A 16 in tube holds 1.396 ft³ of concrete per foot of height.
How it works
Volume = π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × height. Bags = volume ÷ bag yield, rounded up.
Example: a 16 in tube 4 ft tall holds 5.59 ft³, which is 10 bags of 80 lb concrete.
At a glance
Same settings as the calculator above, changing only the height.
| Height | Concrete | Bags |
|---|---|---|
| 2 ft | 2.79 ft³ | 5 |
| 3 ft | 4.19 ft³ | 7 |
| 4 ft | 5.59 ft³ | 10 |
| 5 ft | 6.98 ft³ | 12 |
| 6 ft | 8.38 ft³ | 14 |
Bag yields
| Bag | Yield | Bags per yd³ |
|---|---|---|
| 40 lb | 0.30 ft³ | 90 |
| 50 lb | 0.375 ft³ | 72 |
| 60 lb | 0.45 ft³ | 60 |
| 80 lb | 0.60 ft³ | 45 |
Quikrete Concrete Mix product data.
Common questions
How much concrete does a 12 inch sonotube hold?
About 0.785 cubic feet per foot of height, so a 4 ft tube takes about 3.1 ft³, or 6 bags of 80 lb mix.
Which bag size should I use?
80 lb bags yield 0.60 ft³ and 60 lb bags 0.45 ft³, according to Quikrete. Fewer, heavier bags mean fewer trips but more lifting.
Sources
- Quikrete, Concrete Mix data sheet (bag yields): https://www.quikrete.com/PDFs/DATA_SHEET-Concrete%20Mix%201101.pdf