# Section Steel Weight Calculator

Pick a section type, enter height, flange width and thickness to get weight per metre, per piece and total tonnage.

- Page: https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/section-steel-weight
- Category: Material weights (https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/c/material-weight)
- Chinese version: https://jianzhujisuan.com/zh/section-steel-weight.md
- Data checked: 2026-10-25

## Quick result

With the default inputs (Section type H-beam (HW/HM/HN), Section height h 200 mm, Flange width b 200 mm, Web thickness tw 8 mm, Flange thickness tf 12 mm, Length per piece 12 m, Quantity 10 pcs): **Theoretical weight per metre 48.73 kg/m**

## Inputs

| Parameter | Type | Default | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section type | select | H-beam (HW/HM/HN) | — |  |
| Section height h | number | 200 | mm | Overall depth, e.g. HW200 -> 200 |
| Flange width b | number | 200 | mm | For channels use the width of one flange |
| Web thickness tw | number | 8 | mm |  |
| Flange thickness tf | number | 12 | mm | I-beams and channels taper; use average flange thickness |
| Length per piece | number | 12 | m |  |
| Quantity | number | 10 | pcs |  |

## Formula

- **H / I beam area**: A = 2 × b × tf + (h − 2tf) × tw
- **Channel area**: A = h × tw + 2 × b × tf
- **Weight per metre**: g = A(mm²) × 7.85 ÷ 1000　(kg/m)
- **Total weight**: W = g × length × quantity

## Worked example

HW200×200×8×12, 12 m long, 10 pieces: A = 6208 mm², 48.73 kg/m, 584.8 kg each, 5.85 t total (the GB table gives 49.9 kg/m; the gap is the root radius).

## Questions

### Why is the result slightly lighter than the mill table?

The section is treated as joined rectangles, ignoring root radii at the flange-web junction, which add real material (about 2% for HW200×200). A 1-3% gap is normal; a 10% gap means a wrong input, typically using a channel's overall width instead of one flange.

### What actually differs between H-beams, I-beams and channels?

I-beams have tapered inner flange faces and poor lateral resistance at greater depths. H-beams have parallel, equal-thickness flanges and a wide flange, giving good bending and torsional behaviour (HW wide, HM medium, HN narrow). Channels are open C sections used for purlins and bracing; they are singly symmetric and buckle laterally under compression.

### Why 7850 kg/m³ for steel?

7850 kg/m³ (7.85 g/cm³) is the conventional density for carbon structural steel used by GB/T 709 and the section tables. Stainless is about 7930, aluminium 2700, cast iron 7200. Mixing densities between parties creates a few per mille of drift, so agree on one.

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