Steel weight calculator — rebar and plate
Bar bending schedules and steel take-offs both come down to one figure: mass per metre. For round bar that is d²/162 kg/m; for plate it is thickness × area × 7850 kg/m³. Both are below, so a detailer can check a schedule total without opening the model.
steel weight calculator
- Total rebar weight
- 948.1kg
- Rebar mass per metre
- 1.58 kg/m (2,090 lb total)
- Plate weight
- 157 kg (0.157 t)
- Combined tonnage
- 1.105t
Formula
rebar kg/m = d² ÷ 162 · plate kg = thickness (m) × area (m²) × 7850d²/162 is the standard simplification of density × cross-sectional area for steel at 7850 kg/m³. It gives 1.58 kg/m for 16 mm bar, which matches published bar schedules.
Worked examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| 50 no. 16 mm bars × 12 m | 948.1 kg (1.58 kg/m) |
| 12 mm bar | 0.888 kg/m |
| 10 mm plate, 2 m² | 157 kg |
Questions
Where does the 162 in d²/162 come from?
It is 4000 ÷ (π × 7.85), the algebraic simplification of area × density for a round steel bar with the diameter in millimetres. It returns kilograms per metre directly.
Should I add laps and wastage to a rebar take-off?
Yes. Add lap lengths per the design code and typically 3–5% cutting wastage. A Tekla or Revit bar schedule reports cut lengths only, not site wastage.
Does this work for structural sections?
No — use the published mass per metre from the section tables for UB, UC, HEA, IPE and hollow sections. This calculator covers round bar and flat plate.