Aluminum 5052-H32 Rectangular Tube Weight
Mass per metre and per foot for aluminum 5052-h32 rectangular tube at 2,680 kg/m³ (ASTM B209 (H32 temper)). Every figure is for the section as drawn. A 6 m length of this size weighs 9.1 kg (20.3 lb per 20 ft).
At the reference dimensions (a = 60 mm, b = 40 mm, t = 3 mm) this section has a cross-sectional area of 564.0 mm², giving 1.512 kg/m (1.016 lb/ft). Against carbon steel's 7,850 kg/m³ that is -65.9 % — the same section in steel would be 4.427 kg/m.
Rectangular Tube — formula and derivation
Area of a rectangular tube
A = a·b − (a − 2t)(b − 2t)
A = a·b − (a − 2t)(b − 2t), which expands to A = 2t(a + b) − 4t²
Worked through with the default dimensions:
A = a·b − (a − 2t)(b − 2t)Outer = 60 × 40 = 2400.0 mm²Inner = 54.0 × 34.0 = 1836.0 mm²A = 2400.0 − 1836.0A = 564.0 mm²
- a
- Depth
- b
- Width
- t
- Wall thickness
Weight follows from the area with no further geometry: m = A × 10⁻⁶ × ρ, where A is in mm², ρ in kg/m³ and m in kg/m. At 2,680 kg/m³ that is 1.5115 kg/m for the reference size above.
AL 5052 rectangular tube — size series
| Depth | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mm | 0.217 kg/m · 0.146 lb/ft | 0.279 kg/m · 0.187 lb/ft | 0.386 kg/m · 0.259 lb/ft | 0.472 kg/m · 0.317 lb/ft | 0.536 kg/m · 0.360 lb/ft | 0.579 kg/m · 0.389 lb/ft |
| 25 mm | 0.277 kg/m · 0.186 lb/ft | 0.359 kg/m · 0.241 lb/ft | 0.507 kg/m · 0.340 lb/ft | 0.632 kg/m · 0.425 lb/ft | 0.737 kg/m · 0.495 lb/ft | 0.820 kg/m · 0.551 lb/ft |
| 30 mm | 0.338 kg/m · 0.227 lb/ft | 0.440 kg/m · 0.295 lb/ft | 0.627 kg/m · 0.421 lb/ft | 0.793 kg/m · 0.533 lb/ft | 0.938 kg/m · 0.630 lb/ft | 1.061 kg/m · 0.713 lb/ft |
| 40 mm | 0.458 kg/m · 0.308 lb/ft | 0.600 kg/m · 0.403 lb/ft | 0.868 kg/m · 0.583 lb/ft | 1.115 kg/m · 0.749 lb/ft | 1.340 kg/m · 0.900 lb/ft | 1.544 kg/m · 1.037 lb/ft |
| 50 mm | 0.579 kg/m · 0.389 lb/ft | 0.761 kg/m · 0.511 lb/ft | 1.110 kg/m · 0.746 lb/ft | 1.436 kg/m · 0.965 lb/ft | 1.742 kg/m · 1.171 lb/ft | 2.026 kg/m · 1.361 lb/ft |
| 60 mm | 0.699 kg/m · 0.470 lb/ft | 0.922 kg/m · 0.620 lb/ft | 1.351 kg/m · 0.908 lb/ft | 1.758 kg/m · 1.181 lb/ft | 2.144 kg/m · 1.441 lb/ft | 2.508 kg/m · 1.686 lb/ft |
| 80 mm | 0.941 kg/m · 0.632 lb/ft | 1.244 kg/m · 0.836 lb/ft | 1.833 kg/m · 1.232 lb/ft | 2.401 kg/m · 1.614 lb/ft | 2.948 kg/m · 1.981 lb/ft | 3.473 kg/m · 2.334 lb/ft |
| 100 mm | 1.182 kg/m · 0.794 lb/ft | 1.565 kg/m · 1.052 lb/ft | 2.316 kg/m · 1.556 lb/ft | 3.044 kg/m · 2.046 lb/ft | 3.752 kg/m · 2.521 lb/ft | 4.438 kg/m · 2.982 lb/ft |
| 120 mm | 1.423 kg/m · 0.956 lb/ft | 1.887 kg/m · 1.268 lb/ft | 2.798 kg/m · 1.880 lb/ft | 3.688 kg/m · 2.478 lb/ft | 4.556 kg/m · 3.061 lb/ft | 5.403 kg/m · 3.631 lb/ft |
| 150 mm | 1.785 kg/m · 1.199 lb/ft | 2.369 kg/m · 1.592 lb/ft | 3.522 kg/m · 2.366 lb/ft | 4.652 kg/m · 3.126 lb/ft | 5.762 kg/m · 3.872 lb/ft | 6.850 kg/m · 4.603 lb/ft |
| 200 mm | 2.388 kg/m · 1.605 lb/ft | 3.173 kg/m · 2.132 lb/ft | 4.728 kg/m · 3.177 lb/ft | 6.260 kg/m · 4.207 lb/ft | 7.772 kg/m · 5.223 lb/ft | 9.262 kg/m · 6.224 lb/ft |
Rows: depth (mm). Columns: wall thickness (mm). Computed for Aluminum 5052-H32 at 2680 kg/m³.
