HDPE (PE 100) Round Tube Weight
Mass per metre and per foot for hdpe (pe 100) round tube at 960 kg/m³ (ISO 4427 / ASTM D3350 (PE 100 black)). Every figure is for the section as drawn. A 6 m length of this size weighs 2.6 kg (5.7 lb per 20 ft).
At the reference dimensions (D = 50 mm, t = 3 mm) this section has a cross-sectional area of 443.0 mm², giving 0.425 kg/m (0.286 lb/ft). Against carbon steel's 7,850 kg/m³ that is -87.8 % — the same section in steel would be 3.477 kg/m.
Round Tube — formula and derivation
Area of a round tube
A = π/4 · (D² − d²), d = D − 2t
A = π/4 × (D² − d²), where D is the outside diameter, d the inside diameter, and d = D − 2t for wall thickness t
Worked through with the default dimensions:
A = π/4 × (D² − d²)d = 50 − 2 × 3 = 44.0 mmA = 0.785398 × (50² − 44.0²)A = 0.785398 × 564.0A = 443.0 mm²
- D
- Outside diameter
- t
- Wall thickness — Must be less than half the outside diameter.
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 960 kg/m³ that is 0.4252 kg/m for the reference size above.
HDPE round tube — size series
| Outside diameter | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 mm | 0.033 kg/m · 0.022 lb/ft | 0.048 kg/m · 0.032 lb/ft | 0.060 kg/m · 0.041 lb/ft | 0.081 kg/m · 0.055 lb/ft | 0.097 kg/m · 0.065 lb/ft | 0.106 kg/m · 0.071 lb/ft | 0.109 kg/m · 0.073 lb/ft | 0.097 kg/m · 0.065 lb/ft |
| 16 mm | 0.045 kg/m · 0.030 lb/ft | 0.066 kg/m · 0.044 lb/ft | 0.084 kg/m · 0.057 lb/ft | 0.118 kg/m · 0.079 lb/ft | 0.145 kg/m · 0.097 lb/ft | 0.166 kg/m · 0.111 lb/ft | 0.181 kg/m · 0.122 lb/ft | 0.193 kg/m · 0.130 lb/ft |
| 20 mm | 0.057 kg/m · 0.039 lb/ft | 0.084 kg/m · 0.056 lb/ft | 0.109 kg/m · 0.073 lb/ft | 0.154 kg/m · 0.103 lb/ft | 0.193 kg/m · 0.130 lb/ft | 0.226 kg/m · 0.152 lb/ft | 0.253 kg/m · 0.170 lb/ft | 0.290 kg/m · 0.195 lb/ft |
| 25 mm | 0.072 kg/m · 0.049 lb/ft | 0.106 kg/m · 0.071 lb/ft | 0.139 kg/m · 0.093 lb/ft | 0.199 kg/m · 0.134 lb/ft | 0.253 kg/m · 0.170 lb/ft | 0.302 kg/m · 0.203 lb/ft | 0.344 kg/m · 0.231 lb/ft | 0.410 kg/m · 0.276 lb/ft |
| 32 mm | 0.093 kg/m · 0.063 lb/ft | 0.138 kg/m · 0.093 lb/ft | 0.181 kg/m · 0.122 lb/ft | 0.262 kg/m · 0.176 lb/ft | 0.338 kg/m · 0.227 lb/ft | 0.407 kg/m · 0.274 lb/ft | 0.470 kg/m · 0.316 lb/ft | 0.579 kg/m · 0.389 lb/ft |
| 40 mm | 0.118 kg/m · 0.079 lb/ft | 0.174 kg/m · 0.117 lb/ft | 0.229 kg/m · 0.154 lb/ft | 0.335 kg/m · 0.225 lb/ft | 0.434 kg/m · 0.292 lb/ft | 0.528 kg/m · 0.355 lb/ft | 0.615 kg/m · 0.413 lb/ft | 0.772 kg/m · 0.519 lb/ft |
| 50 mm | 0.148 kg/m · 0.099 lb/ft | 0.219 kg/m · 0.147 lb/ft | 0.290 kg/m · 0.195 lb/ft | 0.425 kg/m · 0.286 lb/ft | 0.555 kg/m · 0.373 lb/ft | 0.679 kg/m · 0.456 lb/ft | 0.796 kg/m · 0.535 lb/ft | 1.013 kg/m · 0.681 lb/ft |
| 63 mm | 0.187 kg/m · 0.126 lb/ft | 0.278 kg/m · 0.187 lb/ft | 0.368 kg/m · 0.247 lb/ft | 0.543 kg/m · 0.365 lb/ft | 0.712 kg/m · 0.478 lb/ft | 0.875 kg/m · 0.588 lb/ft | 1.031 kg/m · 0.693 lb/ft | 1.327 kg/m · 0.892 lb/ft |
| 76 mm | 0.226 kg/m · 0.152 lb/ft | 0.337 kg/m · 0.226 lb/ft | 0.446 kg/m · 0.300 lb/ft | 0.660 kg/m · 0.444 lb/ft | 0.869 kg/m · 0.584 lb/ft | 1.071 kg/m · 0.719 lb/ft | 1.267 kg/m · 0.851 lb/ft | 1.641 kg/m · 1.102 lb/ft |
| 89 mm | 0.265 kg/m · 0.178 lb/ft | 0.396 kg/m · 0.266 lb/ft | 0.525 kg/m · 0.353 lb/ft | 0.778 kg/m · 0.523 lb/ft | 1.025 kg/m · 0.689 lb/ft | 1.267 kg/m · 0.851 lb/ft | 1.502 kg/m · 1.009 lb/ft | 1.954 kg/m · 1.313 lb/ft |
