Steel Pipe Weight Calculator (kg/m, kg/foot)

You use theoretical weight to compare quotations and to plan freight on one mass basis. You can also check a fabrication budget with the same figure. Enter the actual outside diameter, wall thickness, length and quantity from the approved schedule. The calculator converts those inputs into theoretical kilograms per metre and total mass. The ordered tolerance and the measured lot still govern acceptance.

You can run this calculator in Kanpur to convert BOQ dimensions into theoretical tonnage before you request a quote. A 50 NB Medium example with 60.3 mm OD and 3.6 mm wall calculates to 5.03 kg per metre. Send that estimate with NB, class or wall, grade, quantity, document scope and delivery PIN. We then state the billing basis, freight basis and order-specific timing on the written quotation.

Calculate Pipe Weight

How the Formula Works

The theoretical weight of a cylindrical steel pipe comes from its steel cross-sectional area and a carbon-steel density of approximately 7850 kg/m³. With OD and wall thickness in millimetres, the density and unit-conversion terms combine into the standard 0.02466 constant used in the tables on this page.

Common Sizes: Pre-computed Reference

These are the theoretical weights in kg/m for standard IS 1239 ERW pipes in Light (Class A), Medium (Class B) and Heavy (Class C) thicknesses.

Standard Sizes: Schedule 40 / 80 Reference

These are theoretical weights in kg/m for selected Schedule 40 and Schedule 80 dimensions. A schedule is a dimensional wall designation, not a pressure or service selection rule. The governing code, material, design conditions, corrosion allowance and joints, plus the approved calculation, must select the wall.

Who uses this calculator in Kanpur

For a PWD, Jal Jeevan Mission or other tender BOQ, convert each distinct NB, wall and length into a theoretical mass only when the tender uses that billing basis. Keep Kanpur Dehat or Unnao delivery details separate from material mass. Vehicle selection, payload, consolidation, route and freight stay as logistics inputs. The carrier offer or the accepted quotation states those. This calculator does not prescribe a truck range or a freight outcome.

Apply the formula separately to each BOQ line. Seamless pipe, ERW tube, hollow sections and precision blanks can have different outside dimensions and walls at a similar nominal label. For a machined cylinder blank, compare the starting mass with the approved finished geometry and machining allowance. These are calculation workflows, not claims about named local buyers.

For borewell column pipe or a fire-system BOQ, multiply kg per metre by the actual ordered length and piece count. Keep packing, vehicle, route and unloading separate. The Kanpur steel pipe page, Kanpur steel market guide, borewell reference and seamless reference give product and RFQ context. They do not assert a customer pattern.

What weight means for pipe price in Kanpur

When an offer is billed per kilogram, theoretical or actual mass connects its dimensions to the material amount. Other offers may use a piece, length or lot basis. The indicative bands below are ex-warehouse Kanpur, reviewed 24 May 2026, and exclude GST at 18 percent as published on the linked price lists on that date. They are dated references, not firm quotes. Current tax, rate and billing basis belong on the quotation.

The dated site bands show MS ERW at ₹47-70/kg and GI at ₹57-86/kg as of 24 May 2026, but those category endpoints do not define a reusable coating premium. Likewise, the listed 2 inch and 4 inch seamless bands place Schedule 80 endpoints roughly 19 to 20 percent above Schedule 40 on that date, with overlap between the bands. That observation is not a current or universal uplift. Compare a written quotation only after the exact size, wall, finish, quantity, documents, billing basis and delivery scope match. Detail sits on the MS pipe price list, GI pipe price list, seamless pipe price list and pricing guide.

RFQ checklist: send this with your weight estimate

A weight figure alone does not define an orderable line. Attach these ten items so we can identify the same pipe and billing basis you calculated on a Kanpur quotation.

