About

Logistics managers and civil engineers constantly deal with the challenge of converting shipment volume to billable weight. A container holding 10 cubic meters of Styrofoam weighs vastly less than one holding the same volume of Steel. The missing variable is Bulk Density.

This tool connects volume to mass using a comprehensive database of industrial and natural materials. It specifically provides density ranges for organic materials like wood and soil, which vary based on moisture content and compaction. This is essential for load planning to ensure vehicles do not exceed Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) limits.

Formulas

The calculator multiplies the input volume by the material's bulk density.

Mass = Volume × ρ

For ranges: m_min = V × ρ_min

Reference Data

Material Category	Material Name	Avg Density (kg/m³)
Construction	Concrete (Wet)	2400
Construction	Sand (Wet, Packed)	2080
Construction	Gravel (Loose)	1520
Metals	Steel (Mild)	7850
Metals	Aluminum	2700
Liquids	Water (Fresh)	1000
Liquids	Diesel	850
Organics	Pine Wood (Seasoned)	500
Organics	Oak Wood (Red)	740
Other	Snow (Fresh)	100 - 200

Frequently Asked Questions

Materials like soil, sand, and wood are hygroscopic (absorb water) or compressible. Loose dry sand weighs significantly less (~1400 kg/m³) than wet packed sand (~2080 kg/m³). The range accounts for these environmental variances.

No. This tool calculates the Net Weight of the material itself. You must add the Tare Weight of your skip bin, truck, or pallet to find the Gross Weight.

Values are based on standard engineering tables (e.g., SIMA, ISO). However, natural variance exists. For critical structural loads, always weigh a sample of the actual batch.

Generally, no. Gases are highly compressible and their density changes drastically with pressure and temperature (Ideal Gas Law). This tool is designed for solids and liquids at standard atmospheric pressure.