| 114 mm | 0.341 kg/m · 0.229 lb/ft | 0.509 kg/m · 0.342 lb/ft | 0.676 kg/m · 0.454 lb/ft | 1.004 kg/m · 0.675 lb/ft | 1.327 kg/m · 0.892 lb/ft | 1.644 kg/m · 1.105 lb/ft | 1.954 kg/m · 1.313 lb/ft | 2.558 kg/m · 1.719 lb/ft |
| 168 mm | 0.504 kg/m · 0.338 lb/ft | 0.753 kg/m · 0.506 lb/ft | 1.001 kg/m · 0.673 lb/ft | 1.493 kg/m · 1.003 lb/ft | 1.978 kg/m · 1.329 lb/ft | 2.458 kg/m · 1.652 lb/ft | 2.931 kg/m · 1.970 lb/ft | 3.860 kg/m · 2.594 lb/ft |
Rows: outside diameter (mm). Columns: wall thickness (mm). Computed for HDPE (PE 100) at 960 kg/m³.
| Outside diameter | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 mm | 34.6 | 49.5 | 62.8 | 84.8 | 100.5 | 110.0 | 113.1 | 100.5 |
| 16 mm | 47.1 | 68.3 | 88.0 | 122.5 | 150.8 | 172.8 | 188.5 | 201.1 |
| 20 mm | 59.7 | 87.2 | 113.1 | 160.2 | 201.1 | 235.6 | 263.9 | 301.6 |
| 25 mm | 75.4 | 110.7 | 144.5 | 207.3 | 263.9 | 314.2 | 358.1 | 427.3 |
| 32 mm | 97.4 | 143.7 | 188.5 | 273.3 | 351.9 | 424.1 | 490.1 | 603.2 |
| 40 mm | 122.5 | 181.4 | 238.8 | 348.7 | 452.4 | 549.8 | 640.9 | 804.2 |
| 50 mm | 153.9 | 228.6 | 301.6 | 443.0 | 578.1 | 706.9 | 829.4 | 1,055.6 |
| 63 mm | 194.8 | 289.8 | 383.3 | 565.5 | 741.4 | 911.1 | 1,074.4 | 1,382.3 |
| 76 mm | 235.6 | 351.1 | 465.0 | 688.0 | 904.8 | 1,115.3 | 1,319.5 | 1,709.0 |
| 89 mm | 276.5 | 412.3 | 546.6 | 810.5 | 1,068.1 | 1,319.5 | 1,564.5 | 2,035.8 |
| 114 mm | 355.0 | 530.1 | 703.7 | 1,046.2 | 1,382.3 | 1,712.2 | 2,035.8 | 2,664.1 |
| 168 mm | 524.6 | 784.6 | 1,043.0 | 1,555.1 | 2,060.9 | 2,560.4 | 3,053.6 | 4,021.2 |
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 round tube in every material
Geometry is fixed and only density changes, so this table is the whole material-selection question in one view. HDPE (PE 100) 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 | 3.477 | 2.337 | +0.0 % |
| Stainless Steel 304 | 8,000 | 0.2890 | 3.544 | 2.381 | +1.9 % |
| Stainless Steel 316 | 8,000 | 0.2890 | 3.544 | 2.381 | +1.9 % |
| Stainless Steel 316L | 8,000 | 0.2890 | 3.544 | 2.381 | +1.9 % |
| Stainless Steel 430 | 7,700 | 0.2782 | 3.411 | 2.292 | -1.9 % |
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | 2,700 | 0.0975 | 1.196 | 0.804 | -65.6 % |
| Aluminum 5052-H32 | 2,680 | 0.0968 | 1.187 | 0.798 | -65.9 % |
| Aluminum 7075-T6 | 2,810 | 0.1015 | 1.245 | 0.836 | -64.2 % |
| Copper C11000 | 8,940 | 0.3230 | 3.960 | 2.661 | +13.9 % |
| Brass C36000 | 8,500 | 0.3071 | 3.765 | 2.530 | +8.3 % |
| Bronze C93200 | 8,800 | 0.3179 | 3.898 | 2.619 | +12.1 % |
| Titanium Grade 2 | 4,510 | 0.1629 | 1.998 | 1.342 | -42.5 % |
| Gray Cast Iron | 7,200 | 0.2601 | 3.189 | 2.143 | -8.3 % |
| Lead | 11,340 | 0.4097 | 5.023 | 3.375 | +44.5 % |
| Rigid PVC (Type I) | 1,400 | 0.0506 | 0.620 | 0.417 | -82.2 % |
| HDPE (PE 100) | 960 | 0.0347 | 0.425 | 0.286 | -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 hdpe (pe 100)
High-density polyethylene and the lightest material in the catalogue at 960 kg/m³ — it floats. That is not a curiosity: buoyancy governs how submerged outfall and intake lines are installed, and HDPE’s ability to be towed and floated into place in long strings is why it displaced steel for marine pipelines. It is also tougher than PVC at low temperature and tolerates ground movement without cracking, at the cost of much lower pressure rating at the same wall thickness.
