MS & GI Pipe Weight Chart (IS 1239)

Pipe weight chart by nominal bore (kg/m, plain end)

Pipes are ordered by nominal bore (NB) and class, so the chart is laid out the same way. Weights are the standard's nominal mass for plain-end tubes. The detailed tables further down add OD limits and screwed-and-socketed weights.

IS 1239 (Part 1):2004 — wall thickness (mm) and nominal mass (kg/m, plain end) by class
NB (mm)	Trade size	Light (Class A)		Medium (Class B)		Heavy (Class C)
NB (mm)	Trade size	Wall mm	kg/m	Wall mm	kg/m	Wall mm	kg/m
6	—	1.8	0.360	2.0	0.404	2.6	0.487
8	—	1.8	0.515	2.3	0.641	2.9	0.765
10	—	1.8	0.670	2.3	0.839	2.9	1.02
15	½″	2.0	0.947	2.6	1.21	3.2	1.44
20	¾″	2.3	1.38	2.6	1.56	3.2	1.87
25	1″	2.6	1.98	3.2	2.41	4.0	2.93
32	1¼″	2.6	2.54	3.2	3.10	4.0	3.79
40	1½″	2.9	3.23	3.2	3.56	4.0	4.37
50	2″	2.9	4.08	3.6	5.03	4.5	6.19
65	2½″	3.2	5.71	3.6	6.42	4.5	7.93
80	3″	3.2	6.72	4.0	8.36	4.8	9.90
100	4″	3.6	9.75	4.5	12.2	5.4	14.5
125	5″	—	—	4.8	15.9	5.4	17.9
150	6″	—	—	4.8	18.9	5.4	21.3

— = size not listed for that class. The standard's Light table stops at 100 mm NB. The inch trade sizes are the usual market names; IS 1239 itself designates tubes by nominal bore in mm.

Tolerance: actual mill weights vary within the standard's tolerance. A single tube may weigh +10% / −8% of the table figure in Light class and ±10% in Medium and Heavy.

Where the numbers come from

Every figure is IS 1239 (Part 1):2004's own nominal mass. It is not re-derived and not rounded differently. As a cross-check, each row was recalculated from the mass of a hollow steel section at 7.85 g/cm³, using the mean of the maximum and minimum outside diameters. All rows agree with the printed table to within 0.7%.

kg/m = 0.02466 × t × (D − t)
t = wall thickness in mm; D = outside diameter in mm (mean of the standard's max and min); 0.02466 = π × 7.85 / 1000. Example, 25 mm Medium: D = (34.2 + 33.3) / 2 = 33.75 mm, t = 3.2 mm → 0.02466 × 3.2 × 30.55 = 2.41 kg/m, which is the table value.

Some charts online list inch-schedule outside diameters such as 26.7 mm or 33.4 mm against IS 1239 sizes. IS 1239 sets its own OD limits (for example 33.2–34.2 mm for 25 mm NB across the three classes), and those are the ones used here.

Quick weight calculator

Pick a size and class, then enter the number of pieces and the length per piece (for a total length, set Pieces to 1 and enter the total metres). It uses the table values above. IS 1239 random lengths run from 4 to 7 m, so enter the length you are actually quoting.

Class

Nominal bore

Ends

Pieces

Metres per piece

Detailed IS 1239 tables: OD limits and screwed & socketed weights

IS 1239 (Part 1):2004, Table 3 — Light class (yellow colour band): dimensions and nominal mass
NB (mm)	Trade size	Outside diameter (mm)		Wall thickness (mm)	Nominal mass (kg/m)		Plain end, per 6 m (kg)*
NB (mm)	Trade size	Max	Min	Wall thickness (mm)	Plain end	Screwed & socketed	Plain end, per 6 m (kg)*
6	—	10.1	9.7	1.8	0.360	0.363	2.16
8	—	13.6	13.2	1.8	0.515	0.519	3.09
10	—	17.1	16.7	1.8	0.670	0.676	4.02
15	½″	21.4	21.0	2.0	0.947	0.956	5.68
20	¾″	26.9	26.4	2.3	1.38	1.39	8.28
25	1″	33.8	33.2	2.6	1.98	2.00	11.88
32	1¼″	42.5	41.9	2.6	2.54	2.57	15.24
40	1½″	48.4	47.8	2.9	3.23	3.27	19.38
50	2″	60.2	59.6	2.9	4.08	4.15	24.48
65	2½″	76.0	75.2	3.2	5.71	5.83	34.26
80	3″	88.7	87.9	3.2	6.72	6.89	40.32
100	4″	113.9	113.0	3.6	9.75	10.0	58.50

