Barrel Weight Calculator

Barrel & Drum Weight Calculator

Calculate the total weight of a barrel based on its size, material, and contents.

55 Gallon Steel Drum 55 Gallon Plastic Drum 30 Gallon Steel Drum 30 Gallon Plastic Drum 15 Gallon Plastic Drum 5 Gallon Pail

Water (Fresh) Crude Oil / Fuel Oil Gasoline Diesel / Distillate Honey / Heavy Syrup Milk Vegetable Oil Salt Water (Brine)

Estimated Total Weight

0.00 lbs

(0.00 kg)

Understanding Barrel Weights

Calculating the weight of a drum or barrel is critical for shipping logistics, floor load safety, and inventory management. A standard 55-gallon steel drum is the most common industrial container, but its final weight depends heavily on the density (specific gravity) of the liquid inside.

Key Components of the Calculation:

• Tare Weight: This is the weight of the empty container. A standard steel drum usually weighs between 35 and 40 lbs, while a plastic (HDPE) version weighs roughly 20-25 lbs.
• Specific Gravity: Not all liquids weigh the same. While water weighs approximately 8.34 lbs per gallon, gasoline is much lighter (around 6.1 lbs), and honey is significantly denser (up to 12 lbs).
• Fill Volume: Industrial barrels are rarely filled to the absolute brim to allow for thermal expansion. A "full" 55-gallon drum often contains exactly 55 gallons, but the total capacity of the vessel might be closer to 57 or 58 gallons.

Example Calculation:

If you have a 55-gallon steel drum filled with Crude Oil:

1. Empty Drum Weight: 37 lbs
2. Oil Weight: 55 gallons × 7.2 lbs/gallon = 396 lbs
3. Total Weight: 37 + 396 = 433 lbs (196.4 kg)

Common Liquid Densities

Liquid	Lbs per Gallon
Water	8.34
Beer	8.42
Lubricating Oil	7.50
Sulphuric Acid (95%)	15.3

function updateTareWeight() { var select = document.getElementById("barrelSize"); var selectedOption = select.options[select.selectedIndex]; var tare = selectedOption.getAttribute("data-tare"); document.getElementById("tareWeight").value = tare; } function calculateBarrelWeight() { var barrelVolume = parseFloat(document.getElementById("barrelSize").value); var density = parseFloat(document.getElementById("contentType").value); var fillLevel = parseFloat(document.getElementById("fillLevel").value); var tareWeight = parseFloat(document.getElementById("tareWeight").value); if (isNaN(barrelVolume) || isNaN(density) || isNaN(fillLevel) || isNaN(tareWeight)) { alert("Please enter valid numbers in all fields."); return; } // Logic var actualLiquidVolume = barrelVolume * (fillLevel / 100); var liquidWeight = actualLiquidVolume * density; var totalWeightLbs = liquidWeight + tareWeight; var totalWeightKg = totalWeightLbs * 0.453592; // Display document.getElementById("resultArea").style.display = "block"; document.getElementById("weightDisplay").innerHTML = totalWeightLbs.toFixed(2) + " lbs"; document.getElementById("kgDisplay").innerHTML = "(" + totalWeightKg.toFixed(2) + " kg)"; var breakdownText = "Liquid Weight: " + liquidWeight.toFixed(2) + " lbs | Tare: " + tareWeight.toFixed(2) + " lbs"; document.getElementById("breakdown").innerHTML = breakdownText; // Scroll to result if on mobile document.getElementById("resultArea").scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' }); }