#57 Gravel vs Recycled Asphalt: Size, Cost, and Which to Use

#57 Gravel

The 57 comes from the ASTM C33 grading table. Size #57 means most of the stone passes a 1-inch screen and stays on a #4 sieve (about 3/16 inch), with the bulk of it between 1/2 and 1 inch. It is "clean" stone, so there are no fines. That leaves about 35 percent air space in a pile, which is why it drains so well and why it stays loose on its own.

Recycled Asphalt

Recycled asphalt is made from reclaimed asphalt pavement that has been crushed and screened. When compacted, it hardens over time as residual asphalt binder reactivates, creating a durable and cost-effective driving surface.

#57 Gravel

• ✓ Driveways
• ✓ French drains
• ✓ Concrete mix
• ✓ Pipe bedding
• ✓ Backfill
• ✓ Parking pads
• ✓ Septic systems

Recycled Asphalt

• ✓ Driveways
• ✓ Parking areas
• ✓ Rural roads
• ✓ Access roads

#57 Gravel

• + Cheapest useful stone at $20 to $35 per ton
• + Stocked at every quarry in the country
• + Drains fast, about 35 percent void space
• + Angular pieces interlock under load
• + Works for driveways, drains, concrete, and backfill

• − Too coarse to walk on comfortably
• − Stays loose, rolls to the edges under tires
• − Needs a finer top layer on driveways
• − Not decorative

Recycled Asphalt

• + Very affordable
• + Compacts into a hard surface
• + Less dust than gravel
• + Reuses existing materials

• − Can soften in extreme heat
• − Dark color absorbs heat
• − Limited availability in some regions

#57 Gravel

#57 gravel is angular crushed stone screened to 3/4 inch to 1 inch, with a few pieces down to 1/2 inch. Color depends on the quarry: gray or blue-gray limestone through the Midwest and Northeast, gray, white, and pink granite in the Southeast, tan limestone in Texas, and dark basalt in the Northwest.

Recycled Asphalt

Crushed asphalt pieces typically under 1 inch. Black or dark gray in color.