Metal Weight Calculator
Weight of steel plate, round / square / hex bar, pipe & tube (weight per foot), angle, channel and I-beam — from dimensions, in metric and imperial. This steel weight calculator also totals multi-piece projects and solves backwards from a target weight to a length.
Steel pipe weight calculator and steel tube weight calculator in one — covers pipe weight per foot lookups: enter OD, wall thickness and length; the per-foot (lb/ft) and per-meter (kg/m) rates are reported.
Rolled-shape weights per foot from published AISC ASTM A6 tables (via Engineering Toolbox). Steel density behind these tables: 490 lb/ft³.
Add rows — each row is one cut-list item (shape, dimensions, metal, quantity). The project total updates live.
Target weight → required length: length = weight ÷ (cross-section area × density).
Structural steel weight tables (lb/ft)
Per-foot weights below are published values — angles and channels per AISC ASTM A6 (imperial, via Engineering Toolbox), W-beams per the same standard (kg/m column as published; lb/ft is the AISC designation). kg/m for angles/channels is the exact conversion (1 lb/ft = 1.4881639 kg/m).
Equal-leg angles (L) — AISC lb/ft
| Designation | lb/ft | kg/m (converted) |
|---|---|---|
| L12 x 12 x 1-3/8 | 105 | 156.3 |
| L12 x 12 x 1 | 77.8 | 115.8 |
| L10 x 10 x 1 | 64.7 | 96.3 |
| L10 x 10 x 3/4 | 49.1 | 73.1 |
| L8 x 8 x 1 | 51.0 | 75.9 |
| L8 x 8 x 3/4 | 38.9 | 57.9 |
| L8 x 8 x 1/2 | 26.4 | 39.3 |
| L6 x 6 x 3/4 | 28.7 | 42.7 |
| L6 x 6 x 1/2 | 19.6 | 29.2 |
| L6 x 6 x 3/8 | 14.9 | 22.2 |
| L5 x 5 x 1/2 | 16.2 | 24.1 |
| L5 x 5 x 3/8 | 12.3 | 18.3 |
| L4 x 4 x 1/2 | 12.8 | 19.0 |
| L4 x 4 x 3/8 | 9.8 | 14.6 |
| L4 x 4 x 1/4 | 6.6 | 9.8 |
| L3-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 1/2 | 11.1 | 16.5 |
| L3-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 1/4 | 5.8 | 8.6 |
| L3 x 3 x 1/2 | 9.4 | 14.0 |
| L3 x 3 x 7/16 | 8.3 | 12.4 |
American standard channels (C) — AISC lb/ft
| Designation | lb/ft | kg/m (converted) |
|---|---|---|
| C15 x 50 | 50 | 74.4 |
| C15 x 40 | 40 | 59.5 |
| C15 x 33.9 | 33.9 | 50.4 |
| C12 x 30 | 30 | 44.6 |
| C12 x 25 | 25 | 37.2 |
| C12 x 20.7 | 20.7 | 30.8 |
| C10 x 30 | 30 | 44.6 |
| C10 x 25 | 25 | 37.2 |
| C10 x 20 | 20 | 29.8 |
| C10 x 15.3 | 15.3 | 22.8 |
| C9 x 20 | 20 | 29.8 |
| C9 x 15 | 15 | 22.3 |
| C9 x 13.4 | 13.4 | 19.9 |
| C8 x 18.75 | 18.75 | 27.9 |
| C8 x 13.75 | 13.75 | 20.5 |
| C8 x 11.5 | 11.5 | 17.1 |
| C7 x 14.75 | 14.75 | 22.0 |
| C7 x 12.25 | 12.25 | 18.2 |
| C7 x 9.8 | 9.8 | 14.6 |
Wide-flange beams (W) — AISC
| Designation | lb/ft | kg/m (published) |
|---|---|---|
| W6 x 4 x 9 | 9 | 13.5 |
| W6 x 6 x 15 | 15 | 22.5 |
| W6 x 6 x 20 | 20 | 29.8 |
| W8 x 4 x 10 | 10 | 15.0 |
| W8 x 4 x 13 | 13 | 19.3 |
| W8 x 6.5 x 24 | 24 | 35.9 |
| W8 x 8 x 31 | 31 | 46.1 |
| W8 x 8 x 48 | 48 | 71.0 |
| W10 x 4 x 12 | 12 | 17.9 |
| W10 x 8 x 33 | 33 | 49.1 |
| W10 x 10 x 49 | 49 | 73.0 |
| W10 x 10 x 77 | 77 | 115.0 |
| W12 x 8 x 40 | 40 | 60.0 |
| W12 x 10 x 53 | 53 | 79.0 |
| W12 x 12 x 65 | 65 | 97.0 |
| W12 x 12 x 96 | 96 | 143.0 |
| W12 x 12 x 152 | 152 | 226.0 |
Steel plate weight chart (carbon steel, 7,850 kg/m³)
Weight per square meter / square foot by plate thickness — read straight off, or compute any size in the steel weight calculator above.
| Thickness | kg/m² | lb/ft² |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mm | 7.85 | 1.61 |
| 2 mm | 15.70 | 3.22 |
| 3 mm | 23.55 | 4.82 |
| 4 mm | 31.40 | 6.43 |
| 5 mm | 39.25 | 8.04 |
| 6 mm | 47.10 | 9.65 |
| 8 mm | 62.80 | 12.86 |
| 10 mm | 78.50 | 16.08 |
| 12 mm | 94.20 | 19.29 |
| 16 mm | 125.60 | 25.72 |
| 20 mm | 157.00 | 32.16 |
| 25 mm | 196.25 | 40.20 |
Formulas used
How to calculate steel weight, shape by shape:
plate: W = L × Wd × t × ρ
round bar: W = (π/4) × d² × L × ρ
square bar: W = a² × L × ρ
hex bar: W = (√3/2) × F² × L × ρ (F = across flats)
pipe/tube: W = (π/4) × (OD² − ID²) × L × ρ, ID = OD − 2×wall
structural: W = (lb/ft) × length
reverse: L = W ÷ (A × ρ)
ρ = metal density (carbon steel 7,850 kg/m³ ≈ 490 lb/ft³). 100% client-side: no data leaves your browser.
