# Gravel Sizes and Types: #57, #8, Crusher Run, and More Size numbers, sieve ranges, and stated uses for #57, #8, crusher run, #411, and pea gravel, from state DOT specifications. Guide page: (published 2026-10-06, updated 2026-10-06). This Markdown version has the guide's key points, outline, FAQs and sources; the full article, with its worked examples and diagrams, is on the page. ## Key takeaways - A size number such as #57 or #8 names a band of stone sizes defined by sieve tests, and the bigger the number, the smaller the stone. - In Virginia DOT's table, every piece of No. 57 passes a 1½ in sieve and at most 5% passes No. 8; every piece of No. 8 passes 1/2 in and at most 5% passes No. 16. - Numbered sizes are clean, open-graded stone that drains but does not compact into a dense layer; dense-graded base such as VDOT 21A keeps fines down to the No. 200 sieve and suits jobs where compaction matters. - Crusher run, 2B, and #411 are regional names that Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio each define differently, so ask for the product's gradation. - Pea gravel has no size number in these specifications; CPSC lists it as playground surfacing at least 9 in deep for equipment up to 5 ft high. ## In this guide 1. [How gravel size numbers work](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/gravel-sizes-and-types/#how-size-numbers-work) 2. [Gravel size chart: Virginia DOT Table II-3](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/gravel-sizes-and-types/#gravel-size-chart) 3. [Clean stone vs. dense-graded base](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/gravel-sizes-and-types/#clean-stone-vs-dense-graded) 4. [Crusher run, #411, and other regional names](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/gravel-sizes-and-types/#crusher-run-and-regional-names) 5. [Pea gravel and rounded stone](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/gravel-sizes-and-types/#pea-gravel) 6. [Which size for which job](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/gravel-sizes-and-types/#which-size-for-which-job) 7. [How size and type change your order](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/gravel-sizes-and-types/#how-size-changes-your-order) 8. [Worked example: pea gravel under a play set](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/gravel-sizes-and-types/#worked-example) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between #57 and #8 stone? Size. In Virginia DOT's specification, every piece of No. 57 passes a 1½ in sieve, 95–100% passes 1 in, and 25–60% passes ½ in. Every piece of No. 8 passes ½ in, 85–100% passes 3/8 in, and 10–30% passes the No. 4 sieve. Both are clean stone with little fine material. ### Is crusher run the same as #57 stone? No. Virginia DOT defines crusher run as containing all of the sizes the crushers produce, and its Size 25 has 32±18% passing the No. 4 sieve. No. 57 is a clean, open-graded size with at most 10% passing No. 4. ### What is #411 gravel? There is no size 411 in Virginia DOT's size table. Ohio DOT's specifications have an Item 411, Stabilized Crushed Aggregate: a compacted course of crushed aggregate graded from 100% passing 1½ in down to 3 to 15% passing the No. 200 sieve. Ask your supplier which specification its #411 is made to. ### What size gravel is best for drainage? Clean, open-graded stone, whose air voids let water through. Virginia DOT backfills underdrain trenches with No. 57 or No. 8 and uses No. 78 or 8 as porous backfill. Penn State's Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies says dense, well-graded mixes are not suitable for drainage. ### Is pea gravel safe under a home play set? The CPSC's home playground handbook lists sand or pea gravel for equipment up to 5 ft high, at least 9 in deep, starting from a 12 in fill that compresses over time. For taller equipment, up to 8 ft, it lists wood mulch or chips, engineered wood fiber, or shredded rubber instead. ## Related calculators and guides ### Calculators - [Gravel Calculator](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/gravel-calculator/) — Gravel, crushed rock, or landscape rock volume in cubic yards and meters, with an optional weight from your supplier's density. - [Paver Calculator](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/paver-calculator/) — Pavers and pallets for a patio or walkway from area and paver size, with optional base gravel and bedding sand volumes. ### Guides - [Gravel driveway layers: base, depth, and stone types](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/gravel-driveway-layers/) — Layer thickness, stone choice, crown, ditches, and ordering for a gravel driveway, from road agency