How to calculate the weight of a pipe?

Consider the pipe as a hollow cylinder. First calculate the volume of the pipe wall: V = π[(Do/2)^2 - (Di/2)^2]L where Do is the outer diameter, Di is the inner diameter and L is the length. Then multiply this by the density of the material to get the weight W: W = V * Density. If you know the wall thickness t instead of the inner diameter, first use the formula Di = Do - 2t.

How much does a steel pipe weigh per meter?

For steel pipes, a simple formula can be used for estimation. Multiply the value of approximately 0.0246 with wall thickness t and then multiply that result by (Do - t). The result is weight in kg per meter. Here units for outside diameter Do and wall thickness t are millimeters. For a pipe having an outside diameter of 100 mm and wall thickness of 10 mm, the calculated result would be approximately 22 kg/m. This constant already includes steel density and ring cross-sectional area.

What diameter is used to calculate the weight of a pipe?

Both are used. The weight is based on the material in the ring between the two diameters, so it depends on the difference between the square of the outside diameter and the square of the inside diameter. If only the outside diameter were used, the pipe would be treated as a solid bar, which would grossly overestimate the weight since the hollow part of the pipe is empty.

How do you calculate the weight of a pipe when only the wall thickness is known?

The inside diameter is the outside diameter minus twice the wall thickness. It is calculated as Di = Do - 2t. When you enter the outside diameter and wall thickness into this calculator it will calculate the inside diameter then calculate weight. You can also enter an inside diameter to calculate wall thickness.

How much does the water in the pipe add to the weight?

The weight of the contents is equal to the density times the volume inside the pipe. This means you multiply π/4 by the square of the inner diameter and then multiply that by the length. As water has a density of about 1000 kg per cubic meter, a pipe with a length of 1 meter and an inner diameter of 80 mm can hold roughly 5 liters of water, which weighs about 5 kilograms. If you take into account the liquid content, this can be added to the weight of the pipe itself.

Does weight vary significantly depending on the material of the tube?

Yes, it can vary greatly. This is because the density varies considerably depending on the material. A PVC pipe with a density of about 1400 kilograms per cubic meter weighs only about one-fifth that of a steel pipe of the same dimensions and a density of 7850. Copper and brass are heavier than steel, while aluminum is lighter. Select the appropriate material or enter a custom density to ensure that the calculated weight matches the actual state of the pipe.

Pipe Weight Calculator

Pipe material

Pipe dimensions

Outer diameter (Do)

Wall thickness (t)

Inner diameter (Di)

Pipe length (L)

Pick a material, then enter any two of the outer diameter, wall thickness and inner diameter, plus the length. The calculator fills in the missing dimension and the weight.

Number of pipes

Fluid density (ρ_fluid)

Please input values into the fields

Material density: kg/m³

Pipes are essentially hollow cylinders, so their weight is determined by the volume of the ring-shaped section of pipe wall material multiplied by the density of that material. Regardless of whether the pipe is made from steel, copper, PVC or some other material, its weight can be calculated if those two values are known.

This calculator allows you to calculate in the way that is most convenient for your data. Enter either the outside diameter and wall thickness or the outside diameter and inside diameter, and the tool will complete the missing dimensions and calculate the weight per unit length as well as total weight for a given length.

Formula for calculating pipe weight:

First the volume of the pipe wall material is calculated. This results from the volume of the outer complete cylinder minus the volume of the hollow interior, i.e., the volume of the annular cross-section along the length of the pipe.

V = \pi \left[ \left(\tfrac{D_o}{2}\right)^{2} - \left(\tfrac{D_i}{2}\right)^{2} \right] L

where Do is the outside diameter, Di is the inside diameter and L is the length of the pipe. If instead the wall thickness t is known instead of the inside diameter there is a simple relationship between the two values.

D_i = D_o - 2t

Since the pipe wall is on both sides of the inside area, the inner diameter is obtained by subtracting the wall thickness from the outside diameter on both sides. If the volume of material is known, then weight can be determined using density.

