Convert Cords to Loads
Convert Cords (cord) to Loads (load) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
load = cord × 3.2
About Cords
The cord is the standard North American firewood/pulpwood unit = 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft stacked = 128 ft³ = 3.6246 m³ (exact). NIST Handbook 44 requires all US firewood to be sold in cords or legal fractions. Seasoned split hardwood ≈ 20-24 million BTU/cord; air-dry pine ≈ 15-18 million BTU/cord. 'Face cord' or 'rick' is NOT a legal unit. 1 cord = 128 ft³ = 3.6246 m³ = 8 cord feet.
About Loads
The load (statutory load) is a traditional English round-timber unit = 40 ft³ = 1.13267 m³, established under the 1842 Weights and Measures Act. Used in Royal Navy timber procurement (oak, elm for warships) and 18th-19th-century estate forestry accounts. No longer a legal trade unit after the Weights and Measures Act 1963. 1 load = 40 ft³ = 1.1327 m³ ≈ 480 bf.
Quick Reference Table
| Cords (cord) | Loads (load) |
|---|---|
| 1 cord | 3.2 load |
| 2 cord | 6.4 load |
| 5 cord | 16 load |
| 10 cord | 32 load |
| 25 cord | 80 load |
| 50 cord | 160 load |
| 100 cord | 320 load |