How is the weight of a load calculated on a construction site?
In construction it is very important to determine what the weight of a load is. This information is very useful when moving loads from one place to another with a crane. It can be very dangerous to load a material without knowing its weight since the crane can be exceeded in its capacity.
In this table are some standard weights calculated in pounds x square foot and kg x square meter:
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Metals:
| Substance | kg / m3 | lbs / ft3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | 2,720 | 170 | |
| Brass: | - Net | 8,720 | 545 |
| - Yellow | 8,480 | 530 | |
| - Forging | 8,400 | 525 | |
| Bronze | 8,800 | 550 | |
| Copper | 8,960 | 560 | |
| Gold | 19,280 | 1,205 | |
| Iron | - Mashed potatoes | 7,840 | 490 |
| - Wrought | 7,680 | 480 | |
| - Cast (gray) | 7,120 | 445 | |
| - Malleable | 7,200 | 450 | |
| Lead | 11,360 | 710 | |
| Magnesium | 1,760 | 110 | |
| Mercury | 13,520 | 845 | |
| Nickel | 8,880 | 555 | |
| Platinum | 21,440 | 1,340 | |
| Silver | 10,480 | 655 | |
| Silver, Sterling | 10,320 | 645 | |
| Steel | - Cold rolled | 8,000 | 500 |
| - Coal | 7,760 | 485 | |
| - Tungsten | 8,080 | 505 | |
| - Stainless | 8,000 | 500 | |
| Tin | - Mashed potatoes | 7,280 | 455 |
| - Soft solder | 8,400 | 525 | |
| - White Metal | 7,264 | 454 | |
| - Pewter | 7,264 | 454 | |
| - Tin Babbit | 7,520 | 470 | |
| Titanium | 4,480 | 280 | |
| Tungsten | 19,280 | 1,205 | |
| Zinc | 7,120 | 445 |
Woods:
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| Substance | kg / m3 | lbs / ft3 |
|---|---|---|
| Apple tree | 825 | 52 |
| ash tree | 850 | 53 |
| Raft | 125 | 8 |
| Bamboo | 400 | 25 |
| Cedar | 550 | 34 |
| Ebony | 1,200 | 75 |
| Lignum-vitae | 1,325 | 83 |
| Mahogany | 650 | 41 |
| Oak | 900 | 56 |
| White Pine | 500 | 31 |
| Pine, yellow | 600 | 37 |
| Teak, Indian | 875 | 55 |
| Teak, African | 975 | 61 |
| Willow | 600 | 37 |
These figures are for dry wood only. Green wood will be substantially heavier due to its water content.
Stones:
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| Substance | kg / m3 | lbs / ft3 |
|---|---|---|
| Agate | 2700 | 169 |
| Alabaster | 2775 | 173 |
| Amber | 1100 | 69 |
| Beryl | 2700 | 169 |
| Biotite | 3050 | 191 |
| Brick | 1600 | 100 |
| Calamine | 4475 | 280 |
| Cement | 3000 | 188 |
| Whiteboard | 2000 | 125 |
| Cinnabar | 8100 | 506 |
| Coal | 1400 | 87 |
| Coke | 1000 | 62 |
| Diamond | 3200 | 200 |
| Dolomite | 2825 | 176 |
| Feldspar | 2650 | 166 |
| Flint | 2625 | 164 |
| Galena | 7450 | 466 |
| Garnet | 3675 | 230 |
| Granite | 2725 | 170 |
| Hematite | 5125 | 320 |
| Magnetite | 5125 | 320 |
| Malachite | 4000 | 250 |
| Marble | 2725 | 170 |
| Opal | 2200 | 137 |
| Pyrite | 4950 | 309 |
| Quartz | 2650 | 166 |
| Sandstone | 2250 | 141 |
| Soapstone | 2725 | 170 |
| Topaz | 3525 | 220 |
Micelaneos:
| Substance | kg / m3 | lbs / ft3 |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos | 2,800 | 175 |
| Bee wax | 950 | 59 |
| Bone | 2,000 | 125 |
| Butter | 875 | 55 |
| Camphor | 1,000 | 62 |
| Charcoal | 550 | 34 |
| Clay | 2,600 | 162 |
| Cork | 225 | 14 |
| Glass | 2,800 | 175 |
| Gum arabic | 1,400 | 87 |
| Ice | 925 | 58 |
| Ivory | 1,925 | 120 |
| Leather (dry) | 875 | 55 |
| Ocher | 3,500 | 219 |
| Paper | 950 | 59 |
| Paraffin | 900 | 56 |
| Pitch | 1,075 | 67 |
| Porcelain | 2,400 | 150 |
| Salt on stone | 2,175 | 136 |
| Rubber, hard | 1,200 | 75 |
| Rubber, soft | 1,100 | 69 |
| Sugar | 1,600 | 100 |
| Wax (paraffin) | 1,800 | 112 |
The weights indicated in these tables are approximate; the variation within any class of substances can be large. The exception is the metal chart, as there is rarely much variation in weight between different batches of the same metal.
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With these standard values the approximate pseo of a load is:
Volume x the standard weight of the substance.
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For example, for a load that is reactangular or square, the volume calculation is Length x Width x Height.
To calculate the volume of a cylinder the formula would be: Pi (3,14) x Radius squared x Length
