Steel Pipe Weight Calculator
Mass per metre, per length and in total from OD and wall thickness.
Inputs
Result
Formula
| Mass per metre | W = 0.02466 × t × (D − t) in kg/m |
| Underlying form | W = π(D − t) × t × 7.85 ÷ 1000 |
| Mass each | per metre × length |
| Total mass | mass each × quantity |
| Inside diameter | d = D − 2t |
| Section area | A = π/4 × (D² − d²) |
Φ48 × 3.0 mm, 6 m each, 10 lengths: 3.329 kg/m, 19.97 kg each, 60.00 m total, 199.75 kg overall, about 300 m per tonne and 9.05 m² of external surface.
FAQ
Why must scaffold tube wall thickness be checked?
Because capacity falls almost linearly with wall thickness while price follows weight. Φ48 × 3.0 is 3.33 kg/m against 2.80 kg/m for 2.5 mm — 16% lighter but 18% less second moment of area, and more than that in buckling capacity. Using thin tube for high formwork support quietly drops the safety factor from 2 to 1.6, which is the recurring line in collapse reports.
How is square or rectangular hollow section weight calculated?
For a square use 0.00785 × t × (4a − 4t); for a rectangle replace 4a with 2(a + b). The general form is mid-line perimeter times thickness: W = 2(a + b − 2t) × t × 0.00785. Applying the round-tube formula overstates by 5-25%, worst as the section becomes square.
Does galvanising add to the weight?
Yes, though only slightly. A hot-dip coating of 60-85 µm weighs about 500-600 g/m² over both faces, which on Φ48 tube is 0.08-0.09 kg/m — roughly 2.5%. It is normally inside the quoted price, but on bulk orders check whether the supplier quotes black or galvanised weight.
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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.