Free CalculatorStructural steel take-off

Steel Calculator

Work out the weight, tonnage, stock lengths to order and cost of structural steel — beams, columns, channels, angles, hollow sections, flat bars and plates. Add every member of your frame below.

Looking for reinforcement (iron rod) for columns, beams and slabs? Use the Rebar Calculator.

Steel Members

Member 1

25.000 kg/m · 600.0 kg

Member 2

5.420 kg/m · 325.2 kg

Member 3

4.245 kg/m · 203.8 kg

Ordering & Price

Members are cut from bars of this length, and offcuts are reused on the same section. Spare adds extra whole bars on top.

Steel price (₦ per kg)

I-beams, H-sections & columns
Angles
Hollow sections & pipe

Starting prices come from our price list and are indicative. Steel prices move often — replace them with your supplier’s current quote.

Paying a different price? Suggest an update and help keep the price list current.

Estimated Cost

₦1,480,742

steel supply only

Total Steel Weight

1129.0 kg

1.13 tonnes

Breakdown by Member

MemberTotal lengthkg/mWeight
UB 203×133×2524.0 m25.000600.0 kg
RSA 60×60×660.0 m5.420325.2 kg
SHS 50×50×348.0 m4.245203.8 kg

Purchase Summary

Cut from 12 m bars, reusing offcuts on the same section.

SectionOrderOrder weightCost
UB 203×133×252 × 12 m600.0 kg₦816,000
RSA 60×60×65 × 12 m325.2 kg₦465,036
SHS 50×50×34 × 12 m203.8 kg₦199,706
Steel to buy (1.13 t)₦1,480,742
Total₦1,480,742

Offcuts in this order: 0.0 kg (0.0% of the steel bought).

Share your result:

How to Calculate the Weight of Structural Steel

Steel weighs 7,850 kg per cubic metre, so the weight of any straight member is its cross-sectional area multiplied by its length:

weight (kg) = area (mm²) × length (m) × 0.00785

For rolled sections such as beams, columns, channels and angles, the mill publishes the weight per metre, so you simply multiply by the total length. For plate, every millimetre of thickness weighs 7.85 kg per square metre — a 10 mm plate weighs 78.5 kg/m², so a 1.2 m × 2.4 m sheet is about 226 kg.

Add every member of the frame to the calculator and it groups identical sections together, cuts them from 6 m or 12 m bars, and shows how many bars to order.

Steel Sections Used in Nigerian Construction

UB and UC (universal beams and columns). Designated depth × width × mass, so “203 × 133 × 25” is a 203 mm deep, 133 mm wide section weighing about 25 kg per metre. Beams are deeper than they are wide to resist bending; columns are squarer with thicker flanges to carry vertical load.

IPE, HEA and HEB. European I and H sections. The number is the depth in millimetres, and HEB is heavier than HEA of the same depth.

PFC (channels). Used for purlins, rails, stair strings and light framing.

Angles (RSA). Rolled steel angles for roof trusses, bracing, frames and supports. The calculator uses equal angles: “60 × 60 × 6” is a 60 mm leg, 6 mm thick, at 5.42 kg/m.

Hollow sections (SHS, RHS, CHS). Square, rectangular and round tube for roof trusses, gates, railings and canopies. Weights here use cold-formed corner radii, which is how most welded tube is made; hot-finished tube of the same size can be a few percent heavier.

Flat bar, round bar and plate. Flat bar and plate for base plates, cleats and gusset plates; round and square bar for grilles and small fabrications.

Common Steel Estimating Mistakes

  • Ignoring cut-off waste. Members are cut from stock bars, and the leftover is real steel you pay for. A 7 m member from a 12 m bar leaves 5 m, so ordering by total length alone under-buys. This calculator places every member on a bar, reuses offcuts on the same section, and tells you how many bars to buy.
  • Pricing supply only. Steel supply is only part of the cost; cutting, welding, priming, painting and erection are extra unless your quote says otherwise.
  • Forgetting connections. Base plates, cleats, gusset plates, bolts and welds add weight that is easy to leave out. Add them as plate and flat-bar members.
  • Trusting nominal weights blindly. Published weights are nominal and real sections vary within rolling tolerances. For a large order, confirm against the supplier’s weight or mill certificate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate the weight of a steel beam?
Take the weight per metre from the section’s designation or table and multiply by the length. A 203 × 133 × 25 UB weighs about 25 kg per metre, so a 6 m beam is roughly 150 kg. This calculator does that for every member and adds them up.
What is the difference between a UB and a UC?
A universal beam (UB) is deeper than it is wide and is used mainly to carry bending loads across a span. A universal column (UC) is close to square with thicker flanges and is used to carry vertical loads. Both are designated depth × width × mass in kg/m.
How does the calculator work out waste?
It cuts each member from a stock bar of the length you choose, longest first, and reuses the leftover on other members of the same section. So a 7 m member from a 12 m bar leaves 5 m that can supply shorter pieces, and you buy whole bars, not a percentage. Anything longer than a bar is flagged because it needs a joint. The spare-bars box adds extra whole bars on top for saw cuts, mistakes or damage.
Is this the same as the Rebar Calculator?
No. The Rebar Calculator works out reinforcement bars (iron rods) for concrete columns, beams, slabs and foundations. This Steel Calculator is for structural steelwork — beams, columns, trusses, angles, hollow sections, flats and plates.
Where do the prices come from?
The weights are calculated from standard section data. The naira prices start from our price list and are indicative only — structural steel prices change often and vary by supplier, section and city. Overwrite them with your supplier’s current price per kg and, if you want fabrication and erection included, your fabricator’s rate. Prices you change are remembered on your device for next time.