Rigid PVC (Type I) Flat Bar Weight
Mass per metre and per foot for rigid pvc (type i) flat bar at 1,400 kg/m³ (ASTM D1784 Cell Classification 12454). Every figure is for the section as drawn. A 6 m length of this size weighs 2.5 kg (5.6 lb per 20 ft).
At the reference dimensions (w = 50 mm, t = 6 mm) this section has a cross-sectional area of 300.0 mm², giving 0.420 kg/m (0.282 lb/ft). Against carbon steel's 7,850 kg/m³ that is -82.2 % — the same section in steel would be 2.355 kg/m.
Flat Bar — formula and derivation
Area of a flat bar
A = w · t
A = w × t, where w is width and t is thickness
Worked through with the default dimensions:
A = w × tA = 50 × 6A = 300.0 mm²
- w
- Width
- t
- 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 1,400 kg/m³ that is 0.4200 kg/m for the reference size above.
PVC flat bar — size series
| Width | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 mm | 0.050 kg/m · 0.034 lb/ft | 0.067 kg/m · 0.045 lb/ft | 0.084 kg/m · 0.056 lb/ft | 0.101 kg/m · 0.068 lb/ft | 0.134 kg/m · 0.090 lb/ft | 0.168 kg/m · 0.113 lb/ft | 0.202 kg/m · 0.135 lb/ft | 0.269 kg/m · 0.181 lb/ft | 0.336 kg/m · 0.226 lb/ft |
| 16 mm | 0.067 kg/m · 0.045 lb/ft | 0.090 kg/m · 0.060 lb/ft | 0.112 kg/m · 0.075 lb/ft | 0.134 kg/m · 0.090 lb/ft | 0.179 kg/m · 0.120 lb/ft | 0.224 kg/m · 0.151 lb/ft | 0.269 kg/m · 0.181 lb/ft | 0.358 kg/m · 0.241 lb/ft | 0.448 kg/m · 0.301 lb/ft |
| 20 mm | 0.084 kg/m · 0.056 lb/ft | 0.112 kg/m · 0.075 lb/ft | 0.140 kg/m · 0.094 lb/ft | 0.168 kg/m · 0.113 lb/ft | 0.224 kg/m · 0.151 lb/ft | 0.280 kg/m · 0.188 lb/ft | 0.336 kg/m · 0.226 lb/ft | 0.448 kg/m · 0.301 lb/ft | 0.560 kg/m · 0.376 lb/ft |
| 25 mm | 0.105 kg/m · 0.071 lb/ft | 0.140 kg/m · 0.094 lb/ft | 0.175 kg/m · 0.118 lb/ft | 0.210 kg/m · 0.141 lb/ft | 0.280 kg/m · 0.188 lb/ft | 0.350 kg/m · 0.235 lb/ft | 0.420 kg/m · 0.282 lb/ft | 0.560 kg/m · 0.376 lb/ft | 0.700 kg/m · 0.470 lb/ft |
| 30 mm | 0.126 kg/m · 0.085 lb/ft | 0.168 kg/m · 0.113 lb/ft | 0.210 kg/m · 0.141 lb/ft | 0.252 kg/m · 0.169 lb/ft | 0.336 kg/m · 0.226 lb/ft | 0.420 kg/m · 0.282 lb/ft | 0.504 kg/m · 0.339 lb/ft | 0.672 kg/m · 0.452 lb/ft | 0.840 kg/m · 0.564 lb/ft |
| 40 mm | 0.168 kg/m · 0.113 lb/ft | 0.224 kg/m · 0.151 lb/ft | 0.280 kg/m · 0.188 lb/ft | 0.336 kg/m · 0.226 lb/ft | 0.448 kg/m · 0.301 lb/ft | 0.560 kg/m · 0.376 lb/ft | 0.672 kg/m · 0.452 lb/ft | 0.896 kg/m · 0.602 lb/ft | 1.120 kg/m · 0.753 lb/ft |
| 50 mm | 0.210 kg/m · 0.141 lb/ft | 0.280 kg/m · 0.188 lb/ft | 0.350 kg/m · 0.235 lb/ft | 0.420 kg/m · 0.282 lb/ft | 0.560 kg/m · 0.376 lb/ft | 0.700 kg/m · 0.470 lb/ft | 0.840 kg/m · 0.564 lb/ft | 1.120 kg/m · 0.753 lb/ft | 1.400 kg/m · 0.941 lb/ft |
| 60 mm | 0.252 kg/m · 0.169 lb/ft | 0.336 kg/m · 0.226 lb/ft | 0.420 kg/m · 0.282 lb/ft | 0.504 kg/m · 0.339 lb/ft | 0.672 kg/m · 0.452 lb/ft | 0.840 kg/m · 0.564 lb/ft | 1.008 kg/m · 0.677 lb/ft | 1.344 kg/m · 0.903 lb/ft | 1.680 kg/m · 1.129 lb/ft |
| 80 mm | 0.336 kg/m · 0.226 lb/ft | 0.448 kg/m · 0.301 lb/ft | 0.560 kg/m · 0.376 lb/ft | 0.672 kg/m · 0.452 lb/ft | 0.896 kg/m · 0.602 lb/ft | 1.120 kg/m · 0.753 lb/ft | 1.344 kg/m · 0.903 lb/ft | 1.792 kg/m · 1.204 lb/ft | 2.240 kg/m · 1.505 lb/ft |