IS 1239 (Part 1):2004, Table 4 — Medium class (blue colour band): dimensions and nominal mass
NB (mm)	Trade size	Outside diameter (mm)		Wall thickness (mm)	Nominal mass (kg/m)		Plain end, per 6 m (kg)*
NB (mm)	Trade size	Max	Min	Wall thickness (mm)	Plain end	Screwed & socketed	Plain end, per 6 m (kg)*
6	—	10.6	9.8	2.0	0.404	0.407	2.42
8	—	14.0	13.2	2.3	0.641	0.645	3.85
10	—	17.5	16.7	2.3	0.839	0.845	5.03
15	½″	21.8	21.0	2.6	1.21	1.22	7.26
20	¾″	27.3	26.5	2.6	1.56	1.57	9.36
25	1″	34.2	33.3	3.2	2.41	2.43	14.46
32	1¼″	42.9	42.0	3.2	3.10	3.13	18.60
40	1½″	48.8	47.9	3.2	3.56	3.60	21.36
50	2″	60.8	59.7	3.6	5.03	5.10	30.18
65	2½″	76.6	75.3	3.6	6.42	6.54	38.52
80	3″	89.5	88.0	4.0	8.36	8.53	50.16
100	4″	115.0	113.1	4.5	12.2	12.5	73.20
125	5″	140.8	138.5	4.8	15.9	16.4	95.40
150	6″	166.5	163.9	4.8	18.9	19.5	113.40

IS 1239 (Part 1):2004, Table 5 — Heavy class (red colour band): dimensions and nominal mass
NB (mm)	Trade size	Outside diameter (mm)		Wall thickness (mm)	Nominal mass (kg/m)		Plain end, per 6 m (kg)*
NB (mm)	Trade size	Max	Min	Wall thickness (mm)	Plain end	Screwed & socketed	Plain end, per 6 m (kg)*
6	—	10.5	9.8	2.6	0.487	0.490	2.92
8	—	14.0	13.2	2.9	0.765	0.769	4.59
10	—	17.5	16.7	2.9	1.02	1.03	6.12
15	½″	21.8	21.0	3.2	1.44	1.45	8.64
20	¾″	27.3	26.5	3.2	1.87	1.88	11.22
25	1″	34.2	33.3	4.0	2.93	2.95	17.58
32	1¼″	42.9	42.0	4.0	3.79	3.82	22.74
40	1½″	48.8	47.9	4.0	4.37	4.41	26.22
50	2″	60.8	59.7	4.5	6.19	6.26	37.14
65	2½″	76.6	75.3	4.5	7.93	8.05	47.58
80	3″	89.5	88.0	4.8	9.90	10.1	59.40
100	4″	115.0	113.1	5.4	14.5	14.8	87.00
125	5″	140.8	138.5	5.4	17.9	18.4	107.40
150	6″	166.5	163.9	5.4	21.3	21.9	127.80

Table 5 prints the 6 mm Heavy maximum OD as 10.5 mm, while Table 4 gives 10.6 mm for the same size in Medium. It is reproduced here exactly as printed.

* The per-6 m column is the plain-end kg/m multiplied by 6, given for convenience only. It is not a figure from the standard.

