Stainless Steel Tube Weight Calculator
Mass per metre and total for stainless tube.
Inputs
Result
Formula
| Mass per metre | W = π × ρ ÷ 1000 × t × (D − t) |
| At ρ = 7.93 | W = 0.02491 × t × (D − t) |
| Carbon steel | W = 0.02466 × t × (D − t) |
| Total | per metre × length × quantity |
| Inside diameter | d = D − 2t |
| Ratio | 7.93 ÷ 7.85 = 1.0102 |
Φ60 × 3.0 mm, one 6 m length: 4.262 kg/m, 25.57 kg, 54 mm bore, 537.2 mm² section and about 235 m per tonne.
FAQ
Why is stainless tube so much dearer than carbon steel?
Because the alloying elements cost: 304 carries 18% chromium and 8% nickel, and 316 adds 2-3% molybdenum, with nickel and moly both expensive. Material is over 70% of the price, so stainless tracks the nickel market. Where coated carbon steel will do, use it — stainless is really needed only for food, medical, aggressive corrosion and exposed architectural work.
304 or 316?
304 suits most indoor and general outdoor work; 316 with molybdenum resists chloride pitting far better, so it is for coastal sites, pools, de-icing salt and chemical lines. The test is chloride concentration: below 200 mg/L use 304, above use 316. Within 500 m of the sea, or wherever salt water is routine, 304 pits within a year or two.
What wall tolerance applies to stainless tube?
Decorative tube under GB/T 18705 typically allows ±10%, pressure tube under GB/T 14976 is tighter. Much of the decorative market sells at 80% of nominal — 1.2 mm labelled, 0.95 mm measured. Handrails take human impact loads and thin walls simply fold, so gauge them on inspection rather than reading the label.
Related calculators
Results are estimating aids only and are not a design basis. Construction and final accounts must follow the drawings, the applicable standards and an approved method statement. Anything affecting structural safety, shoring or falsework must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.