Pipe Volume Calculator
Pipe Volume Calculator works out Volume of material and Internal capacity from Outer radius or diameter, Height / length and Inner radius or diameter (hollow only). The default figures on this page give internal capacity of 1,256.637061; change any entry and the result, the working and the sources update together.
Your figures
Updates as you typeHow this is worked out
7 steps
- Outer radius R = 2.5 in, height/length h = 100 in
- Inner radius r = 2 in
- Material volume V = pi (R^2 - r^2) h = pi (6.25 - 4) x 100 = 706.85835 in^3
- Bore capacity = pi r^2 h = 1256.6371 in^3
- Curved surface = 2 pi R h + 2 pi r h = 2827.4334 in^2
- Total surface = curved + 2 x end face = 2827.4334 + 2 x 7.0685835 = 2841.5706 in^2
- Asked for the internal capacity: pi x 2^2 x 100 = 1256.6371 in^3 = 20.592592 L = 5.4399873 US gal.
Its 6 worked examples are re-run on every release, last on 15 September 2026. What changed
What the Pipe Volume Calculator calculates
Computes volume, surface area, capacity, weight and partial-fill volume for solid or hollow cylinders and cylindrical tanks.
How to use this Pipe Volume Calculator
Enter Outer radius or diameter, Height / length, Inner radius or diameter (hollow only) and Wall thickness (hollow only). Volume of material updates as you type. Change one figure at a time to see what drives the result.
How the result is worked out
Open “How this is worked out” beside the result for the step-by-step calculation behind Volume of material, Internal capacity and Lateral (curved) surface area.
The method follows Weisstein, Eric W. "Cylinder." MathWorld — A Wolfram Web Resource, Weisstein, Eric W. "Circular Segment." MathWorld (horizontal tank partial-fill area) and NIST Special Publication 811 (unit factors used for capacity and mass output).
What you can compare
Change one input at a time to see how it affects Volume of material, Internal capacity and Lateral (curved) surface area. The inputs you can vary are Outer radius or diameter, Height / length, Inner radius or diameter (hollow only), Wall thickness (hollow only), Length unit and Density (optional).
Results are general information, not financial, tax, legal, medical or engineering advice. Check any decision that matters with a qualified professional.
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Frequently asked questions
How to calculate volume for pipe?
Computes volume, surface area, capacity, weight and partial-fill volume for solid or hollow cylinders and cylindrical tanks. Open “How this is worked out” beside the result to see each step for your own figures.
How to calculate how many gallons are in a pipe?
It needs Outer radius or diameter, Height / length, Inner radius or diameter (hollow only), Wall thickness (hollow only), Length unit and Density (optional). Nothing else is required, and the figures stay in your browser.
What is the volume of an 8 inch pipe?
On the figures this page opens with — outer radius or diameter 10, height / length 100 and wall thickness (hollow only) 1 — the internal capacity is 1,256.637061. No single number fits everyone: change any figure above and the answer updates as you type, with each step of the arithmetic beside it.
What is the volume of a 4 inch pipe?
The result gives Volume of material, Internal capacity, Lateral (curved) surface area, End-face area, Total surface area and Outer radius, each labelled with its unit so the figure can be read on its own.
What is the volume per foot of a 3-inch pipe?
The page opens with worked default figures: internal capacity of 1,256.637061. Replace them with your own and every figure updates as you type.
What information do I need for the Pipe Volume Calculator?
You need Outer radius or diameter, Height / length, Inner radius or diameter (hollow only), Wall thickness (hollow only), Length unit, Density (optional) and Density unit. The page opens with default figures that give internal capacity of 1,256.637061, so you can see the scale before entering your own.