Construction Calculator - Concrete and Masonry

Sonotube Calculator

Estimate concrete for round tube forms and pier forms.

Reviewed: August 26, 2026

Calculate Sonotube

For the Sonotube Calculator, enter diameter, depth / height, waste allowance, and concrete price. It models one circular concrete placement as a cylinder, applies allowance, and reports cubic yards, bag equivalents, and optional ready-mix cost.

Construction measuring tools arranged beside a residential building project

Formula used

Concrete volume = [π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × height ÷ 27] × (1 + waste ÷ 100), after converting diameter to feet

Sonotube Calculator measurement plan showing Diameter inches, Depth / height feet, Waste allowance percent

Worked sonotube example

Sonotube Calculator example: π × (11.9 in ÷ 12 ÷ 2)² × 3 ft = 2.32 ft³. Applying 10% gives 0.09 yd³; round any bag conversion to whole packages.

From calculated volume to an order

Multiply identical piers before ordering and verify the form's actual inside dimensions and the supplier's concrete delivery increment.

Where a concrete takeoff can drift

Belled bases, footings below the tube, cut slope, embedded posts, tube deformation, and concrete left in placement equipment affect quantity.

Questions specific to this calculation

Which diameter and height define the sonotube placement?

Enter the inside diameter of the selected fiber form and the placed concrete height; calculate different form diameters as separate groups.