Steel Plate Weight Chart: One Sheet of 3×6, 4×8 and 5×10, Plus Checker Plate
The weight of steel plate per square meter is 7.85 × thickness (mm) in kg. Then you only have to multiply by the area, but it's easy to get stuck if you can't remember how many square meters a 3×6 or 4×8 sheet is. This article covers the area of standard sheet sizes, a per-sheet weight chart for thicknesses from 0.8 to 25 mm, the 7.85t + 3 rule for checker plate, conversions to stainless and aluminum, and how much weight people can carry.
1 m² of steel plate weighs 7.85 × thickness in kg
Steel has a specific gravity of 7.85. A plate 1 mm thick and 1 m square has a volume of 1,000 cm³, so it weighs 7,850 g, or 7.85 kg. That makes the weight of steel plate 7.85 × thickness (mm) in kg per m²: 25.12 kg/m² at 3.2 mm and 47.1 kg/m² at 6 mm.
To calculate with dimensions in mm, use thickness × length × width × 7.85 ÷ 1,000,000. A 300 × 300 mm cut plate 9 mm thick is 9 × 300 × 300 × 7.85 ÷ 1,000,000 ≈ 6.36 kg.
Standard sheet sizes and areas
Standard steel sheet sizes are named in feet: 3×6 means 3 feet × 6 feet, or 914 × 1,829 mm. In Japan these are also known by nicknames such as saburoku (3-6) and shihachi (4-8). Once you know the area, multiply it by the weight per m² to get the weight of one sheet.
| Name | Dimensions (mm) | Area (m²) | Weight of one sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3×6 (saburoku) | 914 × 1,829 | approx. 1.672 | 7.85 × thickness × 1.672 |
| 4×8 (shihachi) | 1,219 × 2,438 | approx. 2.972 | 7.85 × thickness × 2.972 |
| 5×10 (goto) | 1,524 × 3,048 | approx. 4.645 | 7.85 × thickness × 4.645 |
| 1 m × 2 m (meter plate) | 1,000 × 2,000 | 2.000 | 7.85 × thickness × 2 |
A 4×8 sheet has about 1.78 times the area of a 3×6, and a 5×10 has about 2.78 times. At the same thickness, the weight goes up by the same ratio. To convert m² into tsubo, the Japanese unit of area, see converting tsubo and square meters.
Steel plate weight chart: 0.8 to 25 mm, per sheet
SPCC (cold-rolled), SPHC (hot-rolled) and SS400 steel plate can all be calculated with a specific gravity of 7.85. Values are rounded.
| Thickness | Per m² | 3×6 | 4×8 | 5×10 | 1×2 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8mm | 6.28kg | 10.5kg | 18.7kg | 29.2kg | 12.6kg |
| 1.0mm | 7.85kg | 13.1kg | 23.3kg | 36.5kg | 15.7kg |
| 1.2mm | 9.42kg | 15.7kg | 28.0kg | 43.8kg | 18.8kg |
| 1.6mm | 12.56kg | 21.0kg | 37.3kg | 58.3kg | 25.1kg |
| 2.3mm | 18.05kg | 30.2kg | 53.7kg | 83.9kg | 36.1kg |
| 3.2mm | 25.12kg | 42.0kg | 74.7kg | 116.7kg | 50.2kg |
| 4.5mm | 35.32kg | 59.1kg | 105kg | 164kg | 70.6kg |
| 6mm | 47.1kg | 78.7kg | 140kg | 219kg | 94.2kg |
| 9mm | 70.65kg | 118kg | 210kg | 328kg | 141kg |
| 12mm | 94.2kg | 157kg | 280kg | 438kg | 188kg |
| 16mm | 125.6kg | 210kg | 373kg | 583kg | 251kg |
| 19mm | 149.15kg | 249kg | 443kg | 693kg | 298kg |
| 22mm | 172.7kg | 289kg | 513kg | 802kg | 345kg |
| 25mm | 196.25kg | 328kg | 583kg | 912kg | 393kg |
Road plates laid at construction sites are often 22 mm or 25 mm in 5×10 and 5×20 (1,524 × 6,096 mm) sizes. A 22 mm 5×10 weighs about 802 kg and a 5×20 about 1.6 t, far too heavy to move by hand.
Checker plate: 7.85 × thickness + 3 kg/m²
The thickness of checker plate, with its raised anti-slip pattern, refers to the base excluding the pattern. The pattern adds about 3 kg per m², so the JIS guide to its mass is 7.85 × thickness + 3 kg/m². At 4.5 mm, that's 7.85 × 4.5 + 3 ≈ 38.3 kg/m².
| Thickness (base) | Per m² | 3×6 | 4×8 | 5×10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3mm | 21.05kg | 35.2kg | 62.6kg | 97.8kg |
| 3.2mm | 28.12kg | 47.0kg | 83.6kg | 131kg |
| 4.5mm | 38.32kg | 64.1kg | 114kg | 178kg |
| 6mm | 50.1kg | 83.8kg | 149kg | 233kg |
| 9mm | 73.65kg | 123kg | 219kg | 342kg |
If you use the same formula as flat plate, you'll underestimate a 4.5 mm 3×6 by about 5 kg. Where checker plate is used, such as on steps, gutter covers and truck beds, don't forget the +3.