Metal density reference
| Metal | kg/m³ | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon steel | 7850 | Engineering Toolbox — Metals and Alloys Densities |
| Stainless steel | 7900 | Typical (Engineering Toolbox range 7480–8000) |
| Cast iron | 7200 | Typical (Engineering Toolbox range 6800–7800) |
| Brass | 8530 | Engineering Toolbox — cartridge brass (70% Cu, 30% Zn) |
| Copper | 8940 | Engineering Toolbox — Metals and Alloys Densities |
| Titanium | 4500 | Engineering Toolbox — Metals and Alloys Densities |
| Lead | 11340 | Engineering Toolbox — chemical lead |
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula for steel plate weight?
Multiply length by width by thickness to get the volume, then multiply by the density of steel, 7,850 kg/m³ (490 lb/ft³) — that is the steel plate weight formula. Example: a carbon-steel plate 4 ft × 8 ft × 1/4 in has a volume of 1,152 in³, so this steel plate weight calculator gives about 326.7 lb (148.2 kg). In metric: a 2 m × 1 m × 10 mm plate weighs 157.0 kg. Use the Plate tab above — it handles mm, cm, m, inches and feet, and the plate weight chart below lists kg per m² by thickness.
How do you calculate steel pipe weight per foot?
Pipe weight per foot comes from the metal cross-section: π/4 × (OD² − ID²) × density, where ID = OD − 2 × wall thickness. Example: a 2 in OD steel pipe with 0.154 in wall weighs about 3.04 lb per foot (4.52 kg/m), so a 20 ft length weighs about 60.8 lb (27.6 kg). The Pipe tab above is a full pipe weight per foot calculator: enter OD, wall and length and it reports per-foot (lb/ft) and per-meter (kg/m) rates — the same math works for steel tube weight, since tube is just pipe specified by exact OD.
What density of steel does this calculator use?
Carbon steel: 7,850 kg/m³, which equals about 490 lb/ft³ (0.284 lb/in³) — the steel weight per cubic foot behind every imperial result. This is the standard value published by Engineering Toolbox in its Metals and Alloys Densities table. You can also pick stainless steel (7,900), cast iron (7,200), brass (8,530), copper (8,940), titanium (4,500) or lead (11,340 kg/m³); each preset shows its source, and a custom-density field is included for anything else.
How much does a steel angle, channel or I-beam weigh per foot?
Use the Structural tab: pick angle (L), channel (C) or wide-flange beam (W), choose the size, enter the length — it is a steel angle weight calculator, steel channel weight calculator and i beam weight calculator in one, reporting w beam weight per foot for every size. Example: an L6 × 6 × 1/2 angle weighs 19.6 lb/ft, so 12 ft weighs 235.2 lb. All per-foot values come from published AISC ASTM A6 tables (via Engineering Toolbox): 19 angles, 19 channels and 17 W-beams — a complete structural steel weight calculator reference. This is rolled-shape weight per foot, not a volume calculation — the table values already account for the real cross-section.
How do I find the weight of round, square or hex bar?
Round bar: π/4 × diameter² × length × density. Square bar: side² × length × density. Hex bar (across flats F): 0.8660 × F² × length × density, since a regular hexagon's area is (√3/2)×F². Example: a 50 mm diameter carbon-steel round bar, 3 m long, weighs about 46.2 kg. The Bar tab is a steel bar weight calculator for round, square and hex profiles — a round bar weight calculator, square bar weight calculator and hex bar weight calculator in one, in metric or imperial units.
Can I work backwards from a target weight to a length?
Yes — the Reverse tab solves length = target weight ÷ (cross-section area × density). Example: for a 200 kg target using 1 m wide × 8 mm thick carbon-steel plate, you need about 3.18 m of plate. It works for plate, all three bar shapes, and pipe/tube.
Can I total the weight of many pieces for a project?
Yes — the Project tab lets you add rows (each with its own shape, dimensions, metal and quantity) and sums everything into one project total in kg and lb. Useful for cut lists, shipping estimates and material quotes.
Does it support both metric and imperial units?
Yes. Dimensions accept mm, cm, m, inches and feet; results always show kg and lb side by side, plus metric tons and US tons. Per-foot (lb/ft) and per-meter (kg/m) rates are shown for pipe, bar and structural shapes — true metal weight per foot reporting in both systems.
Is this for wood logs, pipe volume, or unit conversion?
No — three different jobs, three different tools. This calculator is for the weight of METAL shapes from dimensions. For wood logs (species densities, green vs dry), use our log weight calculator. For the internal volume of a pipe in gallons or liters (not its weight), you need a pipe volume calculator. For converting between kg, lb, oz and tons without any dimensions, use a weight converter.
What about aluminum or copper wire?
This tool covers steel and other structural metals (stainless, cast iron, brass, copper, titanium, lead). For aluminum shapes with alloy-specific densities (6061, 5052, 7075, 1100), use our aluminum weight calculator. For copper wire by AWG gauge per foot, use our copper wire weight calculator.
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