Unit Weight of Construction Materials
The unit weight of construction materials is a fundamental property in civil engineering. Knowing the unit weight helps estimate loads, design mix proportions, and calculate material quantities. Common examples include the unit weight of concrete, steel, and sand.
The unit weight is the weight per unit volume of a material, typically measured in kg/m3.
The Unit weight of the different types of construction materials are given in the following table:
| S.N | Construction Materials | Unit Weight (kg/m³) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Water | 1000 kg/m³ |
| 2. | Steel | 7850 kg/m³ |
| 3. | Stainless Steel | 7480 kg/m³ |
| 4. | Cast Iron | 7203 kg/m³ |
| 5. | Common Bricks | 1600 kg/m³ |
| 6. | Broken Bricks | 1420 kg/m³ |
| 7. | Portland Cement | 1440 kg/m³ |
| 8. | Rapid Hardening Cement | 1250 kg/m³ |
| 9. | Sand (dry) | 1540 to 1600 kg/m³ |
| 10. | Sand (wet) | 1760 to 2000kg/m³ |
| 11. | Gravel | 2000 kg/m³ |
| 12. | Plain Cement Concrete (P.C.C) | 2400 kg/m³ |
| 13. | Reinforced Cement Concrete (R.C.C) | 2500 kg/m³ |
| 14. | Lime Concrete | 1900kg/m³ |
| 15. | Cement Mortar | 2000 kg/m³ |
| 16. | Cement Plaster | 2000 kg/m³ |
| 17. | Lime Plaster | 1700 kg/m³ |
| 18. | Dry, Loose Earth | 1200 kg/m³ |
| 19. | Dry Clay | 1600 kg/m³ |
| 20. | Damp Clay | 1760 kg/m³ |
| 21. | Silt | 2100kg/m³ |
| 22. | Mud | 1600 to 1920 kg/m³ |
| 23. | Ashes | 650 kg/m³ |
| 24. | Clinker | 750 kg/m³ |
| 25. | Rock (Sedimentary) | 2600 kg/m³ |
| 26. | Rock (Igneous) | 2700-3000 kg/m³ |
| 27. | Rock (Metamorphic) | 2700 kg/m³ |
| 28. | Rubble Stone | 1600 to 1750 kg/m³ |
| 29. | Aggregates | 1750 kg/m³ |
| 30. | Ballast | 1720 kg/m³ |
| 31. | Granite | 2450 kg/m³ |
| 32. | Marble | 2650 kg/m³ |
| 33. | Limestone | 2400 to 2640 kg/m³ |
| 34. | Sandstone | 2250 to 2400 kg/m³ |
| 35. | Cement Concrete Block | 1800 kg/m³ |
| 36. | Cement Slurry | 1442 kg/m³ |
| 37. | Chalk | 2240 kg/m³ |
| 38. | Aluminum | 2739 kg/m³ |
| 39. | Copper | 8940 kg/m³ |
| 40. | Tin | 7280 kg/m³ |
| 41. | Galvanized Iron Steel (0.56 mm) | 5 kg/m³ |
| 42. | Galvanized Iron Steel (1.63 mm) | 13 kg/m³ |
| 43. | Asbestos Cement Sheet | 12 to 15.6 kg/m³ |
| 44. | Mangalore Tiles with Battens | 65 kg/m³ |
| 45. | Masonry (Brick) | 1920 kg/m³ |
| 46. | Masonry (Dry Rubble) | 2080kg/m³ |
| 47. | Alcohol | 780 kg/m³ |
| 48. | Glass | 2400 to 2720 kg/m³ |
| 49. | Plastics | 1250 kg/m³ |
| 50. | Nickel | 8908 kg/m³ |
| 51. | Petrol | 720 kg/m³ |
| 52. | Diesel | 745 kg/m³ |
| 53. | Heavy Charcoal | 530 kg/m³ |
| 54. | Shale Gas | 2500 kg/m³ |
| 55. | Ice | 910 kg/m³ |
| 56. | Light Charcoal | 300 kg/m³ |
| 57. | Graphite | 500 kg/m³ |
| 58. | Coal Tar | 1010 kg/m³ |
| 59. | Pitch | 1010 kg/m³ |
| 60. | Dry Peat | 560 to 640 kg/m³ |
| 61. | Anthracite Coal | 1550 kg/m³ |
| 62. | Rubber | 1300 kg/m³ |
| 63. | Bitumen | 1040 kg/m³ |
| 64. | Slag | 1500 kg/m³ |
| 65. | Common Bricks | 1600 kg/m³ |
| 66. | Vegetable Oil | 930 kg/m³ |
| 67. | Gasoline | 670 kg/m³ |
| 68. | Nitric Acid (91 percent) | 1510 kg/m³ |
| 69. | Sulphuric Acid (87 Percent) | 1790 kg/m³ |
| 70. | Timber (willow) | 420 kg/m³ |
| 71. | Timber (Teak) | 630 to 720 kg/m³ |
| 72. | Timber (Maple) | 755 kg/m³ |
| 73. | Timber (Sal) | 990 kg/m³ |
| 74. | Timber (Larch) | 590 kg/m³ |
| 75. | Timber (Birch) | 670 kg/m³ |
| 76. | Timber (Mahogany) | 545 kg/m³ |
| 77. | WPC Board | 550 kg/m³ |
| 78. | Stone Chips | 1600 to 1920 kg/m³ |
| 79. | Sisso Wood(Sheesham) | 785 kg/m³ |
| 80. | ACC Block | 551 to 600 kg/m³ |
Conversion Factors:
- 1 kN/m³ = 101.97 kg/m³ (approx. 100 kg/m³)
- 1 kg/m³ = 0.0624 lb/ft³
