GRP Pipe Weight Chart: Complete Guide by Diameter, PN & SN Classes
What’s heavier: steel or GRP? In the world of infrastructures, every kilogram counts. The weight of GRP pipes made them a game-changer in water and sewer systems, with their lightweight yet high tolerance under heavy loads. That’s why engineers are more likely to use GRP pipes in their pipeline projects. Practical components such as Nominal Diameter (DN), Pressure Class (PN), and Stiffness Class (SN) represent the GRP pipe weight.
In this article, we’ll find out how GRP pipes can reduce the cost of transportation, handling, and storage, while requiring less time for installation, including charts and calculations.
| DN (mm) | PN 6 / SN 5000 | PN 10 / SN 5000 | PN 16 / SN 5000 | PN 25 / SN 5000 | PN 32 / SN 5000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 9.5 | 12.0 | 15.0 | 18.0 | 20.0 |
| 400 | 12.0 | 15.0 | 18.0 | 22.0 | 24.0 |
| 500 | 15.0 | 19.0 | 23.0 | 28.0 | 31.0 |
| 600 | 19.0 | 23.5 | 28.0 | 34.0 | 37.5 |
| 700 | 23.5 | 28.5 | 34.0 | 41.0 | 45.0 |
| 800 | 28.0 | 34.5 | 40.0 | 48.0 | 52.5 |
| 1000 | 35.0 | 42.5 | 50.0 | 60.0 | 65.0 |
| 1200 | 42.0 | 51.0 | 60.0 | 72.0 | 78.0 |
| 1500 | 52.5 | 63.5 | 75.0 | 90.0 | 98.0 |
| 2000 | 70.0 | 85.0 | 100.0 | 120.0 | 130.0 |
| 2500 | 90.0 | 110.0 | 130.0 | 155.0 | 170.0 |
| 3000 | 110.0 | 135.0 | 160.0 | 190.0 | 210.0 |
What Are the Effective Factors to GRP Pipe Weight?
To select the most reliable GRP pipe for your piping project, there are multiple factors, such as nominal diameter, pressure class, and stiffness class, that show how heavy the GRP pipe is.
- Nominal Diameter (DN): The pipe’s nominal diameter (DN) is its size. A DN 2000 pipe can weigh up to 100 kg per meter, while a small DN 100 pipe weighs barely 2-3 kg per meter. Larger pipes are heavier because they require more material.
- Pressure Class (PN): The pipe’s pressure class (PN), such as PN 10 or PN 25, indicates the amount of pressure it can resist.
- Stiffness Class (SN): Its stiffness class (SN), such as SN 5000 or SN 10000, shows how perfectly it can tolerate external forces, such as buried soil.
- Additional Tip: As noted in Amiblu, the pipe is heavier because thicker walls are meant to include higher PN or SN. A DN 600 pipe with PN 16 weighs more than one with PN 6.
- Material Composition: The weight varies based on the composition of the material, which includes glass fiber, resin, and occasionally fillers like silica sand. Strength and a little weight are added with more glass fiber. Because epoxy-based GRE pipes are denser than regular GRP, they weigh more.
GRP Pipe Weight per Meter
To select the right GRP pipe size aligned with your project basis, understanding how length affects weight can be helpful. This section clarifies how to choose GRP pipe based on weight and length.
Typical Weight Ranges by Diameter
GRP pipe weight depends on nominal diameter (DN). Small pipes (DN 80–300) weigh 2–15 kg/m, medium ones (DN 400–1000) weigh 15–50 kg/m, and large pipes (DN 1200–3000) range from 50–200 kg/m, based on design and build. Here are practical examples of reliable manufacturers:
As fiberstrong highlights, GRP surpasses traditional pipelines due to its lightweight and high strength-to-weight ratio, as it weighs around 1/4 of DI pipes and 1/10 of concrete pipes. For instance, as PN and SN change, a DN 1000 GRP pipe weighs 80-120 kg/m, while a DI pipe of the same diameter weighs 400-500 kg/m.
GRP Pipe Unit Weight vs Pressure Rating
To achieve resistance in high-pressure systems, the pressure rating is increased by thickening the walls. Then, the thicker the wall gets, the heavier the pipe will weigh. Here’s a table that shows how GRP pipe unit weight aligns with pressure ratings.
| DN (mm) | PN 6 (kg/m) | PN 10 (kg/m) | PN 16 (kg/m) | PN 25 (kg/m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| 400 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 36 |
| 600 | 28 | 33 | 42 | 55 |
| 1000 | 70 | 82 | 105 | 135 |
| 2000 | 160 | 185 | 225 | 290 |
GRP Pipe Weight Charts and Tables
Manufacturers provide detailed tables and charts across diameter, pressure class, and stiffness class to ease the selection process.