Tolerances on thickness and mass (IS 1239 Part 1, clause 9)

Thickness, welded tubes: Light +not limited / −8%; Medium and Heavy +not limited / −10%. Seamless tubes: +not limited / −12.5%.
Mass, single tube: Light +10% / −8%; Medium and Heavy ±10%.
Mass, quantities of 10 tonnes or more per load: Light +7.5% / −5%; Medium and Heavy ±7.5%.

GI (galvanised) pipe weight

IS 1239 (Part 1) does not publish a separate GI table. Clause 8.1.1 states that the thickness and mass in Tables 3, 4 and 5 apply to both black and galvanised tubes, so a GI tube's nominal weight is the same figure as the black tube's. Galvanising is done to IS 4736, and tubes that are to be screwed are galvanised before threading (clause 12).

The zinc does add some real weight. IS 4736 (as amended) requires a minimum zinc coating of 360 g/m² on tubes of any thickness, measured over the inside and outside surfaces together. For a 25 mm Medium tube that is about 0.19 m² of coated surface per metre. At the minimum coating that comes to roughly 0.07 kg of zinc per metre, around 3% of the 2.41 kg/m nominal mass, which is inside the ±10% tolerance. Mills that coat more heavily will add more. That shows up when the load is weighed, not in the chart.

Chart weight vs. the weight you actually load

A chart gives you the nominal weight; the truck carries the actual weight, and the two differ within the tolerance above. In SteelERP each order line holds both the ordered weight and the actual loaded weight, and the bill is raised on the actual.

Pipe weight — FAQs

What is the weight of a 1 inch (25 mm NB) MS pipe?

Under IS 1239 (Part 1):2004, a 25 mm NB tube weighs 1.98 kg/m in Light class (2.6 mm wall), 2.41 kg/m in Medium class (3.2 mm wall) and 2.93 kg/m in Heavy class (4.0 mm wall), plain end. Screwed and socketed, the figures are 2.00, 2.43 and 2.95 kg/m.

Is GI pipe heavier than MS (black) pipe of the same class?

IS 1239 (Part 1) clause 8.1.1 says the thickness and mass in its tables apply to both black and galvanized tubes, so the standard gives one nominal weight for both. The zinc itself does add mass: IS 4736 sets a minimum coating of 360 g/m² (inside plus outside). On a 25 mm Medium tube that minimum works out to about 0.07 kg/m, which is within the ±10% single-tube mass tolerance.

What weight tolerance does IS 1239 allow?

For a single tube: +10% / −8% in the Light series and ±10% in the Medium and Heavy series. For quantities of at least 10 tonnes per load: +7.5% / −5% for Light and ±7.5% for Medium and Heavy.

Why are there no 125 mm and 150 mm sizes in the Light class?

Table 3 of IS 1239 (Part 1):2004, which covers Light tubes, stops at 100 mm nominal bore. The 125 mm and 150 mm sizes are listed only in the Medium (Table 4) and Heavy (Table 5) classes.

How do I identify Light, Medium and Heavy pipe in the yard?

IS 1239 (Part 1) requires a colour band applied at the manufacturer's works: yellow for Light, blue for Medium and red for Heavy. Random-length tubes (4 to 7 m) carry two 75 mm bands, one near each end; tubes supplied in exact or approximate lengths carry one 75 mm band (clause 17.4 as amended by Amendment No. 1).

Sources

Bureau of Indian Standards, IS 1239 (Part 1):2004, Steel Tubes, Tubulars and Other Wrought Steel Fittings — Specification, Part 1: Steel Tubes (Sixth Revision), incl. Amendments No. 1 to 4 (latest June 2010): Tables 3, 4, 5 and clauses 8, 9, 11, 12, 17. Public copy: IS 1239 (Part 1):2004
Bureau of Indian Standards, IS 4736:1986, Hot-Dip Zinc Coatings on Mild Steel Tubes, clause 5.1 as amended by Amendments No. 3 and 4 (minimum 360 g/m²). Public copy: IS 4736:1986

This chart is a reference aid. For contract or inspection purposes, rely on the current edition of the standard and the mill's test certificate.

MS & GI Pipe Weight Chart — IS 1239 Light, Medium & Heavy