W = V \rho

The thinking is simple: you subtract the volume of one cylinder from that of another to get the volume of the pipe wall, and multiply this result by the density. All other results shown by this tool are based on this procedure.

Example of a calculation:

Let's take a carbon steel pipe with an outside diameter of 100mm, wall thickness of 10mm and length of 1 meter. The inside diameter is 80mm which is the outside diameter minus twice the wall thickness (so 100 minus 10).

The cross-sectional area of the metal is approximately 2827 square millimeters, or 0.002827 square meters. Multiplying this by a length of 1 meter gives a volume of 0.002827 cubic meters for the steel material. This is calculated by taking the difference between the square of the outside diameter and the square of the inside diameter, multiplying it by pi, and dividing by 4.

Since the density of steel is about 7850 kilograms per cubic meter, this pipe weighs approximately 22.2 kilograms. Since it's length is 1 meter, that means it also weighs about 22.2 kg/m or 14.9 lb/ft.

How to use this calculator.

When you select a material for the pipe from the list, the calculation tool will automatically use its density. If the material is not listed, select Custom Material and enter the density yourself.

Then you can enter any two of the following cross section dimensions: outside diameter, wall thickness and inside diameter. The calculation tool will then calculate the remaining dimension. If you enter a length, weight, weight per unit length, material volume and metal cross section are shown.

Each field has separate unit conversion functions, so you can enter the diameter in millimeters and length in feet for example, with weight shown in pounds if desired. The units are fully converted by the tool.

Why weight per unit length is important:

Pipes are usually purchased by the length and since the specifications for installation will be given in terms of length, weight is often quoted not as a total but per unit length. This is called linear density, and the formula is the same as before except that there is no length involved.

\mu = \pi \left[ \left(\tfrac{D_o}{2}\right)^{2} - \left(\tfrac{D_i}{2}\right)^{2} \right] \rho

The unit of the result in metric calculations is kilograms per meter, while the unit of the result in yard-pound calculations is pounds per foot. When you multiply linear density by length, you get total weight.

W = \mu L

This calculator displays values in both meters and feet so you can easily check the specifications of pipes regardless of the unit system used. The total weight is obtained by multiplying the linear density with the given length.

The density of the tube material

The density of the material determines how volume is converted into weight. The types of materials used in pipes vary widely and a plastic pipe of similar dimensions can weigh as little as one fifth that of a steel pipe.

Material	Density (kg/m³)	Density (g/cm³)
PVC	1400	1.40
HDPE	960	0.96
Aluminium	2700	2.70
Cast iron	7200	7.20
Carbon steel	7850	7.85
Stainless steel	8000	8.00
Brass	8500	8.50
Copper	8960	8.96
Lead	11340	11.34

These are typical average values and may vary slightly depending on the actual material standard. If exact density values are given in datasheets for alloys or plastics, you will get the most accurate results if you select "Custom Material" and enter these values.

A simple method for calculating the weight of steel pipes

As steel pipes are used very often there is a practical formula to quickly calculate the weight per meter when both the outside diameter and wall thickness are given in millimeters.

\mu \ (\text{kg/m}) \approx 0.0246\, t\,(D_o - t)

This constant contains the density of steel and the cross-sectional area of the ring. In the example above, 10 is multiplied by 0.0246, which together with 90 gives approximately 22.2 kg/m, which matches the full calculation result. The yard-pound system uses 10.68, and if the outside diameter and wall thickness are given in inches, then the result will be pounds per foot.

Weight of a single tube and a group of tubes

So far we have calculated the weight of an empty pipe. When a pipe is carrying a liquid, then the weight of the contents must also be taken into account which will be equal to the density of the liquid multiplied by the volume inside the pipe. By representing sections of the liquid water or other fluids can be added up to find the total weight that the supporting structure has to withstand.

When many pipes of the same dimensions are being transported or stored, the total weight will determine the required trucks, cranes, or shelving. By showing multiple pipe sections and entering the number of pipes, the calculator adds up the weights.

Applications of tube weight

Knowledge of the weight of pipes is fundamental to many everyday and engineering tasks. Pipes are used in water mains, gas mains, electrical conduits, as supports for railings and fences, for curtains, and as structural members in frames and trusses.

