Cable Copper and Aluminum Weight Calculator
Calculate the theoretical bare copper or aluminum conductor weight (kg and kg/km) of a cable from core count, nominal cross-section and length.
Formula used
m = n × S × ρ · Copper: ρ = 8.89 kg/(km·mm²) · Aluminum: ρ = 2.70 kg/(km·mm²)
Copper and aluminum conductor weight table per km (kg/km)
Calculated from theoretical metal density: copper 8.89 kg/(km·mm²) and aluminum 2.70 kg/(km·mm²). Insulation, filler and outer sheath weight are added separately from the cable datasheet.
| Cross-section (mm²) | 1× Cu (kg/km) | 3× Cu (kg/km) | 4× Cu (kg/km) | 4× Al (kg/km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 13.34 | 40.01 | 53.34 | – |
| 2.5 | 22.23 | 66.68 | 88.90 | – |
| 4 | 35.56 | 106.68 | 142.24 | – |
| 6 | 53.34 | 160.02 | 213.36 | – |
| 10 | 88.90 | 266.70 | 355.60 | – |
| 16 | 142.24 | 426.72 | 568.96 | 172.80 |
| 25 | 222.25 | 666.75 | 889.00 | 270.00 |
| 35 | 311.15 | 933.45 | 1244.60 | 378.00 |
| 50 | 444.50 | 1333.50 | 1778.00 | 540.00 |
| 70 | 622.30 | 1866.90 | 2489.20 | 756.00 |
| 95 | 844.55 | 2533.65 | 3378.20 | 1026.00 |
| 120 | 1066.80 | 3200.40 | 4267.20 | 1296.00 |
| 150 | 1333.50 | 4000.50 | 5334.00 | 1620.00 |
| 185 | 1644.65 | 4933.95 | 6578.60 | 1998.00 |
| 240 | 2133.60 | 6400.80 | 8534.40 | 2592.00 |
Example: copper weight of 100 m of 4×16 mm² cable
- Single-core copper factor: 16 mm² × 8.89 = 142.24 kg/km.
- Four-core copper weight per km: 4 × 142.24 = 568.96 kg/km (0.569 kg/m).
- Total copper weight for 100 m: 56.90 kg.
How is the copper weight of a cable calculated?
Theoretical conductor copper weight per kilometer is calculated by multiplying the number of cores (n), the nominal cross-section (S in mm²) and the density of copper (8.89 kg/km·mm²): m = n × S × 8.89 kg/km.
How is the copper weight of a cable calculated?
Multiplying the number of cores (n), nominal core cross-section (mm²) and copper density factor (8.89 kg/km·mm²) gives the theoretical bare copper mass per kilometer.
Why is gross cable weight higher than conductor weight?
Adding PVC/XLPE core insulation, inner filler, metallic screen/armor and outer polymer sheath on top of the bare conductor mass yields the gross cable weight on the datasheet.