Column Weight Calculator
Estimate the self-weight of a single concrete column from its height, width and depth in metres plus a concrete density in kg/m³. The density field opens at 2400 kg/m³ for normal reinforced concrete, and the kilogram result is the starting point for footing loads and crane picks.
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Column Weight Calculator online
Estimate the self-weight of a rectangular concrete column from its height and plan dimensions — for load take-downs, footing sizing and crane-lift checks on precast elements.
How it works
A tied or spiral column shaft is modelled as a rectangular prism: weight = height(m) × width(m) × depth(m) × density(kg/m³). Height times plan dimensions gives the shaft volume in cubic metres; multiplying by density gives the mass. At the 2400 kg/m³ default, each cubic metre of column weighs 2400 kg, so a half-cubic-metre column weighs 1200 kg before any base or capital is added.
Worked example
A storey column 3 m high with a 0.4 m × 0.4 m section at 2400 kg/m³: volume = 3 × 0.4 × 0.4 = 0.48 m³. Weight = 0.48 × 2400 = 1152 kg (about 1.15 t or 11.3 kN). A taller 3.6 m column of 0.3 m × 0.5 m section: volume = 3.6 × 0.3 × 0.5 = 0.54 m³, weight = 0.54 × 2400 = 1296 kg.
Units
Enter height, width and depth all in metres (400 mm = 0.4 m). Output is in kilograms; divide by 1000 for tonnes. For foundation loading, convert mass to force by multiplying by 9.81 m/s² (1152 kg ≈ 11.3 kN).
Practical tips
- Use the clear shaft height between slabs or footings. Capitals, corbels and footings are separate volumes — add them individually rather than stretching the height.
- For circular columns, do not force the diameter into width and depth here; compute π/4 × d² × height × density by hand and use this page for rectangular piers and pedestals.
- When pricing a full floor, list each column size once with its count, so a section revision only changes one row of the takeoff.
- Treat the figure as a planning quantity. Axial capacity, slenderness, buckling and foundation adequacy depend on the full design and require sign-off from a qualified structural engineer.
Edge cases and limitations
- Drop panels and capitals add real mass. A mushroom head or drop panel is extra concrete the shaft calculation ignores: a 1.2 m × 1.2 m × 0.2 m drop adds 0.288 m³ ≈ 691 kg per column — across a floor of columns that is tonnes the crane plan should know about.
- Stacked floors multiply quietly. For a load take-down, the ground-floor column carries every shaft above it: ten identical 1,152 kg storeys are 11.5 tonnes of column self-weight before any floor load arrives.
- Reinforced density. As with beams, 2,500 kg/m³ is the common design figure for reinforced concrete; the 2,400 default is plain concrete. The difference is about 4% — small per column, material across a frame.
- Precast lifting is dynamic. A precast column's static weight is the starting point for a lift plan, not the rating: cranes apply dynamic factors, and the lifting points see bending the vertical shaft never does. Have lift plans checked by the lifting engineer.
Privacy and browser processing
The calculation runs entirely in your browser — your dimensions are never uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How heavy is a 3 m column of 400 × 400 mm section?
Volume = 3 × 0.4 × 0.4 = 0.48 m³, and 0.48 × 2400 = 1152 kg, roughly 1.15 tonnes of dead load per column before beams and slabs.
Is height measured floor-to-floor or clear shaft?
Enter the concrete shaft height you want weighed — normally the clear height between the top of the lower slab or footing and the underside of the beam or slab above. Full floor-to-floor height double-counts the slab/beam zone.
What if my column is round?
This page assumes a rectangular width × depth section. For a 400 mm diameter, 3 m high round column: volume = 0.7854 × 0.4 × 0.4 × 3 = 0.377 m³, weight = 0.377 × 2400 ≈ 905 kg.
Should I change the 2400 kg/m³ default?
Only with reason. Keep 2400 for normal reinforced concrete, drop to about 2300 for plain concrete, or raise to 2500 for very heavily reinforced or dense-aggregate columns as stated in the specification.