- Density
- 960 kg/m³ = 0.0347 lb/in³ · 0.1223× carbon steel · typical spread ±2 %
- Specification
- ISO 4427 / ASTM D3350 (PE 100 black)
- Equivalents
- EN PE 100 · JIS PE100 · GB PE100
- Typical uses
- Water and gas mains · Submarine outfall lines · Landfill and leachate pipe · Geomembrane and lining
Density splits into two families: PE 100 pipe grades 950–960 kg/m³, PE 63/80 grades 930–945 kg/m³. Black compound includes ~2 % carbon black.
About round tube
Hollow sections are the most efficient way to buy stiffness by weight, and the numbers are stark: a 50 mm outside diameter tube with a 3 mm wall has the same area as a 22.6 mm solid bar — about 20 % of the mass — but its second moment of area is roughly 2.4 times larger. The catch is local: a thin wall buckles and dents long before it yields, so tube is chosen for stiffness and stability, never for where impact or crushing is expected.
Specified as outside diameter × wall thickness. State the standard (e.g. EN 10219) and whether the tube is welded or seamless.
Download this data
HDPE round 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 hdpe (pe 100) round tube weigh?
At the reference dimensions (D = 50 mm, t = 3 mm) a hdpe (pe 100) round tube of this size weighs 0.425 kg/m, or 0.286 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 round tube calculated?
Weight is cross-sectional area × length × density. For this shape the area is A = π/4 · (D² − d²), d = D − 2t. At the reference dimensions that gives 443.0 mm², and multiplying by hdpe (pe 100)'s density of 960 kg/m³ gives 0.425 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 hdpe (pe 100) weigh more or less than steel?
It is lighter than carbon steel for the same section — about 88 % lighter at 960 kg/m³. Density is the only variable: the cross-sectional area depends purely on geometry, so a round 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 0.1223× carbon steel.
What is the cross-sectional area of a round 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 443.0 mm² (0.6866 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 hdpe round tube weigh the same as a hdpe 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 HDPE weight or carbon steel weight for costing?
Use the material you are actually buying. At 960 kg/m³ against carbon steel's 7,850 kg/m³, the same round tube differs by 87.8 % 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 3.477 kg/m for comparison.
Other materials, same round tube
The same geometry in every material, so the only variable is density.
- Carbon steel round tube — 7850 kg/m³
- SS 304 round tube — 8000 kg/m³
- SS 316 round tube — 8000 kg/m³
- AL 6061 round tube — 2700 kg/m³
- Copper round tube — 8940 kg/m³
- Brass round tube — 8500 kg/m³
- PVC round tube — 1400 kg/m³
- AL 5052 round tube — 2680 kg/m³
Other HDPE sections
The same density applied to every shape the site covers.
- HDPE round bar — A = π/4 · d²
- HDPE square bar — A = a²
- HDPE hexagonal bar — A = (√3/2) · AF² ≈ 0.8660 · AF²
- HDPE flat bar — A = w · t
- HDPE plate — A = w · t
- HDPE square tube — A = a² − (a − 2t)²
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
Round Tube area from A = π/4 · (D² − d²), d = D − 2t. Mass computed as area × length × density at 960 kg/m³ (ISO 4427 / ASTM D3350 (PE 100 black)). 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.