What the pipe weight calculator does
Enter a pipe's outside diameter, wall thickness and length, choose the material — steel, aluminium or copper — and the calculator returns its weight. That number decides whether two people can lift it, what the crane or forklift must handle, what the transport costs, and how much a structure or support has to carry. It also gives the weight per metre for pricing and comparing sections. Runs in your browser.
The formula
Cross-section area = π × (OD − t) × t (annulus, for OD and wall t in the same unit)
Volume = area × length
Weight = volume × density
Densities: steel 7,850 kg/m³ aluminium 2,700 kg/m³ copper 8,940 kg/m³
Steel pipe OD 114.3 mm, wall 6.02 mm, 6 m long:
area = π × (114.3 − 6.02) × 6.02 = 2,048 mm² = 0.002048 m²
volume = 0.002048 × 6 = 0.01229 m³
weight = 0.01229 × 7,850 = 96.5 kg (16.1 kg/m)The formula π(OD − t)t is exactly equivalent to π/4 × (OD² − ID²); it is the form used in pipe tables. The example is a 4-inch schedule 40 steel pipe, whose tabulated weight is 16.07 kg/m.
Standard steel pipe weights (schedule 40)
| Nominal size | OD (mm) | Wall (mm) | kg/m | lb/ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ½ in | 21.3 | 2.77 | 1.27 | 0.85 |
| 1 in | 33.4 | 3.38 | 2.50 | 1.68 |
| 2 in | 60.3 | 3.91 | 5.44 | 3.65 |
| 3 in | 88.9 | 5.49 | 11.3 | 7.58 |
| 4 in | 114.3 | 6.02 | 16.1 | 10.8 |
| 6 in | 168.3 | 7.11 | 28.3 | 19.0 |
| 8 in | 219.1 | 8.18 | 42.5 | 28.6 |
| 12 in | 323.9 | 10.31 | 79.7 | 53.5 |
Schedule 80 has thicker walls (about 30–50% heavier); schedule 10 and 5 are lighter. Enter the actual OD and wall from the schedule table — nominal size is not the OD for sizes under 14 in.
Density notes
- Steel at 7,850 kg/m³ covers carbon steel; stainless is slightly higher (7,900–8,000) — add 1–2%.
- Aluminium alloys range from 2,650 to 2,800; 2,700 is the standard figure and about a third the weight of steel for the same section.
- Copper at 8,940 is the heaviest of the three; copper tube walls are thin, so pieces are lighter than they look.
- For other materials, multiply the volume by the density: PVC ≈ 1,400, HDPE ≈ 950, cast iron ≈ 7,200, brass ≈ 8,500, titanium ≈ 4,500 kg/m³.
Common uses
- Checking manual-handling limits (25 kg per person is a common guideline) before a site delivery.
- Specifying lifting gear and vehicle payloads for a pipe order.
- Estimating freight cost, which is often by weight.
- Structural dead load of pipe runs, handrails, columns and scaffolding.
- Comparing the material cost of steel versus aluminium tube for a frame.
- Scrap value of removed pipework.