Equal Angle Weight Calculator
Mass per metre and total for equal angle steel.
Inputs
Result
Formula
| Mass per metre | W = (2a − t) × t × 0.00785 |
| Developed width | b = 2a − t |
| Section area | A = (2a − t) × t |
| Total | per metre × length × quantity |
| Unequal angle | W = (a + b − t) × t × 0.00785 |
| Surface area | ≈ 4a × length |
∠50 × 5, 6 m each, ten lengths: 3.729 kg/m, 22.37 kg each, 223.73 kg in total, a 475 mm² section and about 268 m per tonne.
FAQ
Should an angle purlin stand on edge?
One leg must be vertical — opening down or to the side, never opening up and flat. ∠50×5 has about 3.1 cm³ of section modulus on edge against 1.3 cm³ opening up, a 2.4 times difference. Angles are also singly symmetric and buckle about the weak axis in compression, so braced or boxed sections are needed for struts.
Angle or hollow section for brackets?
Hollow sections resist torsion and compression better, with 20-40% more radius of gyration for the same area, so they buckle less; angles are cheaper, easier to cut and drill, and simpler to connect. Use angles for light bending-dominated work such as pipe supports and cable trays, and hollow sections for slender compression members such as columns and truss struts.
Why do table weights differ from the calculated value?
Because the formula ignores the root radius and toe radii, so the true section is slightly larger than the unfolded rectangle. ∠50 × 5 computes as 3.729 kg/m against 3.77 in the tables, 1.1% apart. The error shrinks as sections get larger and thicker. Above 20 t, use table values — 1% is 200 kg.
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Results are estimating aids only and are not a design basis. Construction and final accounts must follow the drawings, the applicable standards and an approved method statement. Anything affecting structural safety, shoring or falsework must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.