| 100 mm | 0.420 kg/m · 0.282 lb/ft | 0.560 kg/m · 0.376 lb/ft | 0.700 kg/m · 0.470 lb/ft | 0.840 kg/m · 0.564 lb/ft | 1.120 kg/m · 0.753 lb/ft | 1.400 kg/m · 0.941 lb/ft | 1.680 kg/m · 1.129 lb/ft | 2.240 kg/m · 1.505 lb/ft | 2.800 kg/m · 1.882 lb/ft |
Rows: width (mm). Columns: thickness (mm). Computed for Rigid PVC (Type I) at 1400 kg/m³.
| Width | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 mm | 36.0 | 48.0 | 60.0 | 72.0 | 96.0 | 120.0 | 144.0 | 192.0 | 240.0 |
| 16 mm | 48.0 | 64.0 | 80.0 | 96.0 | 128.0 | 160.0 | 192.0 | 256.0 | 320.0 |
| 20 mm | 60.0 | 80.0 | 100.0 | 120.0 | 160.0 | 200.0 | 240.0 | 320.0 | 400.0 |
| 25 mm | 75.0 | 100.0 | 125.0 | 150.0 | 200.0 | 250.0 | 300.0 | 400.0 | 500.0 |
| 30 mm | 90.0 | 120.0 | 150.0 | 180.0 | 240.0 | 300.0 | 360.0 | 480.0 | 600.0 |
| 40 mm | 120.0 | 160.0 | 200.0 | 240.0 | 320.0 | 400.0 | 480.0 | 640.0 | 800.0 |
| 50 mm | 150.0 | 200.0 | 250.0 | 300.0 | 400.0 | 500.0 | 600.0 | 800.0 | 1,000.0 |
| 60 mm | 180.0 | 240.0 | 300.0 | 360.0 | 480.0 | 600.0 | 720.0 | 960.0 | 1,200.0 |
| 80 mm | 240.0 | 320.0 | 400.0 | 480.0 | 640.0 | 800.0 | 960.0 | 1,280.0 | 1,600.0 |
| 100 mm | 300.0 | 400.0 | 500.0 | 600.0 | 800.0 | 1,000.0 | 1,200.0 | 1,600.0 | 2,000.0 |
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 flat bar in every material
Geometry is fixed and only density changes, so this table is the whole material-selection question in one view. Rigid PVC (Type I) 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 | 2.355 | 1.582 | +0.0 % |
| Stainless Steel 304 | 8,000 | 0.2890 | 2.400 | 1.613 | +1.9 % |
| Stainless Steel 316 | 8,000 | 0.2890 | 2.400 | 1.613 | +1.9 % |
| Stainless Steel 316L | 8,000 | 0.2890 | 2.400 | 1.613 | +1.9 % |
| Stainless Steel 430 | 7,700 | 0.2782 | 2.310 | 1.552 | -1.9 % |
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | 2,700 | 0.0975 | 0.810 | 0.544 | -65.6 % |
| Aluminum 5052-H32 | 2,680 | 0.0968 | 0.804 | 0.540 | -65.9 % |
| Aluminum 7075-T6 | 2,810 | 0.1015 | 0.843 | 0.566 | -64.2 % |
| Copper C11000 | 8,940 | 0.3230 | 2.682 | 1.802 | +13.9 % |
| Brass C36000 | 8,500 | 0.3071 | 2.550 | 1.714 | +8.3 % |
| Bronze C93200 | 8,800 | 0.3179 | 2.640 | 1.774 | +12.1 % |
| Titanium Grade 2 | 4,510 | 0.1629 | 1.353 | 0.909 | -42.5 % |
| Gray Cast Iron | 7,200 | 0.2601 | 2.160 | 1.451 | -8.3 % |
| Lead | 11,340 | 0.4097 | 3.402 | 2.286 | +44.5 % |
| Rigid PVC (Type I) | 1,400 | 0.0506 | 0.420 | 0.282 | -82.2 % |
| HDPE (PE 100) | 960 | 0.0347 | 0.288 | 0.194 | -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 rigid pvc (type i)
Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride, the standard solvent-welded pipe and duct material. At 1,400 kg/m³ it is 82 % lighter than carbon steel — the single biggest mass saving available in the catalogue — which is why PVC pipe is specified for drainage, irrigation and fume ducting where nothing structural is asked of it. The figure assumes rigid, unplasticised compound; flexible PVC contains plasticiser and runs 1,200–1,500 kg/m³, and foamed PVC is far lower again.
