Aluminium weight calculator
Sheet, flat bar, round bar, tube and hollow section in aluminium alloys. The calculator opens on aluminium already — pick the shape and enter the dimensions.
Short answer
Mass per square metre of aluminium sheet is thickness in millimetres
times 2.70 kg. For sections and bars the same formula applies as
for steel, with the other density: m = F · 2.70 / 1000 kilograms
per metre with cross-sectional area F in mm².
Density of aluminium alloys
| Alloy | Typical use | ρ, g/cm³ | 1 m² × 1 mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1050A | Commercially pure aluminium, sheet, cladding | 2.70 | 2.70 kg |
| 3003 | Pressed sheet, heat exchangers | 2.73 | 2.73 kg |
| 5083 | Welded structures, tanks, boat hulls | 2.66 | 2.66 kg |
| 5754 | Structural sheet, corrosion resistance | 2.67 | 2.67 kg |
| 6060 | Extruded profiles, light structures | 2.70 | 2.70 kg |
| 6082 | Structural profiles and plate, higher strength | 2.70 | 2.70 kg |
| 7075 | Aerospace, loaded parts, not weldable | 2.81 | 2.81 kg |
Mass of aluminium sheet
| Thickness, mm | 1 m², kg | 1000×2000, kg | 1250×2500, kg | Steel of same thickness, kg/m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 1.35 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
| 0.8 | 2.16 | 4.3 | 6.8 | 6.3 |
| 1.0 | 2.70 | 5.4 | 8.4 | 7.9 |
| 1.5 | 4.05 | 8.1 | 12.7 | 11.8 |
| 2.0 | 5.40 | 10.8 | 16.9 | 15.7 |
| 3.0 | 8.10 | 16.2 | 25.3 | 23.6 |
| 4.0 | 10.80 | 21.6 | 33.8 | 31.4 |
| 5.0 | 13.50 | 27.0 | 42.2 | 39.3 |
| 6.0 | 16.20 | 32.4 | 50.6 | 47.1 |
| 8.0 | 21.60 | 43.2 | 67.5 | 62.8 |
| 10 | 27.00 | 54.0 | 84.4 | 78.5 |
| 12 | 32.40 | 64.8 | 101.3 | 94.2 |
| 15 | 40.50 | 81.0 | 126.6 | 117.8 |
| 20 | 54.00 | 108.0 | 168.8 | 157.0 |
Aluminium structural profiles are extruded, not rolled, and every producer has its own catalogue of shapes with the mass per metre stated. There is no equivalent of an IPE or UPN table to point you at — the mass of a profile comes from the supplier's data sheet. The calculator above will handle tube, flat bar, round bar and hollow section, that is, shapes with a regular cross-section.
Why less mass does not mean easier work
Aluminium weighs 2.9 times less than steel but welds nothing like it, and the lightness can mislead. Three things change straight away:
Thermal conductivity is about four times that of steel. Heat leaves the pool immediately, so you start with more current than on steel of the same thickness — and the longer welding goes on, the hotter the part gets and the more the current has to come down. That is the opposite of the habits built on steel.
The oxide layer, Al₂O₃, melts at around 2050 °C while the aluminium beneath melts at 660 °C. Without removing the oxide with a stainless brush and breaking it up with the arc (AC in TIG, positive electrode in MIG) the weld comes out with inclusions whatever the settings.
No colour change before melting: aluminium does not glow red and does not warn you that it is about to collapse. Telling "still cold" from "already burnt through" comes from practice, not from watching the colour.
The full procedure is in welding aluminium; the mass of steel products in the metal weight calculator and the sheet metal weight calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much does 2 mm aluminium sheet weigh per square metre?
5.4 kg. The rule is the same as for steel, only the multiplier changes: mass per square metre is the thickness in millimetres times 2.70 kg.
How much lighter than steel is aluminium?
2.9 times, at equal cross-section: 2.70 against 7.85 g/cm³. At equal load capacity the gap is smaller, because an aluminium structure needs a larger section — in practice the saving works out at around half, not two thirds.
Does density depend on the alloy?
Only slightly. 1050A (commercially pure) is 2.70 g/cm³, 6060 and 6082 are 2.70, 5754 is 2.67, 5083 is 2.66, and zinc-bearing 7075 is 2.81. The spread between the lightest and the heaviest structural alloy is about 5 %, so 2.70 is enough for an estimate; for the exact mass of a large structure take the figure for the actual alloy.
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