# What is the steel weight?

Computes the weight of steel plate, flat bar, round and square bar, pipe, tube and angle from its size and length, with the weight per foot and per metre, for carbon or stainless steel.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/steel-weight-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/steel-weight-calculator.json
- Version: 99c6bf76139e

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Shape Plate, sheet or flat bar, Width 48 in, Thickness 0.25 in, Length 8 ft, Pieces 1, Material Carbon steel, 490 lb/ft³): The steel weighs 326.667 lb in all (40.833 lb per foot).

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| shape | Shape | The shape of the steel. |
| w | Width | The width of the plate, the tube, or the first leg of an angle. |
| h | Height | The height of the tube, or the second leg of an angle. |
| t | Thickness | The thickness of the plate, or the wall of a tube or angle. |
| d | Diameter | The diameter of a round bar, or the outside diameter of a pipe. |
| a | Side | The side of a square bar. |
| l | Length | The length of one piece. |
| n | Pieces | How many pieces of this size. |
| mat | Material | The steel, which sets the density. |
| rho | Density | The density of the metal. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| total | Total weight | Weight of one piece × pieces. |
| piece | Weight of one piece | Density × cross-section area × length. |
| perFoot | Weight per foot | Pounds per foot of length. |
| perMetre | Weight per metre | Kilograms per metre of length. |
| area | Cross-section area | The area of the cut end, in square inches. |

## Method

Weight = density × cross-section area × length × pieces. Areas: plate w × t; round bar π ÷ 4 × d²; square bar a²; pipe π ÷ 4 × (D² − (D − 2t)²); tube w × h − (w − 2t)(h − 2t); angle t × (a + b − t).

## Assumptions

- Corners are sharp: the rounded corners of tubes and angles and the radii of rolled shapes are left out, so real weights can be slightly lower.
- Densities: 490 lb/ft³ (0.2836 lb/in³) or 7,850 kg/m³ for carbon steel, 8,000 kg/m³ for 304 stainless; or type your own.

## Worked examples

1. shape = plate, w = 1.2192, t = 0.00635, l = 2.4384, n = 1, mat = us gives total = 148.173508, perFoot = 40.833333. Source: ASTM A992 structural steel, density 0.2836 lb/in³ (490 lb/ft³), Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASTM_A992, retrieved 2026-10-01).
2. shape = pipe, d = 0.060325, t = 0.003912, l = 6.096, n = 1, mat = us gives perFoot = 3.656392, piece = 33.170229. Source: ASME B36.10M, 2 in schedule 40 pipe: 2.375 in OD, 0.154 in wall, 3.66 lb/ft, as tabulated at https://metalsrus.ca/blogs/guides/pipe-schedule-chart (retrieved 2026-10-01).
3. shape = round, d = 0.02, l = 6, n = 10, mat = carbon gives total = 147.969014, perMetre = 2.46615. Source: EN 1991-1-1 Table A.4, structural steel 77.0 to 78.5 kN/m³, used as 7,850 kg/m³ (https://eurocodeapplied.com/design/en1993/steel-design-properties, retrieved 2026-10-01).
4. shape = angle, w = 0.05, h = 0.05, t = 0.005, l = 1, n = 1, mat = stainless gives total = 3.8. Source: Thyssenkrupp Materials (UK), stainless steel 304 / 1.4301 data sheet, density 8,000 kg/m³ (https://www.thyssenkrupp-materials.co.uk/stainless-steel-304-14301.html, retrieved 2026-10-01).

## FAQ

### How do I calculate the weight of steel?

Multiply the cross-section area by the length to get the volume, then by the density. A 4 × 8 ft sheet of 1/4 in plate is 48 × 96 × 0.25 = 1,152 in³ = 0.6667 ft³, and at 490 lb/ft³ it weighs 326.67 lb.

### What is the density of steel?

Carbon and structural steel is about 490 lb/ft³ (0.2836 lb/in³), or 7,850 kg/m³ in metric design (EN 1991-1-1 gives 77.0 to 78.5 kN/m³). 304 stainless steel is about 8,000 kg/m³.

### How much does steel plate weigh per square foot?

About 40.8 lb per square foot for each inch of thickness: 1/4 in plate is about 10.2 lb/ft², 1/2 in about 20.4 lb/ft².

### How do I find the weight of steel pipe?

Use the ring area: π ÷ 4 × (OD² − ID²), where ID = OD − 2 × wall. 2 in schedule 40 pipe (2.375 in OD, 0.154 in wall) has 1.0745 in² of steel and weighs 3.66 lb per foot, matching the 3.66 lb/ft in the Metals R Us pipe chart.

### What is the weight of a round steel bar?

π ÷ 4 × diameter² × length × density. A 20 mm bar weighs π ÷ 4 × 0.02² × 7,850 = 2.47 kg per metre.

### Why is my supplier’s weight a little lower?

Tubes and angles have rounded corners, and rolled sections have radii. The calculator uses sharp corners, which adds a little steel. Supplier tables also use their own density and rounding.

## Sources

- ASTM A992, Wikipedia: density of structural steel about 7,850 kg/m³ (0.2836 lb/in³), retrieved 2026-10-01. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASTM_A992
- EN 1991-1-1 Table A.4 (unit weight of structural steel 77.0 to 78.5 kN/m³; design density 7,850 kg/m³), as given by Eurocode Applied, retrieved 2026-10-01. https://eurocodeapplied.com/design/en1993/steel-design-properties
- thyssenkrupp Materials (UK), Stainless Steel 304 / 1.4301 data sheet (density 8,000 kg/m³), retrieved 2026-10-01. https://www.thyssenkrupp-materials.co.uk/stainless-steel-304-14301.html
- ASME B36.10M pipe schedule chart (2 in schedule 40: 2.375 in OD, 0.154 in wall, 3.66 lb/ft), Metals R Us, retrieved 2026-10-01. https://metalsrus.ca/blogs/guides/pipe-schedule-chart