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Material Weight Calculator

Weight of bar, plate and tube in common metals.

Your measurementsEvery assumption editable01

Used for flat bar and tube. Ignored for round and square bar.

WeightCalculated live02

Result

51.05lb

51.05 lb — 5.105 lb per foot

Cross-sectional area6 × 0.25 in
1.5 sq in
Length120 in
10 ft
Volume
180 cu in
Weight23.155 kg
51.048 lb
Weight per foot
5.1048 lb/ft

Weight per foot is the figure worth keeping. Stock is bought by length, and once you know the per-foot weight for a section you can price and plan any quantity of it without recalculating.

These densities are nominal. Alloy variation moves them by a per cent or two, which matters for a lifting calculation and not at all for working out whether something fits in the van.

This is plain prismatic stock. Structural sections — I-beams, channels, angles — have published weights per foot that account for fillets and tapers, and those figures are more accurate than approximating the shape here.

Enter the section and length and this gives total weight and weight per foot. The per-foot figure is the one worth keeping — stock is bought by length, and once you know it you can price any quantity without recalculating.

Why use this tool?What it does differently03

Why use this tool?

Four sections

Round bar, square bar, flat plate and round tube, which cover most stock.

Five materials

Mild steel, stainless, aluminium, copper and brass, with editable density.

Weight per foot

The figure to remember, since stock is bought by length.

Structural sections flagged

I-beams and channels have published weights that beat approximating the shape.

How this worksThe method04

How this material weight calculator works

Cross-sectional area times length gives volume, and volume times density gives weight. Tube subtracts the bore from the outside area, which is why wall thickness matters as much as diameter.

Densities are given in pounds per cubic inch: mild steel 0.2836, stainless 0.2904, aluminium 0.0975, copper 0.3225 and brass 0.3075. Aluminium is roughly a third the weight of steel for the same section, which is most of why it gets used.

These are nominal figures. Alloy variation moves them by a per cent or two — irrelevant for working out whether something fits in the van, relevant for a lifting calculation.

How to use itStep by step05

How to use it

  1. Step 1: Pick the section

    Round bar, square bar, flat plate or round tube.

  2. Step 2: Enter the dimensions

    Diameter or width, plus thickness or wall for plate and tube.

  3. Step 3: Choose the material

    Or enter a density directly for something not listed.

  4. Step 4: Note the per-foot figure

    It lets you price any length of that section instantly.

Example usageWorked figures06

Example usage

Steel flat bar
6 in by 1/4 in mild steel at 10 ft weighs 51.05 lb — 5.1 lb per foot.
The same in aluminium
17.55 lb, about a third the weight. That ratio is why aluminium is used wherever handling matters.
Round tube
A 2 in outside diameter tube with a 0.125 in wall over 10 ft weighs 25.05 lb in steel — far less than the 106 lb of solid 2 in bar.
Frequently asked questionsCommon questions07

Frequently asked questions

How much does steel weigh?

Mild steel is about 0.2836 pounds per cubic inch, or roughly 490 pounds per cubic foot. A 6 by 1/4 inch flat bar weighs about 5.1 pounds per foot.

How much lighter is aluminium than steel?

About a third the weight for the same section — 0.0975 against 0.2836 pounds per cubic inch.

How do I calculate tube weight?

Take the outside area less the bore area to get the wall cross-section, then multiply by length and density. Wall thickness matters as much as diameter.

Are these densities exact?

They are nominal. Alloy variation shifts them a per cent or two, which is negligible for handling and worth checking for a lifting calculation.

Does this work for I-beams and channels?

Not accurately. Structural sections have fillets and tapers, and manufacturers publish weights per foot that are more reliable than approximating the shape.

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