Free Engineering Tool
Metal Weight Calculator
Calculate the weight of metal profiles — round bar, pipe, flat bar, square, hex, angle, and channel. Select shape, enter dimensions, and get instant results.
Results
General Formula
Weight is calculated as:
Where all dimensions are in mm and density is in kg/m³. The factor 10⁹ converts mm³ to m³.
Cross-Section Formulas
| Shape | Volume Formula (mm³) |
|---|---|
| Round bar | V = π/4 × d² × L |
| Pipe / Tube | V = π/4 × (OD² − ID²) × L (ID = OD − 2t) |
| Flat bar / Plate | V = width × thickness × L |
| Square bar | V = side² × L |
| Hex bar | V = (√3 / 2) × s² × L (s = flat-to-flat) |
| Angle (L-profile) | V = (a × tₐ + (b − tₐ) × t_b) × L |
| Channel (U-profile) | V = (h × t_w + 2 × (b − t_w) × t_f) × L |
Material Densities
| Material | Density (kg/m³) | Density (lb/in³) |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon / Mild Steel | 7 850 | 0.283 |
| Stainless Steel | 7 900 | 0.285 |
| Aluminum | 2 700 | 0.098 |
| Copper | 8 900 | 0.322 |
| Brass | 8 500 | 0.307 |
| Titanium | 4 510 | 0.163 |
| Cast Iron | 7 200 | 0.260 |
Practical Example
Given: d = 50 mm, L = 1000 mm, Density = 7850 kg/m³
Area = π/4 × 50² = 1 963.5 mm²
Volume = 1 963.5 × 1000 = 1 963 495 mm³
Weight = 1 963 495 × 7850 / 10⁹ = 15.41 kg
Weight per meter = 15.41 kg/m
Tip: For pipes, you can enter either the wall thickness t or the inner diameter (ID) directly. If wall thickness is provided, the calculator computes ID = OD − 2×t automatically.
Metal weight is calculated using the formula: Weight = Volume × Density. First, determine the cross-sectional area based on the shape (round, pipe, flat, etc.), then multiply by the length to get the volume in mm³. Finally, multiply by the material density in kg/m³ and divide by 10⁹ to get the weight in kilograms.
The density of mild/carbon steel is approximately 7,850 kg/m³ (0.283 lb/in³). Stainless steel is slightly higher at about 7,900 kg/m³. These are the standard values used in engineering weight calculations.
- Carbon steel: 7,850 kg/m³
- Stainless steel: 7,900 kg/m³
- Aluminum: 2,700 kg/m³
- Copper: 8,900 kg/m³
Pipe is specified by nominal bore (NB or DN) and schedule number, while tube is specified by exact outside diameter (OD) and wall thickness. For weight calculation purposes, the formula is identical: V = π/4 × (OD² − ID²) × L.
The key difference is in how you look up the dimensions — pipe sizes use standard tables (e.g., NPS), while tube dimensions are measured directly.
Weight per meter is the cross-sectional area multiplied by the material density:
Weight/m = Area (mm²) × Density (kg/m³) / 1,000,000
For example, a Ø50 mm round steel bar: Area = π/4 × 50² = 1,963.5 mm². Weight/m = 1,963.5 × 7,850 / 1,000,000 = 15.41 kg/m.
The procedures described on this page were developed and field-tested by the Vibromera team using the Balanset-1A, a portable dual-channel balancer and vibration analyzer for on-site rotor balancing.
Professional field balancing instruments and software. Used in 50+ countries for rotating machinery maintenance.
Nikolai Shelkovenko
Nikolai Shelkovenko is a vibration analysis engineer and the founder and CEO of Vibromera. For more than 15 years he has balanced rotating equipment in the field rather than on a test bench: mulchers, industrial fans, crushers, centrifuges, shafts and spindles. That work is what the Balanset instruments grew out of — they were designed as a tool a specialist can carry to the machine and use alone, on site, not as laboratory equipment. Vibromera was founded in 2017 and has been based in Porto, Portugal, since 2023. Development, assembly and support of the Balanset line all happen here. The flagship instrument is the Balanset-1A, a portable analyser for single- and two-plane balancing and for vibration diagnostics. Nikolai is personally involved in customer support, in working through difficult balancing cases and in the development of the software. He works with customers worldwide, in any language.
