Loose debris bulk densityminimum 100 kg/m³
1,400 kg/m³
Share recycledaccepts 0–100 %
60 %

Results

Total demolition waste
600.00 t
Loose debris volume
428.6 m³
Recycled or reused
360.00 t
To landfill
240.00 t

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Waste mass
  3. 3Volume and split
  4. 4Total demolition waste= 600.00 t
  5. 5Loose debris volume= 428.6 m³
  6. 6Recycled or reused= 360.00 t
  7. 7To landfill= 240.00 t

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Demolition Waste Volume figure worked out?

Tonnes = floor area x waste rate kg/m² / 1000. Demolition arisings are estimated per square metre of floor area: roughly 1000-1500 kg/m² for a concrete framed building and less for timber or steel.

Why is loose volume so much larger?

Intact concrete is about 2400 kg/m³ but broken rubble is only 1300-1500 because of the voids between fragments. Skip and haulage planning must use the loose figure.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: Floor area to demolish, Waste generated per square metre, Loose debris bulk density, Share recycled. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.

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