| Depth | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mm | 81.0 | 104.0 | 144.0 | 176.0 | 200.0 | 216.0 |
| 25 mm | 103.5 | 134.0 | 189.0 | 236.0 | 275.0 | 306.0 |
| 30 mm | 126.0 | 164.0 | 234.0 | 296.0 | 350.0 | 396.0 |
| 40 mm | 171.0 | 224.0 | 324.0 | 416.0 | 500.0 | 576.0 |
| 50 mm | 216.0 | 284.0 | 414.0 | 536.0 | 650.0 | 756.0 |
| 60 mm | 261.0 | 344.0 | 504.0 | 656.0 | 800.0 | 936.0 |
| 80 mm | 351.0 | 464.0 | 684.0 | 896.0 | 1,100.0 | 1,296.0 |
| 100 mm | 441.0 | 584.0 | 864.0 | 1,136.0 | 1,400.0 | 1,656.0 |
| 120 mm | 531.0 | 704.0 | 1,044.0 | 1,376.0 | 1,700.0 | 2,016.0 |
| 150 mm | 666.0 | 884.0 | 1,314.0 | 1,736.0 | 2,150.0 | 2,556.0 |
| 200 mm | 891.0 | 1,184.0 | 1,764.0 | 2,336.0 | 2,900.0 | 3,456.0 |
Area is a property of the geometry alone, so this table is the same for every material. It is what you enter into a stress calculation; the mass table is what you enter into an order.
Each row is one nominal size. Because the area is computed from your dimensions rather than read from a mill table, a non-standard size is just as accurate — put it into the calculator above rather than interpolating between rows.
The same rectangular tube in every material
Geometry is fixed and only density changes, so this table is the whole material-selection question in one view. Aluminum 5052-H32 is highlighted. The percentage column is against carbon steel, which is the figure most quotations are built on.
| Material | Density kg/m³ | lb/in³ | Mass / length kg/m | lb/ft | vs carbon steel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon Steel | 7,850 | 0.2836 | 4.427 | 2.975 | +0.0 % |
| Stainless Steel 304 | 8,000 | 0.2890 | 4.512 | 3.032 | +1.9 % |
| Stainless Steel 316 | 8,000 | 0.2890 | 4.512 | 3.032 | +1.9 % |
| Stainless Steel 316L | 8,000 | 0.2890 | 4.512 | 3.032 | +1.9 % |
| Stainless Steel 430 | 7,700 | 0.2782 | 4.343 | 2.918 | -1.9 % |
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | 2,700 | 0.0975 | 1.523 | 1.023 | -65.6 % |
| Aluminum 5052-H32 | 2,680 | 0.0968 | 1.512 | 1.016 | -65.9 % |
| Aluminum 7075-T6 | 2,810 | 0.1015 | 1.585 | 1.065 | -64.2 % |
| Copper C11000 | 8,940 | 0.3230 | 5.042 | 3.388 | +13.9 % |
| Brass C36000 | 8,500 | 0.3071 | 4.794 | 3.221 | +8.3 % |
| Bronze C93200 | 8,800 | 0.3179 | 4.963 | 3.335 | +12.1 % |
| Titanium Grade 2 | 4,510 | 0.1629 | 2.544 | 1.709 | -42.5 % |
| Gray Cast Iron | 7,200 | 0.2601 | 4.061 | 2.729 | -8.3 % |
| Lead | 11,340 | 0.4097 | 6.396 | 4.298 | +44.5 % |
| Rigid PVC (Type I) | 1,400 | 0.0506 | 0.790 | 0.531 | -82.2 % |
| HDPE (PE 100) | 960 | 0.0347 | 0.541 | 0.364 | -87.8 % |
Same geometry throughout, so the only variable is density. Carbon steel is highlighted as the baseline.
A note on using this table for costing: mass is not price. Aluminium is roughly a third of steel's mass here, but per kilogram it costs several times more, so a straight swap rarely saves money — what it buys is reduced load on a structure or a vehicle.
About aluminum 5052-h32
The highest-strength common non-heat-treatable alloy and the best of the sheet alloys for marine service, with roughly twice the corrosion resistance of 6061 in salt water. Its 2,680 kg/m³ is marginally below 6061 — a 0.7 % difference, invisible on a take-off but real. It work-hardens rather than age-hardens, so it cannot be strengthened after forming and is normally supplied in H32. Preferred for fuel tanks, hull plate and formed panels that will see chloride.
- Density
- 2,680 kg/m³ = 0.0968 lb/in³ · 0.3414× carbon steel · typical spread ±1 %
- Specification
- ASTM B209 (H32 temper)
- Equivalents
- EN AW-5052 · JIS A5052 · GB 5052
- Typical uses
- Marine hulls and tanks · Fuel and hydraulic tanks · Sheet metal enclosures · Pressure vessels (low)
About rectangular tube
Rectangular tube is the shape to reach for when a beam has to be shallower than it is wide in one direction only. Because depth drives bending stiffness far more than width does, taking a rectangular section and turning it 90° changes the stiffness dramatically while the weight stays identical — a 100 × 50 × 4 tube is about 4 times stiffer about its strong axis than its weak axis, at 9.10 kg/m either way. The table here holds the common 2:1 depth-to-width proportion; enter your own dimensions in the calculator when the section is not 2:1.
