JouleCheck reference
Common loads
Typical mass ranges for planning-scale estimates when the real value is not yet to hand. Always prefer the delivery note, the drawing or the nameplate. When you use a value from this page, select Conservative assumption as the source in the calculator and take the top of the range.
Use the gravity calculator for raised or falling loads, and the kinetic calculator for mobile plant and moving loads.
Hand tools and fixings
| Item | Typical mass | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Podger spanner | 0.5 - 1 kg | Steel erection and scaffold work |
| Cordless drill | 1.5 - 2.5 kg | Heavier with large batteries |
| Scaffold double coupler | about 1.1 kg | Dozens in a bag overhead |
| Angle grinder 230 mm | 5 - 6 kg |
Materials
| Item | Typical mass | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Scaffold tube, steel | about 4.4 kg per metre | A 6.4 m tube is about 28 kg |
| Plasterboard sheet 12.5 mm, 1200 x 2400 | about 26 kg | Handled in pairs by two people |
| Concrete block, dense 100 mm | 17 - 20 kg | Lightweight blocks 6 - 11 kg |
| Unistrut channel 41 x 41 | about 2.7 kg per metre | A 3 m length is about 8 kg |
| Cable tray, steel 300 mm | 3 - 5 kg per metre | Heavier for ladder rack |
| Steel pipe DN50 | about 5.4 kg per metre | Empty, schedule 40 |
| Steel pipe DN100 | about 16 kg per metre | Empty; add about 8 kg per metre water-filled |
| Steel pipe DN150 | about 28 kg per metre | Empty, schedule 40 |
Electrical equipment
| Item | Typical mass | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cable drum, LV power | 500 - 3000 kg | Check the drum label |
| Busbar section, 3 m | 40 - 90 kg | Rating dependent |
| Switchgear panel section | 400 - 1200 kg | Per shipping section |
| UPS module | 50 - 300 kg | Module dependent; frames heavier |
| Battery module | 30 - 60 kg | Strings multiply fast |
| Server cabinet, empty | 100 - 150 kg | Populated 300 - 1000 kg |
| Transformer | 5 - 20 tonnes | Nameplate and lift plan territory |
Mechanical equipment
| Item | Typical mass | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pump set | 100 - 2000 kg | Size dependent |
| AHU section | 500 - 3000 kg | Per delivery section |
| Chiller | 5 - 15 tonnes | Lift plan territory |
| Generator set | 10 - 40 tonnes | Lift plan territory |
Mobile plant (for kinetic estimates)
| Item | Typical mass | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pallet truck, loaded | 500 - 1500 kg | |
| Scissor lift MEWP | 1500 - 3000 kg | |
| Forklift, counterbalance | 2500 - 5000 kg | Unladen |
| Telehandler | 7000 - 12000 kg | Unladen |
These ranges support a first planning estimate only. The calculators mark estimated inputs as estimates for a reason: before work starts, the number should come from a source you can name.