TAHA Engineering Toolsby TAHA Knowledge Lab

Material Weight

Pipe Weight Calculator

Weight per metre of pipe and round tube from outside diameter and wall thickness.

Inputs

Pipe end view with outside diameter OD, inside diameter ID and wall thickness t, and side view with length L.OD — outside diameterIDt — wallL — length
End view: outside diameter OD, inside diameter ID and wall thickness t (ID = OD − 2t). Side view: length L. Hidden lines show the bore. 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).

Actual outside diameter, not the nominal pipe size. For example, NPS 2 / DN 50 pipe has OD 60.3 mm.

Result

Weight per pipe
32.6249
Weight per length
5.43749
Total weight
32.6249
Inside diameter
52.48
Metal cross-section area
692.674
Density used
7,850

A 60.3 mm OD × 3.91 mm wall pipe in carbon / mild steel weighs 5.43749 kg/m. One 6 m length weighs about 32.6249 kg.

Educational estimate — check the assumptions below.

About this calculator

This calculator gives the weight of plain-end pipe and round tube from its outside diameter and wall thickness. It is handy for estimating loads on pipe supports, transport weights and material costs. Enter the real outside diameter — nominal sizes such as “2 inch” or “DN 50” are names, not dimensions.

Formula

A = π × t × (D − t)    m = A × L × ρ

D = outside diameter, t = wall thickness, L = length (all in m), ρ = density (kg/m³). This is the same as π/4 × (D² − d²) with inside diameter d = D − 2t.

Quick rule for steel: weight per metre ≈ 0.02466 × t × (D − t) kg/m, with D and t in mm.

Worked example

NPS 2 (DN 50) Schedule 40 carbon steel pipe: OD 60.3 mm, wall 3.91 mm.

  • Area = π × 3.91 × (60.3 − 3.91) = 692.7 mm²
  • Weight per metre = 692.7 × 10⁻⁶ × 7850 = 5.44 kg/m
  • A 6 m length = 32.6 kg

This matches the 5.44 kg/m listed for this size in ASME B36.10M.

Assumptions and limitations

  • Plain-end pipe at nominal dimensions. Threads, couplings, galvanizing, coatings, linings and contents (water, insulation) are not included.
  • Pipe standards allow wall-thickness tolerances (often up to −12.5%), so actual weights vary.
  • For square and rectangular hollow sections use a dedicated section calculator (coming in a later update).

References

  • ASME B36.10M: Welded and Seamless Wrought Steel Pipe (dimensions and plain-end weights).