Material tool
CCS vs solid copper weight & cost calculator
Compute the weight and material cost of a copper-clad steel conductor against solid copper at the same diameter, with the copper the cladding actually contains shown alongside. Densities come from the IACS definition (8.89 g/cm³) and the steel table value (7.85 g/cm³).
Two conductors, same diameter, different metal: this tool weighs them and prices them. Nothing here is fitted. The IACS definition holds copper at 8.89 g/cm³ and the steel table gives 7.85 g/cm³, so the gravity side of the comparison is fixed. Type in your own price per kilogram for each metal and the cost side answers on your numbers.
Floor 10% per ASTM B452.
Anchors: copper density 8.89 g/cm³ (IEC 60028, the IACS definition); steel 7.85 g/cm³ (physical table value); copper volume floor ≥10% (ASTM B452). Cost is a raw-material sum: cladding and processing are excluded.
Weight per kilometre
CCS (kg/km)
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Solid copper (kg/km)
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Weight saved
-%
Material cost per kilometre
CCS (USD/km)
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Solid copper (USD/km)
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Cost saved
-%
| Diameter | CCS 10% (kg/km) | Copper content (kg/km) | Cu-equivalent dia (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 mm | 1.6 | 0.17 | 0.16 |
| 1.00 mm | 6.2 | 0.70 | 0.32 |
| 2.00 mm | 25.0 | 2.79 | 0.63 |
| 3.00 mm | 56.2 | 6.28 | 0.95 |
| 4.00 mm | 100.0 | 11.17 | 1.26 |
The last two columns are the equivalence view: how much copper the cladding actually delivers, and the solid copper diameter that would deliver the same copper mass. At the 10% volume floor that equivalent diameter is 1.26 mm for a 4.00 mm conductor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why do the two weights come out nearly equal?
Because steel is only about 12% lighter than copper. At the ASTM B452 floor of 10% copper by volume the blending gives 7.954 g/cm³ against copper's 8.89 g/cm³, so an equal-diameter conductor sheds roughly 10.5% of its weight. The percentage grows as the copper fraction falls, but the ≥10% floor and the conductivity grade set how far it can go.
Where does the cost figure come from?
The calculator multiplies the copper mass in the build by your copper price per kilogram and the steel mass by your steel price, then sets that against a solid-copper conductor of the same diameter priced at the copper rate alone. Both prices are yours to type in, so the output is your arithmetic on your numbers rather than a published market figure.
What is the copper-equivalent diameter?
It is the diameter of the solid copper conductor holding exactly as much copper as the CCS carries, and it equals the CCS diameter times the square root of the copper volume fraction. A 4.00 mm CCS at 10% copper holds the copper of a 1.26 mm solid copper wire. A plain way to see what the cladding actually buys.
Is the cost saving the same as the weight saving?
No, and the gap is what the page is for. Cost follows each metal's own price, so swapping part of the copper for cheaper steel moves the cost further than it moves the mass. At the volume floor the weight column sits near 10%; the cost column depends on how far apart your two prices stand.
Does this replace the DC resistance calculator?
It sits beside it. Weight and cost are mechanical and commercial; whether the conductor can carry the current is electrical. Run the resistance tool for Ω/km on the same grade and gauge, then read the two answers together before specifying.
Want the weight and cost case for your run?
Send the gauge, grade, construction (solid or 7/19/37 stranded) and your target price per kilogram. We quote weight and material cost on real stock, with a heat-number-traceable MTC.