Metal Weight Calculator & Weights Reference (UK)

Metal Weight Calculator & Weights Reference (UK)

Work out the weight of steel, stainless steel and aluminium — sheet & plate, box section, angle, flat and round bar, and tube. Use the calculator for any size, or the reference tables below for common ones.

Steel stock at a UK supplier — mild steel box section, sheet, angle and RSJ beams for calculating metal weight per metre
Mild steel sheet, box section, angle and RSJ beams — weight per metre depends on section size, wall thickness and material density.
Enter dimensions to see the weight.
How accurate are these? Sheet, plate and solid bar weights are exact (geometry × density). For hollow sections (SHS/RHS/CHS) and angles, the calculator gives the theoretical nominal weight from a sharp-corner formula — real rolled sections have corner radii, so official catalog masses differ by roughly 2–6%. For exact structural weights use the relevant standard: BS EN 10219 / 10210 (hollow sections), BS EN 10056 (angles), or the manufacturer's table. Always confirm structural specifications with a qualified engineer.

Metal densities

Material Density (kg/m³) Weight of 1mm sheet (kg/m²)
Mild / carbon steel (S275, CR4) 7,850 7.85
Galvanised steel (DX51D) ~7,850 ~7.85 (+ zinc coat)
Stainless steel 304 / 316 8,000 8.00
Aluminium (1050 / 5754 / 6063) 2,700 2.70

Sheet & plate weight per m²

Multiply by your sheet area to get the full-sheet weight. Weight per m² = thickness (mm) × density factor above.

Thickness Mild steel (kg/m²) Stainless (kg/m²) Aluminium (kg/m²)
0.8 mm 6.28 6.40 2.16
1.0 mm 7.85 8.00 2.70
1.5 mm 11.78 12.00 4.05
2.0 mm 15.70 16.00 5.40
3.0 mm 23.55 24.00 8.10
4.0 mm 31.40 32.00 10.80
5.0 mm 39.25 40.00 13.50
6.0 mm 47.10 48.00 16.20
8.0 mm 62.80 64.00 21.60
10 mm 78.50 80.00 27.00
12 mm 94.20 96.00 32.40
15 mm 117.75 120.00 40.50
20 mm 157.00 160.00 54.00

Full-sheet weights — standard UK mild steel sheet sizes

Thickness 8×4 (2.5m × 1.25m) 2m × 1m 3m × 1.5m
1.0 mm 24.5 kg 15.7 kg 35.3 kg
2.0 mm 49.1 kg 31.4 kg 70.7 kg
3.0 mm 73.6 kg 47.1 kg 106.0 kg
6.0 mm 147.2 kg 94.2 kg 211.9 kg
10 mm 245.3 kg 157.0 kg 353.3 kg

Box section, bar & tube — how weight is calculated

Weight per metre = cross-sectional area (m²) × density (kg/m³). The calculator does this for you; the formulas are:

  • Flat bar (width w, thickness t): area = w × t
  • Round bar (diameter d): area = π/4 × d²
  • Square bar (side a): area = a²
  • Square box / SHS (side a, wall t): area = a² − (a − 2t)²
  • Rectangular box / RHS (a × b, wall t): area = a×b − (a − 2t)(b − 2t)
  • Equal angle (leg a, thickness t): area = 2at − t²
  • Round tube / CHS (outside dia D, wall t): area = π/4 × (D² − (D − 2t)²)

Common mild steel section weights (kg per metre)

Hollow sections and angles below are the official catalog masses to BS EN 10219 (cold-formed hollow sections) and BS EN 10056 (equal angles) — these account for the corner and root radii of real rolled sections. Flat and round bar are exact (geometry × density). The calculator above gives a theoretical sharp-corner value that will read a little differently on hollow sections and angles; use these figures or the manufacturer's table when exact mass matters.

Section Size kg/m Basis
Square box (SHS) 25 × 25 × 2 mm 1.36 BS EN 10219
Square box (SHS) 40 × 40 × 3 mm 3.30 BS EN 10219
Square box (SHS) 50 × 50 × 3 mm 4.25 BS EN 10219
Rectangular box (RHS) 50 × 30 × 3 mm 3.30 BS EN 10219
Equal angle 50 × 50 × 5 mm 3.77 BS EN 10056
Equal angle 25 × 25 × 3 mm 1.12 BS EN 10056
Flat bar 50 × 6 mm 2.36 Exact
Round bar 20 mm dia 2.47 Exact
Round bar 12 mm dia 0.89 Exact

Why weight matters when you order

Steel is heavy, and weight drives how your order is delivered and offloaded. As a rule of thumb, anything over ~25kg needs two people, and full sheets or long sections need mechanical offloading. Use the figures above to plan site access and lifting before delivery. See our delivery & lead times for how each range is sent.

Order metal cut to size

Browse the ranges these weights apply to: mild steel sheet & plate, box, angle, channel & bar, and RSJ beams & columns. For beam and column section weights specifically, see our steel beam size chart. Everything is available cut to size with free UK mainland delivery on steel.