manuals. - [How Much Does a Cubic Yard of Gravel Weigh?](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/how-much-does-a-yard-of-gravel-weigh/) — Tons per cubic yard for crushed aggregate, loose versus compacted, and how to convert a volume into an order by weight. - [What Is a Cubic Yard?](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/cubic-yards-explained/) — What a cubic yard is, how to convert area × depth into yards, and how much ground one yard covers. - [How to Plan a Bulk Material Delivery](https://www.howmanyyardsdoineed.com/guides/planning-material-delivery/) — Rounding to supplier increments, questions to ask, and a checklist before bulk material arrives. ## Sources - [Road and Bridge Specifications (2020), Section 203 Coarse Aggregate, Table II-3: Sizes of Open-Graded Coarse Aggregates](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/technical-guidance-and-support/technical-guidance-documents/construction/VDOT_2020_RB_Specs_acc071522.pdf) — Virginia Department of Transportation. Used for: No. 57: 1½ in. Min. 100, 1 in. 95-100, 1/2 in. 25-60, No. 4 Max. 10, No. 8 Max. 5; No. 8: 1/2 in. Min. 100, 3/8 in. 85-100, No. 4 10-30, No. 8 Max. 10, No. 16 Max. 5 (% passing). Checked 2026-10-06. - [Road and Bridge Specifications (2020), Section 205: Crusher Run Aggregate](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/technical-guidance-and-support/technical-guidance-documents/construction/VDOT_2020_RB_Specs_acc071522.pdf) — Virginia Department of Transportation. Used for: Sizes 24, 25 and 26; all sizes produced by the crushers; No. 4 passing 32±18 (24, 25) or 38±22 (26). Checked 2026-10-06. - [Road and Bridge Specifications (2020), Section 208 Subbase and Aggregate Base Material, Table II-9: Design Range for Dense-Graded Aggregates](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/technical-guidance-and-support/technical-guidance-documents/construction/VDOT_2020_RB_Specs_acc071522.pdf) — Virginia Department of Transportation. Used for: 21A: No. 200 6-12; 21B: No. 200 4-7; 22: No. 200 8-12 (% passing, design range). Checked 2026-10-06. - [Road and Bridge Specifications (2020), Sections 302.03 (pipe culvert bedding) and 501.02 (underdrains)](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/technical-guidance-and-support/technical-guidance-documents/construction/VDOT_2020_RB_Specs_acc071522.pdf) — Virginia Department of Transportation. Used for: Culvert bedding No. 25 or 26; No. 57 in standing or running water, capped with 4 in of No. 25 or 26; underdrain trench backfill No. 57 or No. 8. Checked 2026-10-06. - [2022 Supplement to the VDOT 2020 Road and Bridge Specifications: Sections 203.02 and 204.02(c)](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/technical-guidance-and-support/technical-guidance-documents/construction/migrated-acc/2022Supplement_to_the_2020SpecBook_acc071522.pdf) — Virginia Department of Transportation. Used for: Porous backfill: No. 78 or 8 aggregate. Checked 2026-10-06. - [Aggregates 101: Common Aggregates in PA (technical bulletin, 1/2021)](https://dirtandgravel.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/TB_Aggregate_101.pdf) — Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies. Used for: AASHTO 1 = largest (all passing 4 in), 10 = smallest (all passing 3/8 in); #57 = PA 2B (1.5 in - 3/32 in clean); #8 = PA 1B (0.5 in - 3/32 in clean, chip surfacing); 2A: top size 2 in, fines 0-10%. Checked 2026-10-06. - [ASTM D448-12(2022), Standard Classification for Sizes of Aggregate for Road and Bridge Construction (scope)](https://store.astm.org/d0448-12r22.html) — ASTM International. Checked 2026-10-06. - [Construction and Material Specifications (2023), online version 07/17/2026: Item 411 Stabilized Crushed Aggregate and 703.18](https://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/ConstructionMgt/OnlineDocs/Specifications/2023_CMS_07172026_for_web_Letter%20size.pdf) — Ohio Department of Transportation. Used for: Max compacted lift 6 in; crushed stone 3800 lb/yd³, crushed gravel 3900 lb/yd³ (conversion factors). Checked 2026-10-06. - [Outdoor Home Playground Safety Handbook (Publication 324)](https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/324.pdf) — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Used for: 9 in of sand or pea gravel for equipment up to 5 ft high; 12 in initial fill; surfacing 6 ft beyond the equipment. Checked 2026-10-06. **Estimate only.** Results are planning estimates computed from the numbers you enter. They are not engineering, structural, or code advice. Confirm quantities, product yields, and installation requirements with your supplier, the product label, and your local building authority before you order or build.