999.5515
kg/m³
0.999551
g/cm³
999.5515
kg/m³
0.999551
g/cm³
The Pounds per Cubic Foot to Kilograms per Cubic Meter Converter translates US customary density measurements (lb/ft³) into the SI standard (kg/m³). This reverse conversion is vital for exporting engineering data to international markets, comparing material specifications across standards, and conducting scientific research using SI units.
The conversion factor is: 1 lb/ft³ = 16.0185 kg/m³ (the reciprocal of 0.062428). In the United States, pounds per cubic foot is the standard for specifying densities of building materials, soils, aggregates, and insulation. However, international engineering standards, scientific publications, and material databases predominantly use kg/m³.
Common density values in lb/ft³ include: water at 62.4 lb/ft³, sand at 100 lb/ft³, concrete at 150 lb/ft³, steel at 490 lb/ft³, and rigid insulation foam at 1.5-2.5 lb/ft³. Converting these to kg/m³ gives: water = 999.6, sand = 1602, concrete = 2403, steel = 7849, and foam = 24-40 kg/m³.
The converter also outputs g/cm³, which is widely used in chemistry and geoscience. The relationship is simple: divide kg/m³ by 1000. Since water is approximately 1 g/cm³, this unit makes it intuitive to compare materials to water's density.
The formula: kg/m³ = lb/ft³ / 0.062428, or equivalently kg/m³ = lb/ft³ × 16.0185. For g/cm³: divide the kg/m³ result by 1000.
Quick mental estimate: multiply lb/ft³ by 16 for a close approximation in kg/m³. Example: 100 lb/ft³ × 16 ≈ 1600 kg/m³ (exact: 1601.85). This is accurate to within 0.1%.
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62.4 lb/ft³ ≈ 1000 kg/m³
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Results
100 lb/ft³ ≈ 1602 kg/m³
Multiply by 16.0185 (or divide by 0.062428). Example: 62.4 lb/ft³ × 16.0185 = 999.6 kg/m³.
150 lb/ft³ = 2403 kg/m³. This is the standard density of normal-weight concrete.
62.4 lb/ft³ ≈ 999.6 kg/m³, which is approximately the density of water at room temperature.
Multiply by 16 for a fast estimate. 100 lb/ft³ × 16 = 1600 kg/m³ (actual: 1601.85). The error is less than 0.2%.
1 ft³ = 0.028317 m³ and 1 lb = 0.45359 kg. So: 0.45359 / 0.028317 = 16.0185 kg/m³ per lb/ft³.
Concrete: 150, Steel: 490, Brick: 120, Wood (pine): 32, Glass: 156, Granite: 168, Gravel: 110 lb/ft³.
Divide by 62.428 (since water = 62.428 lb/ft³ = 1 g/cm³), or convert to kg/m³ first and divide by 1000.
Below 10 lb/ft³ (160 kg/m³): insulation foams, aerogels. 10-40 lb/ft³: lightweight wood, cork, lightweight concrete. Above 40 lb/ft³: standard construction materials.
Primarily in the US and some UK construction. Most international standards use kg/m³ or g/cm³. When working on international projects, always specify and convert units clearly.
The conversion factor 16.01846337... is based on exact definitions of the pound and foot. Our converter provides accuracy to at least 6 significant digits.
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