The number of supports required for a particular length of pipeline and the spacing between individual supports depends on weight. If a delivery involves hundreds of pipes, then weight will determine the size of truck to be hired. In constructions, weight is also part of dead load that must be supported by the structure.

Common mistakes:

A common mistake is to confuse the outside diameter and inside diameter, or to enter a nominal size instead of the actual measured diameter. The nominal size is just that - a designation, and both the actual outside diameter and the dimensions of the pipe's interior can vary from the nominal size. So it is best to measure your pipes directly.

Another mistake is forgetting that the weight only depends on the wall thickness of the tube. It's easy to use the volume of a complete outer cylinder, but this calculates the same weight as a solid bar of material. As the inside of the tube is empty, the weight comes only from the ring-shaped area between the outside diameter and the inner diameter.

This tool is for educational and planning purposes only. For engineering work, safety measures, or other risk activities you should verify all values using the piping standards required by your project, steel mill certifications, and material data sheets.

Frequently asked questions

How to calculate the weight of a pipe?: Consider the pipe as a hollow cylinder. First calculate the volume of the pipe wall: V = π[(Do/2)^2 - (Di/2)^2]L where Do is the outer diameter, Di is the inner diameter and L is the length. Then multiply this by the density of the material to get the weight W: W = V * Density. If you know the wall thickness t instead of the inner diameter, first use the formula Di = Do - 2t.
How much does a steel pipe weigh per meter?: For steel pipes, a simple formula can be used for estimation. Multiply the value of approximately 0.0246 with wall thickness t and then multiply that result by (Do - t). The result is weight in kg per meter. Here units for outside diameter Do and wall thickness t are millimeters. For a pipe having an outside diameter of 100 mm and wall thickness of 10 mm, the calculated result would be approximately 22 kg/m. This constant already includes steel density and ring cross-sectional area.
What diameter is used to calculate the weight of a pipe?: Both are used. The weight is based on the material in the ring between the two diameters, so it depends on the difference between the square of the outside diameter and the square of the inside diameter. If only the outside diameter were used, the pipe would be treated as a solid bar, which would grossly overestimate the weight since the hollow part of the pipe is empty.
How do you calculate the weight of a pipe when only the wall thickness is known?: The inside diameter is the outside diameter minus twice the wall thickness. It is calculated as Di = Do - 2t. When you enter the outside diameter and wall thickness into this calculator it will calculate the inside diameter then calculate weight. You can also enter an inside diameter to calculate wall thickness.
How much does the water in the pipe add to the weight?: The weight of the contents is equal to the density times the volume inside the pipe. This means you multiply π/4 by the square of the inner diameter and then multiply that by the length. As water has a density of about 1000 kg per cubic meter, a pipe with a length of 1 meter and an inner diameter of 80 mm can hold roughly 5 liters of water, which weighs about 5 kilograms. If you take into account the liquid content, this can be added to the weight of the pipe itself.
Does weight vary significantly depending on the material of the tube?: Yes, it can vary greatly. This is because the density varies considerably depending on the material. A PVC pipe with a density of about 1400 kilograms per cubic meter weighs only about one-fifth that of a steel pipe of the same dimensions and a density of 7850. Copper and brass are heavier than steel, while aluminum is lighter. Select the appropriate material or enter a custom density to ensure that the calculated weight matches the actual state of the pipe.

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Disclaimer: This calculator is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. Our calculators are under active development, and results may be inaccurate, incomplete, or unsuitable for your situation. Always verify the figures independently and seek advice from a qualified professional before relying on them. We make no warranties and accept no liability for any loss or decision arising from use of this tool.

References

Wikipedia: Cylinder (volume of a hollow cylinder)
The volume of a tube, the outer cylinder minus the inner bore, used for the pipe wall.
Wikipedia: Density
Mass equals density times volume, the step that turns pipe volume into weight.
Wikipedia: Nominal Pipe Size
How pipe sizes, schedules and wall thicknesses are defined and why nominal is not the real bore.