The table below can be used for approximate weight values of common loads and materials: Material Step 2: Determine the Material You’ll Be Lifting Or, break the object into two or more smaller rectangles and then calculate the weight of each part and add them together. Hollow Cylinder: Volume = 3.14 x Length x Wall Thickness x (Diameter – Wall Thickness)Ĭomplex Shapes: In some instances, imagine the whole object is enclosed in a rectangle and then calculate the volume of that rectangle. Rectangle/Square: Volume = Length x Width x Height In this section, we’ll provide you with some basic calculations for calculating the weight of different sized loads of varying material types. If no load weight information has been provided, then you will need to do some calculations to determine the weight of the load you are going to lift. Product specifications in a catalog or product brochure.Information on the manufacturer or distributor’s website.If the load is a product or piece of machinery, the weight of the load may be indicated on: Refer to the Manufacturer’s Specifications or Catalog Data Use an Industrial Scaleįor smaller and lighter loads, you may be able to use an industrial floor scale commonly found in production areas or the shipping and receiving department of a facility. If the load was shipped or transported to your facility or job site, there should be some type of weight information included on the shipping paperwork you received. Review Bill of Lading or Shipping Documentation Product prints or engineered drawings of the load may indicate the final assembled weight.
Refer to Engineered Prints or Design Plans In many instances, your overhead crane was probably designed with a duty cycle and capacity specifically for that repetitive lifting application, so the weight of the load was accounted for when the crane was built. If it’s a load that you regularly lift and move through your facility-like a steel coil or a bundle of pipes or lumber-then you will already know the weight of the load. Look for any visual indications of load weight prior to selecting the appropriate lifting and rigging equipment. The load may be marked with the weight by the manufacturer, or may have been previously calculated and marked. Look at the Load to See if the Weight is Marked There are many different ways you can easily identify the weight of a load without doing any type of calculations or using specially-engineered load cells or dynamometers.