# Weld Consumable Calculator

Weld area, deposited metal and the electrode you actually need to buy.

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

## Quick result

With the default inputs (Weld type Fillet weld (T-joint, lap), Fillet leg size K 6 mm, Plate thickness 10 mm, Root gap b 2 mm, Root face p 2 mm, Groove angle α 60 °, Total weld length 100 m, Deposition efficiency 60%, Extra allowance 5%): **Consumable required 24.7 kg**

## Inputs

| Parameter | Type | Default | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weld type | select | Fillet weld (T-joint, lap) | — |  |
| Fillet leg size K | number | 6 | mm | Ignored for V-groove butt welds |
| Plate thickness | number | 10 | mm | Only used for V-groove butt welds |
| Root gap b | number | 2 | mm | Usually 1-3 mm, wider for thicker plate |
| Root face p | number | 2 | mm | Usually 1-3 mm |
| Groove angle α | number | 60 | ° | 60° is standard for a single V |
| Total weld length | number | 100 | m | Sum of actual weld runs, not member length |
| Deposition efficiency | number | 60 | % | SMAW about 55-65%, GMAW 85-95%, SAW 95% |
| Extra allowance | number | 5 | % | Reinforcement, spatter, rework — usually 3-8% |

## Formula

- **Fillet area**: A = K² ÷ 2
- **V-groove area**: A = b·t + (t − p)² × tan(α ÷ 2)
- **Metal per metre**: m = A × 0.00785 (kg/m)
- **Total deposited metal**: M = m × weld length
- **Consumable required**: G = M ÷ deposition efficiency × (1 + allowance)

## Worked example

A 6 mm fillet over 100 m at 60% deposition: 18 mm² section, 14.13 kg deposited metal, 24.73 kg of electrode — 0.247 kg per metre.

## Questions

### Why is the electrode figure so much larger than the deposited metal?

An electrode never converts fully. In stick welding, stubs, spatter, burning flux and burnt alloying elements waste 35-45%, which is why deposition efficiency sits at 0.55-0.65 — only about 0.6 kg of every kilo lands in the joint. That is normal, not waste. CO₂ gas-shielded welding reaches 0.85-0.95 and saves nearly a third of the consumable.

### How is the fillet leg size chosen?

From the thinner plate: equal to plate thickness below 6 mm, about 0.7× for 6-12 mm, and 0.5-0.6× above 12 mm, never below a 5 mm minimum. Both a code minimum (to avoid cold cracking) and a maximum (to avoid burning through thin plate) apply. Oversized legs waste consumable and widen the heat-affected zone and distortion.

### How much electrode does a tonne of steelwork need?

Roughly 8-15 kg/t for ordinary portal frames and buildings, 20-25 kg/t for heavy joints with full-penetration welds, and only 4-8 kg/t for light purlins and space frames dominated by thin-plate tacks. The range is so wide it is only good for preliminary ordering — for real quantities multiply this calculator's per-metre figure by the measured weld length.

## Related tools

- [Steel Pipe Weight Calculator](https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/steel-pipe-weight): Mass per metre, per length and in total from OD and wall thickness.
- [Steel Plate Weight Calculator](https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/steel-plate-weight): Mass per square metre, per plate and in total from size and thickness.
- [Round, Square and Flat Bar Weight Calculator](https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/steel-bar-weight): Mass per metre and total for round, square and flat bar.
- [Equal Angle Weight Calculator](https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/steel-angle-weight): Mass per metre and total for equal angle steel.
- [Stainless Steel Tube Weight Calculator](https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/stainless-weight): Mass per metre and total for stainless tube.
- [Aluminium Plate Weight Calculator](https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/aluminum-weight): Mass per square metre, per plate and in total for aluminium.

---

Generated by BuildCalc. All calculations run in your browser; no data is uploaded. Formulas follow national standards and common trade practice; local codes govern.