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§ 03 · The signature tool
Truckload calculator
Tell us what you are building and how big it is. We turn it into cubic metres, tonnes of each material, truck trips and an estimate in naira.
Your truckload
| Load | Tonnes | Trips | Example cost |
|---|
Estimates use example rates and typical mixes. Our dispatch desk confirms every order by phone before a truck leaves the pit.
Behind the numbers
No magic, just the rules of thumb our engineers use. Your own engineer’s figures always win.
Volume first. Length times width times depth gives cubic metres. A 15 by 10 metre slab at 150 mm is 22.5 cubic metres of concrete before waste.
Then the mix. A 1 : 2 : 4 concrete uses about 1.3 tonnes of three-quarter inch chippings, 0.67 tonnes of sharp sand and six and a half bags of cement for every cubic metre. Richer 1 : 1.5 : 3 for columns uses a little less stone and more cement.
Stone base is different: it is laid and compacted, so we use about 2.2 tonnes per compacted cubic metre. Blocks are counted per hundred: roughly 1.1 tonnes of quarry dust and half a tonne of sharp sand.
Trips come last. Each material travels in its own bed, so 27 tonnes of chippings on 20-tonne tippers is two trips, and the sand is another. Bigger trucks mean fewer trips, if your street can take them.
The waste allowance adds five per cent for spillage, uneven ground and the bit that always ends up under the mixer. Turn it off if your engineer has already allowed for it.
Can your street take a trailer?
The cheapest truck per tonne is the biggest one your site can safely receive.
| Truck | Carries | Needs | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-tonne tipper | About 6.5 m³ of chippings | 3 m wide gate, firm ground | Old city streets, small plots, fences |
| 20-tonne tipper | About 13 m³ | 3.5 m gate, no low cables | Bungalows and duplexes in most estates |
| 30-tonne trailer | About 20 m³ | Wide access, room to turn | Estate roads, shop rows, yards |
Worked example
The three-bedroom bungalow
A typical three-bedroom bungalow on a 50 by 100 foot plot in Kumbotso.
Strip foundation: 120 metres of trench at 675 by 225 mm is about 18 cubic metres, or roughly 27 tonnes of chippings and 15 of sand. Two 20-tonne trips of stone and one of sand.
Floor slab: 150 square metres at 150 mm is 22.5 cubic metres. About 31 tonnes of chippings and 16 of sand. Then about 4,500 blocks, which means around 52 tonnes of quarry dust and sharp sand together. All example figures.
About the estimate
Is the estimate a quote?
It is an estimate at example rates. The dispatch desk confirms the price by phone before anything leaves the pit.
Does it include cement?
It tells you how many bags you need, but we do not sell cement.
Can I send drawings instead?
Yes. WhatsApp the drawings to the sales desk and we will reply with a take-off within one working day.
Why does each material need its own trip?
Chippings and sand cannot share an open bed without mixing. Some drivers carry two materials with a board between them on request.