Lead Rectangular Tube Weight
Mass per metre and per foot for lead rectangular tube at 11,340 kg/m³ (ASTM B29 (UNS L50049, chemical lead)). Every figure is for the section as drawn. A 6 m length of this size weighs 38.4 kg (86.0 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 6.396 kg/m (4.298 lb/ft). Against carbon steel's 7,850 kg/m³ that is +44.5 % — 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 11,340 kg/m³ that is 6.3958 kg/m for the reference size above.
Lead rectangular tube — size series
| Depth | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mm | 0.919 kg/m · 0.617 lb/ft | 1.179 kg/m · 0.792 lb/ft | 1.633 kg/m · 1.097 lb/ft | 1.996 kg/m · 1.341 lb/ft | 2.268 kg/m · 1.524 lb/ft | 2.449 kg/m · 1.646 lb/ft |
| 25 mm | 1.174 kg/m · 0.789 lb/ft | 1.520 kg/m · 1.021 lb/ft | 2.143 kg/m · 1.440 lb/ft | 2.676 kg/m · 1.798 lb/ft | 3.118 kg/m · 2.096 lb/ft | 3.470 kg/m · 2.332 lb/ft |
| 30 mm | 1.429 kg/m · 0.960 lb/ft | 1.860 kg/m · 1.250 lb/ft | 2.654 kg/m · 1.783 lb/ft | 3.357 kg/m · 2.256 lb/ft | 3.969 kg/m · 2.667 lb/ft | 4.491 kg/m · 3.018 lb/ft |
| 40 mm | 1.939 kg/m · 1.303 lb/ft | 2.540 kg/m · 1.707 lb/ft | 3.674 kg/m · 2.469 lb/ft | 4.717 kg/m · 3.170 lb/ft | 5.670 kg/m · 3.810 lb/ft | 6.532 kg/m · 4.389 lb/ft |
| 50 mm | 2.449 kg/m · 1.646 lb/ft | 3.221 kg/m · 2.164 lb/ft | 4.695 kg/m · 3.155 lb/ft | 6.078 kg/m · 4.084 lb/ft | 7.371 kg/m · 4.953 lb/ft | 8.573 kg/m · 5.761 lb/ft |
| 60 mm | 2.960 kg/m · 1.989 lb/ft | 3.901 kg/m · 2.621 lb/ft | 5.715 kg/m · 3.841 lb/ft | 7.439 kg/m · 4.999 lb/ft | 9.072 kg/m · 6.096 lb/ft | 10.614 kg/m · 7.132 lb/ft |
| 80 mm | 3.980 kg/m · 2.675 lb/ft | 5.262 kg/m · 3.536 lb/ft | 7.757 kg/m · 5.212 lb/ft | 10.161 kg/m · 6.828 lb/ft | 12.474 kg/m · 8.382 lb/ft | 14.697 kg/m · 9.876 lb/ft |
| 100 mm | 5.001 kg/m · 3.360 lb/ft | 6.623 kg/m · 4.450 lb/ft | 9.798 kg/m · 6.584 lb/ft | 12.882 kg/m · 8.656 lb/ft | 15.876 kg/m · 10.668 lb/ft | 18.779 kg/m · 12.619 lb/ft |
| 120 mm | 6.022 kg/m · 4.046 lb/ft | 7.983 kg/m · 5.365 lb/ft | 11.839 kg/m · 7.955 lb/ft | 15.604 kg/m · 10.485 lb/ft | 19.278 kg/m · 12.954 lb/ft | 22.861 kg/m · 15.362 lb/ft |
| 150 mm | 7.552 kg/m · 5.075 lb/ft | 10.025 kg/m · 6.736 lb/ft | 14.901 kg/m · 10.013 lb/ft | 19.686 kg/m · 13.229 lb/ft | 24.381 kg/m · 16.383 lb/ft | 28.985 kg/m · 19.477 lb/ft |
| 200 mm | 10.104 kg/m · 6.790 lb/ft | 13.427 kg/m · 9.022 lb/ft | 20.004 kg/m · 13.442 lb/ft | 26.490 kg/m · 17.801 lb/ft | 32.886 kg/m · 22.098 lb/ft | 39.191 kg/m · 26.335 lb/ft |
Rows: depth (mm). Columns: wall thickness (mm). Computed for Lead at 11340 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. Lead 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 lead
The densest material in the catalogue at 11,340 kg/m³ — 44 % heavier than carbon steel — and used precisely for that. Lead sheet is specified for acoustic and radiation shielding, where the performance metric is mass per unit area, so a sheet weight table is not an incidental output here, it is the design input: 1 mm of lead is about 11.34 kg/m². It is also extremely soft and creeps under sustained load, so it is normally supported, not self-carrying.
- Density
- 11,340 kg/m³ = 0.4097 lb/in³ · 1.4446× carbon steel · typical spread ±1 %
- Specification
- ASTM B29 (UNS L50049, chemical lead)
- Equivalents
- EN PB000 · GB Pb1
- Typical uses
- Radiation shielding · Acoustic and vibration isolation · Roof flashing and damp courses · Battery plates
Heavy-metal hazard: machining, welding and dross handling require controls. Creeps under its own weight at ambient temperature.
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
Lead 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 lead rectangular tube weigh?
At the reference dimensions (a = 60 mm, b = 40 mm, t = 3 mm) a lead rectangular tube of this size weighs 6.396 kg/m, or 4.298 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 lead's density of 11,340 kg/m³ gives 6.396 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 lead weigh more or less than steel?
It is heavier than carbon steel for the same section — about 44 % heavier at 11,340 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 1.4446× 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 lead rectangular tube weigh the same as a lead 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 Lead weight or carbon steel weight for costing?
Use the material you are actually buying. At 11,340 kg/m³ against carbon steel's 7,850 kg/m³, the same rectangular tube differs by 44.5 % 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 Lead sections
The same density applied to every shape the site covers.
- Lead round bar — A = π/4 · d²
- Lead square bar — A = a²
- Lead hexagonal bar — A = (√3/2) · AF² ≈ 0.8660 · AF²
- Lead flat bar — A = w · t
- Lead plate — A = w · t
- Lead 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 11,340 kg/m³ (ASTM B29 (UNS L50049, chemical lead)). 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.