Steel weight and bill of materials

Intro

In this video you learn how to calculate the weight of steel sections, plates, pipes and bars, and how to build a complete bill of materials.

Open the calculator

Open benchmaths.com and choose the weight calculator. It works without signing in. Your list is kept in your browser.

Beams and sections

First choose the section type, for example an HEA beam, and then the size. The weight per metre comes from the standard section tables. Enter the length in millimetres and the quantity. The line below shows the weight per metre, per piece, and in total. Click Add to list.

Plates and materials

Now a plate. Choose plate or sheet, and enter thickness, width and length. The material list has more than sixty grades: carbon steel, cast iron, stainless and duplex, aluminium alloys, copper, brass and bronze, titanium, nickel alloys, and plastics such as Kestamid, POM, PE1000 and PTFE. Here we choose stainless steel 304. A Kestamid round bar works exactly the same way: choose round bar, the diameter, and cast nylon as the material.

The list

All items are in the list, with position number, grade, length and weight. You can still change the length or quantity in the table, or remove a line.

Totals and cost

On the right you see the total weight, split by item type. Add a price per kilogram for a cost estimate, and a project reference for the printout.

PDF and Excel

Save the list as a PDF, or as a CSV file that opens in Excel. If you sign in, the list is saved to your account and your company logo is printed

Try it

on the PDF. Try the weight calculator now at benchmaths.com. It's free, and no sign-up is needed.