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Weight and cost of plates, pipes and shapes

Pick the shape and material, enter dimensions, length and quantity, and get mass per length, total mass with cutting allowance, cost and coating area. Add items to the bill of materials and download it as a spreadsheet.

Pre-sizing and estimating tool: results do not replace design, calculations or reports signed by a licensed professional, nor verification against the applicable codes and standards.

Check
Item
—Total mass with cutting allowance
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The same item in other materials

Mass per piece with the same dimensions in each material.

Tap the chart to see the values.

Bill of materials

Set up an item and click Add. The list stays on this page and is not sent to us.

Import a bill of materials (paste from Excel)

One row per item: shape; material; A; B; thickness; length; quantity. A = leg, diameter or side; B = width; for NPS pipe, A = nominal size and B = schedule (40 or 80). Dimensions in page units; cutting allowance and price come from the fields above.

See what was read

The report gathers this page's inputs, results, equations, assumptions and references, with fields for project, engineer and revision. In the print dialog, choose Save as PDF.

Method, assumptions and references

Equations used

Mass = section area × length × density
Tube: A = π (OD² − ID²) ÷ 4, with ID = OD − 2t
Rectangular tube (sharp corners): A = 2t (a + b) − 4t²; equal-leg angle: A = t (2a − t)
Mass purchased = net mass × (1 + cutting allowance)

Assumptions and limits

  • Sharp-corner sections: rolled angles and rectangular tubes have corner radii and weigh 1% to 3% less than computed.
  • NPS pipe with nominal OD and wall per ASME B36.10M; mill wall tolerance (up to −12.5%) is not included.
  • Typical densities; alloys and tempers can vary about 1%.

Standards and technical documents

  • ASTM A6/A6M: General Requirements for Rolled Structural Steel Bars, Plates, Shapes, and Sheet Piling (density 0.2836 lb/in³)
  • ASME B36.10M: Welded and Seamless Wrought Steel Pipe; ASME B36.19M: Stainless Steel Pipe
  • ABNT NBR 5590: tubos de aço carbono com ou sem solda longitudinal; ABNT NBR 6109 e catálogos de perfis laminados
  • ASM Handbook, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2: Properties of irons, steels and nonferrous alloys (densities)

U.S. regulations

  • OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184: slings (rated capacity versus load weight)
  • OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC: cranes and derricks in construction (load weight determination)

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 2" × 2" × 1/4" angle weigh per foot?

About 3.19 lb/ft in carbon steel. The sharp-corner section is about 0.94 in²; AISC tables list 3.19 lb/ft including corner radii.

What density should I use for steel?

490 lb/ft³ (7,850 kg/m³), the value used by ASTM A6/A6M and ASME pipe tables. Use about 495 lb/ft³ for SS 304 and 169 lb/ft³ for aluminum.

Is the bill of materials saved?

No. The list only exists while the page is open and is not sent to us. Download the spreadsheet before closing.