Standard Weight Tables and Comparison Across Stiffness Classes
The stiffness class (SN) shapes the wall thickness and weight in a way that a DN 600 pipe weighs around 24 kg/m in SN 2500, while by boosting the SN class, it grows up to 42 kg/m. (Source: FuturePipe) Take a look at the table and chart below for a better understanding of this matter.
| DN (mm) | SN 2500 (kg/m) | SN 5000 (kg/m) | SN 10000 (kg/m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 8 | 9 | 12 |
| 400 | 18 | 22 | 28 |
| 600 | 24 | 32 | 42 |
| 1000 | 65 | 80 | 105 |
| 2000 | 150 | 180 | 220 |
The chart below shows how the prevention of deformation through SN class can affect weight and further installation issues:
Additional Weight of Couplings and Joints
Standard weight charts usually exclude joints, yet in real-world projects, they can add 1–5% extra weight. Check the table below for more accurate adjustments.
| DN (mm) | SN 2500 (kg/m) | + Joints | SN 5000 (kg/m) | + Joints | SN 10000 (kg/m) | + Joints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 8 | 8.2 | 9 | 9.3 | 12 | 12.4 |
| 400 | 18 | 18.5 | 22 | 22.7 | 28 | 28.8 |
| 600 | 24 | 24.7 | 32 | 33.0 | 42 | 43.3 |
| 1000 | 65 | 67.0 | 80 | 82.4 | 105 | 108.2 |
| 2000 | 150 | 154.5 | 180 | 185.4 | 220 | 226.6 |
GRP Pipe Weight Calculator
If you need to know a GRP pipe weight, a GRP pipe weight calculator will ease the process with basic measurements and manufacturer data.
How Engineers Calculate GRP Pipe Weight
When manufacturer data is unavailable, engineers try to calculate GRP pipe unit weight through the geometric volume of the pipe wall that is adjusted by the material density. The formula is:
Where:
- Wₚ = weight per meter (kg/m)
- ρₘ = material density (kg/m³, typically 1800–2100 for GRP)
- Dₒ = outside diameter (mm)
- Dᵢ = inside diameter (mm)
How to Use DN, Wall Thickness, and Material Density?
To apply the formula:
- First, begin with the nominal diameter (DN) and wall thickness (e).
- Next, find the inside diameter (Di = DN) and outside diameter (Do = DN + 2e).
- Lastly, divide the wall material’s volume by the GRP composite’s density.
Manufacturer Data vs. Custom Calculations
Custom calculations work well for estimates but may differ due to resin content. However, for some projects, engineers prefer manufacturer specs from more reliable sources to match specific pipeline designs.
Weight of GRP Pipe Units Compared to Other Materials
Due to the lightweight of GRP pipes compared to steel or concrete, they are more likely to be used in projects where transportation, installation, and cost are controversial.
GRP vs Steel: A steel pipe weighs 400 kg/m or more, whereas a DN 1000 GRP pipe weighs about 80 to 120 kg/m. GRP pipes can be lifted more easily and transported faster with no cracks or deformations with smaller cranes.
GRP vs Concrete: Concrete pipes weigh ten times as much as GRP, with a DN 1000 at about 800 kg/m. Crews use lighter equipment to lay GRP faster.
When Lightweight Wins the Game!
The lightweight of GRP pipes has a game-changing role in cost-efficiency, transport ease, and logistics or support simplification. In this way, engineers and contractors save time and plan their infrastructure projects with no reduction in quality or long-term performance.
Fruitful Applications of Weight Data
In pipeline projects that include hardships in handling, transportation, and installation, GRP pipes can ease the selection process for engineers and contractors.
The right pipe selection
GRP pipes are the right selection compared to steel or concrete due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. A DN 600 pipe at ~25 kg/m is easier to handle than a 400 kg/m steel pipe, which reduces the need for heavy machinery.
Installation and Logistics Planning with Weight Data
GREP pipe weight data can illustrate the planning for further steps. The lighter each unit of pipe gets, the more can be transformed by each truck, which decreases cost and time.
Conclusion
GRP pipes are such plastic-based pipes with lightweight that can be usefully installed for water and industrial infrastructures. The right calculation of GRP pipe weight relies on components like nominal diameter, pressure class, and material composition. Engineers can choose the best pipe and plan more effectively by using GRP pipe weight charts and calculators, which shape reliable designs for industrial, sewage, or water projects.
FAQs
1- What factors determine the weight of GRP pipes?
Multiple factors like nominal diameter, pressure class, stiffness class, and material composition (glass fiber, resin, fillers like silica sand) determine how heavy a GRP pipe is.
2- How does nominal diameter (DN) affect GRP pipe weight?
A DN 2000 pipe weighs up to 100 kg/m, while a DN 100 pipe weighs 2–3 kg/m. Larger pipes are heavier due to more material.
3- How do pressure class (PN) and stiffness class (SN) influence GRP pipe weight?
Higher PN (e.g., PN 25) and SN (e.g., SN 10000) mean thicker walls, making pipes heavier to resist pressure and external forces like buried soil.
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