Convert Loads to Cords

Convert Loads (load) to Cords (cord) instantly and accurately.

Loads (load)
Cords (cord)

Conversion Formula

cord = load × 0.3125

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.

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.

Quick Reference Table

Loads (load)Cords (cord)
1 load0.3125 cord
2 load0.625 cord
5 load1.5625 cord
10 load3.125 cord
25 load7.8125 cord
50 load15.625 cord
100 load31.25 cord

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