Specified as depth × width × wall thickness. Confirm which dimension is the depth on a drawing before computing loads.
Download this data
AL 5052 rectangular tube — CSV
Both buttons below read the tables rendered on this page, so the file matches what you are looking at. The full catalogue — all 16 materials across all 10 sections — is on the downloads page.
Fields are quoted per RFC 4180, with a UTF-8 byte-order mark so Excel reads the mm² and · characters correctly. Blank lines separate the weight matrix from the area matrix.
Frequently asked questions
How much does aluminum 5052-h32 rectangular tube weigh?
At the reference dimensions (a = 60 mm, b = 40 mm, t = 3 mm) a aluminum 5052-h32 rectangular tube of this size weighs 1.512 kg/m, or 1.016 lb/ft. The table above lists the figure for every standard size so you can read your size directly instead of scaling.
How is the weight of rectangular tube calculated?
Weight is cross-sectional area × length × density. For this shape the area is A = a·b − (a − 2t)(b − 2t). At the reference dimensions that gives 564.0 mm², and multiplying by aluminum 5052-h32's density of 2,680 kg/m³ gives 1.512 kg/m. Nothing is looked up in a table — which is why a non-standard size is calculated just as accurately as a standard one.
Why does aluminum 5052-h32 weigh more or less than steel?
It is lighter than carbon steel for the same section — about 66 % lighter at 2,680 kg/m³. Density is the only variable: the cross-sectional area depends purely on geometry, so a rectangular tube of the same dimensions has the same area in every material and the mass simply scales with density. In this case the ratio is 0.3414× carbon steel.
What is the cross-sectional area of a rectangular tube?
The area depends only on the dimensions, not on the material, so it is identical whichever material you select: at the reference dimensions it is 564.0 mm² (0.8742 in²). That is the number you would enter into a stress or deflection calculation, and it is why changing material on this page never changes the area column.
Does a al 5052 rectangular tube weigh the same as a al 5052 part of a different shape?
No, and the difference is larger than most people expect. At equal nominal size, a square bar is 27.3 % heavier than a round bar, and a hollow section is typically 60–80 % lighter than the solid bar it replaces. Weight follows area, and area changes faster than dimensions do — which is exactly why this needs calculating rather than estimating.
Should I use AL 5052 weight or carbon steel weight for costing?
Use the material you are actually buying. At 2,680 kg/m³ against carbon steel's 7,850 kg/m³, the same rectangular tube differs by 65.9 % in mass. On a per-metre quote that is invisible; on a fabricated tonnage it is the difference between a margin and a loss. This page computes the steel figure as 4.427 kg/m for comparison.
Other materials, same rectangular tube
The same geometry in every material, so the only variable is density.
- Carbon steel rectangular tube — 7850 kg/m³
- SS 304 rectangular tube — 8000 kg/m³
- SS 316 rectangular tube — 8000 kg/m³
- AL 6061 rectangular tube — 2700 kg/m³
- Copper rectangular tube — 8940 kg/m³
- Brass rectangular tube — 8500 kg/m³
- HDPE rectangular tube — 960 kg/m³
- PVC rectangular tube — 1400 kg/m³
Other AL 5052 sections
The same density applied to every shape the site covers.
- AL 5052 round bar — A = π/4 · d²
- AL 5052 square bar — A = a²
- AL 5052 hexagonal bar — A = (√3/2) · AF² ≈ 0.8660 · AF²
- AL 5052 flat bar — A = w · t
- AL 5052 plate — A = w · t
- AL 5052 round tube — A = π/4 · (D² − d²), d = D − 2t
Reference data and tools
- Metal weight overview — how the calculation works
- All 16 materials — densities and specifications
- All 10 sections — formulas and size series
- Density chart — lightest to heaviest
- Metal weight calculator — any size, any material
- All calculators — metal weight and pipe weight
- Download the data — CSV, generated from the same source
- Cross-reference tables — DN / NPS / material equivalents
- Methodology and sources — where every number comes from
Rectangular Tube area from A = a·b − (a − 2t)(b − 2t). Mass computed as area × length × density at 2,680 kg/m³ (ASTM B209 (H32 temper)). No weight on this page is copied from a published table — which is why figures can differ in the last significant digit from a mill's chart calculated at a nominal density.
- Elementary plane geometry. The circle, polygon and hollow-section area formulas.
- ASTM material specifications for each grade named in the material entry (A36, A240/A276, B209/B211/B221, B152/B16/B505, B265/B348, A48, B29, D1784, D3350).
- BIPM / NIST definitional constants: international inch = 25.4 mm, foot = 0.3048 m, pound = 0.45359237 kg.
Dataset version 2026.09.1 · dimensions last verified against source 2026-09-21. Found an error? Report it — corrections are issued with a version bump.