How to Calculate the Weight of Mild Steel

Mild steel is frequently used in construction applications because of its strength.

Mild steel is the technical name of commonly used construction steel. With its great strength, yet light weight, many bridges and structural frameworks for buildings are made from mild steel. Mild steel is made of 98 percent element iron and traces of other elements including carbon. The weight of a rectangular bar of steel is related to its weight density and its volume. The weight density of any object is equal to its weight in pounds divided by its volume in cubic inch. Volume is a measure of how much space an object occupies.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Calculator

Instructions

1. 

   Use a tape measure to determine distances.

   Measure the length, width, and height in inches of the piece of mild steel. For example, say you find that the dimensions include a length of 325 inches, a width of 35 inches, and a height of 25 inches.

2. Multiply the length times the width times the height to obtain the volume in cubic inches. Continuing the example you have 325 inches times 35 inches times 25 inches yielding a volume of 284,375 cubic inches.

3. Multiply the weight density in pounds per cubic inch times the volume to arrive at the weight of the mild steel bar in pounds. The weight density of mild steel is approximately 0.284 pounds per cubic inch. Completing the exercise you have 0.284 pounds per square inch times 284,375 cubic inches resulting in a weight of 80,763 pounds.

References

• Steel.org: About Bridges
• Matweb: Mild Steel Properties
• HyperPhysics at Georgia State University: Density
• Wolfram Mathworld:Volume