TAHA Engineering Toolsby TAHA Knowledge Lab

Material Weight

Hollow Section (SHS / RHS) Weight Calculator

Weight of square and rectangular tube (SHS / RHS) including corner radii.

Inputs

Rectangular hollow section cross-section showing outside height H, outside width B, wall thickness t and outside corner radius r-o.B — widthH — heighttrₒ
Hollow section: outside height H, outside width B and wall thickness t. The outside corner radius rₒ depends on the corner type you choose. Diagram not to scale.

Density used: 7,850 kg/m³ — nominal value used in steel section mass tables, e.g. EN 10210-2 and EN 10219-2 (7.85 kg/dm³).

Corner radii change the area slightly. Choose sharp corners only for a quick rough estimate.

For a square section, enter the same value as the height.

Result

Weight per piece
86.4577
Weight per length
14.4096
Total weight
86.4577
Cross-section area
18.3562
Outside corner radius used
10
Density used
7,850

A 100 mm × 100 mm × 5 mm hollow section in carbon / mild steel weighs 14.4096 kg/m. One 6 m length weighs about 86.4577 kg.

Educational estimate — check the assumptions below.

About this calculator

Square hollow sections (SHS) and rectangular hollow sections (RHS) — often called box section or square pipe — are used for frames, gates, trusses and machine bases. Their corners are rounded, which makes them slightly lighter than a sharp-cornered estimate. This calculator uses the corner radii that the European product standards use to calculate section properties.

Formula

A = 2t(B + H − 2t) − (4 − π)(ro² − ri²)

m = A × L × ρ

H, B = outside height and width, t = wall thickness, ro, ri = outside and inside corner radii.

  • Cold-formed (EN 10219-2): ro = 2t, ri = t for t ≤ 6 mm; 2.5t and 1.5t for 6 < t ≤ 10 mm; 3t and 2t above 10 mm.
  • Hot-finished (EN 10210-2): ro = 1.5t, ri = t.
  • Sharp corners: both radii zero.

Worked example

Cold-formed SHS 100 × 100 × 5 mm in carbon steel. Corner radii: ro = 10 mm, ri = 5 mm.

  • 2 × 5 × (100 + 100 − 10) = 1900 mm²
  • Corner correction = (4 − π) × (10² − 5²) = 0.8584 × 75 = 64.4 mm²
  • Area = 1900 − 64.4 = 1835.6 mm² (18.36 cm²)
  • Weight = 1835.6 × 10⁻⁶ × 7850 = 14.41 kg/m

This agrees with the 14.4 kg/m listed for this size in EN 10219-2 section tables. A hot-finished 100 × 100 × 5 gives 14.70 kg/m, matching the EN 10210-2 value of 14.7 kg/m.

Assumptions and limitations

  • Corner radii follow the values the standards use for calculating section properties. Actual radii of a particular product may differ within the standard’s tolerances.
  • Weld seams, galvanizing and coatings are not included.
  • Densities are typical; for structural steel the standards use 7850 kg/m³.

References

  • EN 10219-2: Cold formed welded structural hollow sections — tolerances, dimensions and sectional properties.
  • EN 10210-2: Hot finished structural hollow sections — tolerances, dimensions and sectional properties.