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Wrought Steel Pipe Plain-End Mass (ASME B36.10M)
What is the plain-end mass per metre (and weight per foot) of a welded or seamless wrought steel pipe of my outside diameter and wall thickness, and what do a length of it and its contents weigh?
Nominal plain-end mass of wrought steel pipe by the ANSI/ASME B36.10M formulas the handbook gives: Wpe = 0.02466 (D − t) t kg/m with D rounded to 0.1 mm and t to 0.01 mm, and Wpe = 10.68 (D − t) t lb/ft with D and t rounded to 0.001 in, with the inside diameter, the mass of a length of pipe and, with the density of the contents you enter, the mass of the contents and of the full pipe.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Outside diameter D | mm | Outside diameter of the pipe; for sizes up to 12 in it is larger than the nominal size. |
| Wall thickness t | mm | Specified wall thickness of the pipe schedule. |
| Length of pipe | m | Length of pipe to weigh. |
| Density of the contents (0 = empty) | kg/m³ | Density of the fluid in the pipe, from your data, or 0 for an empty pipe. |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Outside diameter D
- What it is
- Outside diameter of the steel pipe, from the pipe size table.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 3000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 60.3 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- The mass rises roughly in proportion.
- Get it right
- For sizes to 12 in it is larger than the nominal size, e.g. 60.3 mm for 2 in pipe.
What this means: Wall thickness t
- What it is
- Specified wall thickness of the pipe schedule.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 200 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 3.91 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- A thicker wall raises the mass and reduces the bore.
- Get it right
- Take it from the schedule table, e.g. 3.91 mm for 2 in schedule 40.
What this means: Length of pipe
- What it is
- Total length of the pipe run or spool to be weighed.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in m: metres. The form accepts 0 m to 100000 m. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 6 m as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- The masses rise in proportion.
- Get it right
- Use the length of the spool or the run, in metres.
What this means: Density of the contents (0 = empty)
- What it is
- Density of the fluid or material filling the pipe.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in kg/m³: kilograms per cubic metre. The form accepts 0 kg/m³ to 20000 kg/m³. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 0 kg/m³ as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Adds the mass of the contents.
- Get it right
- Use the density of your contents at its working temperature, or 0 for an empty pipe.
Method and formulas
- SI: Wpe = 0.02466 (D − t) t kg/m, with D to the nearest 0.1 mm and t to the nearest 0.01 mm.
- Inch: Wpe = 10.68 (D − t) t lb/ft, with D and t to the nearest 0.001 in.
- Inside diameter = D − 2t; contents per metre = density × π (D − 2t)² ÷ 4.
- Masses of the length = per metre values × length.
- Example: the pipe has a plain-end mass of 5.4372 kg/m.
Limitations
- The formulas are for plain-end carbon steel pipe; threaded and coupled pipe and other steels weigh slightly more or less.
- Select the wall thickness for pressure by the governing code, then take its mass here.
- Add the mass of fittings, flanges, insulation and coatings separately.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Weigh a length of steel pipe for lifting or transport
- Find the mass of a pipe full of water or product for supports
- Check a pipe weight from its outside diameter and wall
Who it is for
- Piping designers
- Fabricators
- Riggers
What you get
- Plain-end mass per metre and weight per foot
- Inside diameter
- Mass of the length of pipe
- Mass of the contents and of the full pipe
Interpreting the result
- The nominal weights in the pipe tables are calculated by this formula.
- Schedule 40 and Standard walls are the same up to 10 in nominal size.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 3392. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
Learn the Concepts Behind This Tool
These BIZOMAT Library readings explain the method this tool uses, with worked examples.
Useful alongside · BIZOMAT original book
Pipe sizes, wall thickness and pressure
In Pipe Welding by the Numbers
What it covers: Read nominal sizes and schedules, calculate hoop stress and the wall a pressure needs, see why most walls are chosen for corrosion and handling, and allow for the expansion of hot lines.
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Open the Wrought Steel Pipe Plain-End Mass (ASME B36.10M) calculator