• Size: NB with OD in mm, since NB alone does not define diameter.
• Wall or class: exact mm wall, or Class A, B or C for IS 1239 lines.
• Grade: YST 210, 240 or 310 for ERW; Grade B for ASTM A106 seamless.
• Length: standard 6 m trade lengths, or exact cut-to-length sizes.
• End finish: plain end, or threaded and coupled for site jointing.
• Coating: black MS or hot-dip galvanized GI for corrosion duty.
• Test certificate: name the required MTC type and any IBR forms (Form III-A for steam pipes, Form III-B for boiler tubes, Form III-C for boiler mountings and fittings only), subject to the approved inspection plan.
• Inspection: state any third-party inspection, agency or approval process, scope, hold points, location, fees and release evidence in the RFQ; we confirm allocation in the written quotation.
• Packing: state bundling, crane loading and end protection in the RFQ; loading terms are confirmed in the written quotation.
• Delivery basis: destination PIN with ex-warehouse Kanpur versus delivered terms.

Worked example: 120 lengths of 50 NB Medium

Take a common BOQ line: 50 NB Medium with OD 60.3 mm and wall 3.6 mm. Apply the constant shown above: (60.3 minus 3.6) times 3.6 times 0.02466. The result is 5.03 kg per metre.

One 6 m trade length therefore has a theoretical mass of about 30.2 kg. An order of 120 lengths totals about 3,624 kg, or 3.62 MT, on the same rounded basis. Use that figure as one input to a carrier or supplier quotation. Do not infer vehicle size, legal payload, consolidation, packing compatibility, freight saving or delivery timing from tonnage alone.

Common mistakes in weight-based buying

The costliest error is billing confusion. Some mills bill on actual weighbridge weight. Others bill on theoretical chart weight. Confirm the basis on the proforma before you compare two Kanpur quotes. A lower per-kg rate on actual weight can still lose against theoretical billing.

The second error is entering NB where the calculator asks for OD. A 2 inch line has an OD of 60.3 mm, not 50 mm. The third is ordering by schedule number when the design meant IS 1239 class, or the reverse. Both systems use millimetres, but their walls differ at the same nominal size. For GI, do not apply a universal percentage uplift to black-pipe mass. Use the applicable coating requirement and the offered or measured coated mass stated for the lot.

Standards behind the numbers

IS 1239 Part 1 (2004) defines Light, Medium and Heavy wall classes for welded tubes from 15 to 150 mm NB and uses YST grade designations. Take the applicable test method, pressure, sampling and acceptance requirement from the ordered edition, size and inspection plan. Do not apply one hydrotest statement to every row. ASME B36.10M provides dimensions for welded and seamless wrought steel pipe. ASTM A53 and ASTM A106 define separate product scopes. None of those references makes the calculator a service-selection or compliance tool.

Weight calculator questions, answered

References

• ASME B36.10M: Welded and Seamless Wrought Steel Pipe, American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Catalogue page (fetched HTTP 200, 3 Sep 2026): asme.org: B36.10M welded and seamless wrought steel pipe.
• IS 1239 (Part 1):2004: Steel Tubes for Water and Sewage, Specification, Part 1, Bureau of Indian Standards. Cited by code and clause; no specific catalogue page was reachable from this environment.
• IS 1161:2014: Steel Tubes for Structural Purposes and General Engineering, Specification, Bureau of Indian Standards. Cited by code for YST 210, 240 and 310 yield grades.
• ASTM A53/A53M: Pipe, Steel, Black and Hot-Dipped, Zinc-Coated, Welded and Seamless, ASTM International. Cited by code; the ASTM store page returned HTTP 403 from this environment.

Why Weight Matters When Buying

• Freight input: Theoretical mass can support a freight enquiry, but the carrier's charging basis, legal payload, vehicle type, route, length and handling requirements still control the offer.
• Budgeting: When a quotation uses a per-kilogram rate and theoretical billing, multiplication gives a material-only estimate. Add the quoted tolerance, cutting, packing, tax, freight and other agreed lines separately.
• Design input: Theoretical mass may support an early load estimate, while the responsible engineer applies the approved dimensions, tolerances, attachments, contents and governing load combinations.
• Receiving screen: A material mass difference can trigger dimensional and document checks, but weighment alone does not prove compliance with a wall, OD or standard tolerance.