Stainless and aluminum plate: swap the specific gravity
Plate weight is proportional to specific gravity, so you just replace 7.85 with the value for the material. Stainless SUS304 is 7.93, almost the same as steel, and A5052, a standard aluminum plate, is 2.68, about 1/3 of steel.
| Material and thickness | Per m² | 3×6 | 4×8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUS304 1.0mm | 7.93kg | 13.3kg | 23.6kg |
| SUS304 1.5mm | 11.9kg | 19.9kg | 35.4kg |
| SUS304 2.0mm | 15.86kg | 26.5kg | 47.1kg |
| SUS304 3.0mm | 23.79kg | 39.8kg | 70.7kg |
| A5052 1.0mm | 2.68kg | 4.5kg | 8.0kg |
| A5052 2.0mm | 5.36kg | 9.0kg | 15.9kg |
| A5052 3.0mm | 8.04kg | 13.4kg | 23.9kg |
| A5052 5.0mm | 13.4kg | 22.4kg | 39.8kg |
For aluminum checker plate, a rough guide is the weight of steel checker plate multiplied by 2.68 ÷ 7.85. The pattern shape varies by manufacturer, so check the catalog for exact values. The specific gravity of other metals is listed in a list of metal specific gravities.
Can one person carry it? Handling and storage by weight
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare guidelines on preventing back pain at work suggest that weights handled by human effort alone be kept to about 40% of body weight or less for men aged 18 or over, and about 60% of that for women. For a man weighing 60 kg, that's about 24 kg.
- A 1.6 mm 3×6 (about 21 kg) can be carried by one person, but its large area catches the wind, so two people are safer.
- A 3.2 mm 3×6 (about 42 kg) needs two people. A 3.2 mm 4×8 (about 75 kg) needs three or four people, or a cart or hand lifter.
- Plates heavier than a 6 mm 4×8 (about 140 kg) call for a crane, forklift or magnetic lifter. Choose lifting gear with a working load suited to the weight.
- Where you stack plates, check the floor's load capacity too. Ten 3.2 mm 4×8 sheets stacked together put about 747 kg on the area of a single sheet.
How to think about placing heavy objects on a floor is explained further in aquarium weight and floor load capacity.
Calculate one sheet's weight by choosing thickness and size
In the Steel & Metal Weight Calculator, choose "Plate / sheet" and the 3×6, 4×8, 5×10 and 1×2 m buttons fill in the dimensions. Just enter the thickness to see the weight per sheet, the weight per m² and the total. Choose "Checker plate" to calculate with 7.85t + 3, and switch the material to SUS304 or A5052 to get the weight of stainless or aluminum plate at the same size.
For offcuts, enter the width and length in mm and the number of pieces. Enter a price per kg to get a rough material cost as well. How to calculate the weight of bars and sections is explained in steel weight formulas.
FAQ
- How much does a 3×6 steel plate weigh?
- A 3×6 (914 × 1829 mm) is about 1.672 m², so its weight is 7.85 × thickness × 1.672 kg. That's about 21.0 kg at 1.6 mm, 30.2 kg at 2.3 mm, 42.0 kg at 3.2 mm, 59.1 kg at 4.5 mm, 78.7 kg at 6 mm and 118 kg at 9 mm.
- How much does a 4×8 steel plate weigh?
- A 4×8 (1219 × 2438 mm) is about 2.972 m². That's about 37.3 kg at 1.6 mm, 53.7 kg at 2.3 mm, 74.7 kg at 3.2 mm, 105 kg at 4.5 mm, 140 kg at 6 mm and 210 kg at 9 mm.
- How do I calculate the weight of 1 m² of steel plate?
- 7.85 × thickness (mm) gives kg per m²: 7.85 kg at 1 mm, 25.12 kg at 3.2 mm, 47.1 kg at 6 mm and 70.65 kg at 9 mm. Multiply by the area to get the weight of any size.
- How do I calculate the weight of checker plate?
- The JIS guide is 7.85 × thickness + 3 kg/m². Thickness refers to the base excluding the pattern, and the pattern adds about 3 kg per m². At 4.5 mm, that's about 38.3 kg/m², so one 3×6 sheet is about 64.1 kg.
- How does the weight of stainless and aluminum plate compare with steel?
- SUS304 has a specific gravity of 7.93, about 1.01 times steel and almost the same. Aluminum A5052 is 2.68, about 0.34 times. A 3 mm 3×6 sheet weighs about 39.8 kg in SUS304 and about 13.4 kg in A5052.
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