- Density
- 1,400 kg/m³ = 0.0506 lb/in³ · 0.1783× carbon steel · typical spread ±3 %
- Specification
- ASTM D1784 Cell Classification 12454
- Equivalents
- EN PVC-U · JIS PVC · GB PVC-U
- Typical uses
- Drainage and soil pipe · Irrigation and fume duct · Chemical process pipework · Electrical conduit
Density is formulation-dependent: rigid compound 1,380–1,450 kg/m³, plasticised grades are lighter and foamed grades much lighter. Strength falls sharply above about 60 °C.
About flat bar
Flat bar is where the site’s most common estimating mistake shows up: weight is independent of how the bar is oriented, but stiffness is not. A 50 × 6 flat bent about its strong axis is roughly 69 times stiffer than the same bar bent about its weak axis, while both weigh 2.36 kg/m. Reading weight off a flat-bar table tells you what to order; it tells you nothing about whether the section will carry the load.
Specified as width × thickness. Edge condition (square, radiused, or sheared) changes the effective area slightly, not the nominal weight.
Download this data
PVC flat bar — 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 rigid pvc (type i) flat bar weigh?
At the reference dimensions (w = 50 mm, t = 6 mm) a rigid pvc (type i) flat bar of this size weighs 0.420 kg/m, or 0.282 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 flat bar calculated?
Weight is cross-sectional area × length × density. For this shape the area is A = w · t. At the reference dimensions that gives 300.0 mm², and multiplying by rigid pvc (type i)'s density of 1,400 kg/m³ gives 0.420 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 rigid pvc (type i) weigh more or less than steel?
It is lighter than carbon steel for the same section — about 82 % lighter at 1,400 kg/m³. Density is the only variable: the cross-sectional area depends purely on geometry, so a flat bar of the same dimensions has the same area in every material and the mass simply scales with density. In this case the ratio is 0.1783× carbon steel.
What is the cross-sectional area of a flat bar?
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 300.0 mm² (0.4650 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 pvc flat bar weigh the same as a pvc 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 PVC weight or carbon steel weight for costing?
Use the material you are actually buying. At 1,400 kg/m³ against carbon steel's 7,850 kg/m³, the same flat bar differs by 82.2 % 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 2.355 kg/m for comparison.
Other materials, same flat bar
The same geometry in every material, so the only variable is density.
- Carbon steel flat bar — 7850 kg/m³
- SS 304 flat bar — 8000 kg/m³
- SS 316 flat bar — 8000 kg/m³
- AL 6061 flat bar — 2700 kg/m³
- Copper flat bar — 8940 kg/m³
- Brass flat bar — 8500 kg/m³
- HDPE flat bar — 960 kg/m³
- AL 5052 flat bar — 2680 kg/m³
Other PVC sections
The same density applied to every shape the site covers.
- PVC round bar — A = π/4 · d²
- PVC square bar — A = a²
- PVC hexagonal bar — A = (√3/2) · AF² ≈ 0.8660 · AF²
- PVC plate — A = w · t
- PVC round tube — A = π/4 · (D² − d²), d = D − 2t
- PVC 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
Flat Bar area from A = w · t. Mass computed as area × length × density at 1,400 kg/m³ (ASTM D1784 Cell Classification 12454). 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.