Square Tube Weight Calculator

Weight of square hollow section (SHS) from side and wall thickness

Square tube — square hollow section (SHS) — weight comes from the wall material only: the cross-section is the outer square minus the hollow inner square. This calculator applies weight = (a² − aᵢ²) × length × density, where a is the outside side and aᵢ = a − 2×wall thickness, using the exact density of your chosen alloy.

For example, a 40×40×3 mm steel SHS is about 3.45 kg/m, while the same size in aluminum is roughly 1.19 kg/m. Wall thickness drives the weight far more than a small change in outside size — doubling the wall on a thin tube nearly doubles its weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate square tube weight per meter?

Weight per meter = (a² − (a − 2t)²) × density, with a the outside side and t the wall thickness in mm. A 40×40×3 mm steel tube: (1600 − 1156) mm² × 7.85 g/cm³ ≈ 3.49 kg/m.

What does 50×50×3 mm steel square tube weigh?

About 4.39 kg per meter. A standard 6-meter length is therefore roughly 26 kg.

Is square tube lighter than solid square bar?

Much lighter — a hollow SHS uses only the wall material, so a 40×40×3 tube weighs about a quarter of a solid 40 mm square bar while keeping most of the bending stiffness.