Divide a rate per tonne by 1000 to get the rate per kg. Multiply the rate per kg by the mass in kg per metre to get the cost per metre, and by 0.3048 more to get it per foot. Example: ₹78,000 per tonne is ₹78 per kg. A beam of 46.02 kg/m then costs ₹3,589.56 per metre and ₹1,094.12 per foot.
Units you will meet
| Unit | Equals | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tonne | 1000 kg | Metric tonne. Not the US ton, which is about 907 kg. |
| 1 quintal | 100 kg | Used for some rebar and bar quotes in India. |
| 1 metre | 3.281 feet | So kg per foot is kg per metre ÷ 3.281. |
| 1 foot | 0.3048 m | So kg per metre × 0.3048 gives kg per foot. |
| 1 inch | 25.4 mm | For pipe and plate sizes quoted in inches. |
| 1 m² | 10.764 ft² | So kg per m² × 0.0929 gives kg per ft². |
| 1 kg | 2.2046 lb | For imported data in pounds. |
From per tonne to per kg
Suppliers quote structural steel per tonne. The mass tables list kg per metre. To bring them together, put the rate in kg first:
rate per kg = rate per tonne ÷ 1000₹78,000 per tonne is ₹78 per kg. If a quote is per quintal, divide by 100 instead.
From per kg to per metre and per foot
The mass of a section per metre comes from the IS 808 table. The cost of one metre is that mass times the rate per kg:
cost per metre = kg per metre × rate per kgcost per foot = cost per metre × 0.3048
Take MB 300, which the table lists at 46.02 kg/m, and the rate of ₹78 per kg from above:
| Quantity | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Rate per kg | 78,000 ÷ 1000 | ₹78.00 |
| Mass per foot | 46.02 × 0.3048 | 14.03 kg |
| Cost per metre | 46.02 × 78 | ₹3,589.56 |
| Cost per foot | 3,589.56 × 0.3048 | ₹1,094.12 |
From per metre to a piece
A 6 m length of the same beam weighs 46.02 × 6 = 276.12 kg and costs 276.12 × 78 = ₹21,537.36. Ten such pieces are 2,761.2 kg, which is 2.76 tonnes, and cost ₹2,15,373.60. The Indian digit grouping puts the comma after the lakh, so ₹2,15,373.60 is two lakh fifteen thousand rupees and change.
To go the other way and find what rate per tonne a cost per metre implies, divide by the kg per metre and multiply by 1000.
rate per tonne = (cost per metre ÷ kg per metre) × 1000For plates, cost per square metre is kg per m² times rate per kg. A 10 mm plate at 78.5 kg/m² and ₹78 per kg costs ₹6,123 per square metre. The plate weight chart and the bar weight chart give the kg figures for other sizes.
The mistakes that matter
- Per tonne typed as per kg. ₹78,000 entered where ₹78 belongs multiplies every cost by 1000. If a total looks absurd, check this first.
- Tonne versus ton. A metric tonne is 1000 kg. A US short ton is about 907 kg, and imported rates and tables may use it.
- Feet and metres mixed. A section listed in kg per metre priced against a length in feet is 3.28 times wrong.
- Weight rate applied to a length rate. Keep one unit all the way through a line: kg times rate per kg, or metres times cost per metre, not a mix.
- One rate for every shape. Beams, plates, bars and pipes carry different rates per kg, so convert each category separately.
- Forgetting everything else. A steel rate does not include cutting waste, fabrication, painting, transport or GST. See the weight and cost guide for what an estimate leaves out.
Let the app do it
In Steel Table India you set your rate once, in rupees per kg, and choose metres or feet. Every section card then shows its unit cost in your unit, so the multiplication above is done before you ask. A category can have its own rate with the ₹ button, which matches how beams, plates and bars are really priced. The Quantity Estimator turns a member list into total weight and total cost.
Questions people ask
How do I convert a steel rate per tonne to per kg?
Divide by 1000. A rate of ₹78,000 per tonne is ₹78 per kg.
How do I convert kg per metre to kg per foot?
Multiply by 0.3048, or divide by 3.281. A section of 46.02 kg/m weighs about 14.03 kg per foot.
How do I find the cost per metre of a steel section?
Multiply the mass in kg per metre by the rate per kg. For 46.02 kg/m at ₹78 per kg that is ₹3,589.56 per metre.
How many kg are in a tonne and in a quintal?
A tonne is 1000 kg and a quintal is 100 kg.
What is the difference between a tonne and a ton?
A metric tonne is 1000 kg. A US short ton is about 907 kg. Check which one an imported rate or table uses.
Keep reading
Your rate, your unit
Set a rate per kg once in Steel Table India and every section shows cost per metre or per foot. Free on Google Play.
For reference, not for sign-off. The weights here are theoretical values worked at 7850 kg/m³. Rolled and drawn products have tolerances, so delivered weight can differ slightly, and supplier tables govern an order. Rates are examples only. Check critical values against the relevant Bureau of Indian Standards publication and your supplier.