Material Properties Table — Density, E, Yield & Thermal Values
Verified engineering properties for structural steel, stainless, aluminum, copper, concrete, wood, glass, and plastics: density, E, yield, k, and α.
Updated August 16, 2026
This table collects the material constants that engineering calculations reach for most often: density ρ for weights and seismic mass, elastic modulus E for stiffness and deflection, yield strength for capacity, thermal conductivity k for heat flow, and the linear expansion coefficient α for thermal movement. Values for metals are the canonical datasheet numbers; concrete, wood, glass, and plastics are published as ranges because their properties genuinely vary with grade, moisture, and formulation — a single number would be false precision.
Two reading rules. First, yield strengths for the structural metals are specified minimums (what a mill must certify), not typical values — real material usually tests higher. Second, wood is orthotropic: the E and α listed are along the grain; across the grain E drops by an order of magnitude and expansion rises by one. Anything safety-critical should be re-checked against the governing standard or the supplier certificate for the actual grade purchased.
Engineering Materials — Physical & Mechanical Properties
| Material | ρ (kg/m³) | E (GPa) | Yield (MPa) | k (W/m·K) | α (10⁻⁶/K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel, ASTM A36 | 7850 | 200 | 250 min | ≈50 | 11.7 |
| Steel, ASTM A992 (W-shapes) | 7850 | 200 | 345 min | ≈50 | 11.7 |
| Stainless 304 (annealed) | 8000 | 193 | 205 min | 16.2 | 17.2 |
| Stainless 316 (annealed) | 8000 | 193 | 205 min | 16.3 | 15.9 |
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | 2700 | 68.9 | 276 | 167 | 23.6 |
| Copper C11000 (ETP) | 8920 | 110–128 | 70–340 (temper) | 388–394 | 17.0–17.7 |
| Concrete, normal weight | 2240–2400 | 20–40 | — | 1.4–2.9 | ≈10 |
| Softwood (pine/spruce, ∥ grain) | 350–550 | 8–14 | — | 0.10–0.14 | 3–5 ∥ |
| Hardwood (oak/maple, ∥ grain) | 550–800 | 9–16 | — | 0.15–0.18 | 3–5 ∥ |
| Glass, soda-lime (float) | 2440–2530 | 72 | — | 1.0 | 8.8–9.0 |
| PVC, rigid (uPVC) | 1380 | 2.9 | 41–52 | 0.15–0.16 | 60–70 |
| HDPE | 940–965 | 0.8–1.4 | 22–26 | 0.40–0.50 | 120–200 |
| PTFE (virgin) | 2150–2200 | 0.5 | 20–30 (tensile) | 0.25 | ≈110 at 20 °C |
Metal yields are specified minimums (ASTM A36/A992/A240; 6061-T6 per ASM). Concrete E follows ACI 318 E ≈ 4700·√f′c, so it tracks strength class; its "yield" is not defined (use f′c). Wood values are along-grain at ~12% moisture (FPL Wood Handbook); across-grain E is ~10× lower and movement is dominated by moisture, not temperature. PTFE expansion is strongly temperature-dependent — treat α as indicative.
Sources & Further Reading
- ASTM A36 / A992 specified minimums; carbon-steel physical constants per published steel references (theworldmaterial, makeitfrom cross-check)
- AZoM datasheets for 304 (article 965) and 316 (article 863) stainless — ASTM A240 / ASM data
- ASM/MatWeb datasheet values for Aluminum 6061-T6; KME C11000 Cu-ETP datasheet and Copper Development Association data
- PCA/ACI published ranges for normal-weight concrete; FPL Wood Handbook (2010) and Swedish Wood for timber; float-glass and supplier plastics datasheets (Perspex rigid PVC, HDPE and PTFE supplier data)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some cells show a range instead of one number?
Because the material itself varies. Concrete stiffness depends on strength class, wood on species and moisture, plastics on formulation and crystallinity. Publishing one number for HDPE density or concrete conductivity would hide a real spread that matters in calculations, so ranges are deliberate — pick within the range using your actual grade.
Is 250 MPa the actual strength of A36 steel?
It is the specified minimum yield the mill must certify, not the expected value. Delivered A36 commonly tests 15–30% above minimum. Design strength comes from the minimum (times the code’s resistance or safety factors); never take credit for the overshoot unless the certificate documents it and the code allows it.
Why is stainless steel so much worse than aluminum at conducting heat?
Alloying scatters the electrons that carry heat in metals. Pure copper reaches ~390 W/m·K and aluminum alloy 6061-T6 about 167, but the heavily alloyed austenitic stainless grades drop to ~16 — a factor of ten below carbon steel. That is why stainless feels slow to heat and why thermal-bridge calculations treat it differently.
Which α do I use for thermal movement of a timber member?
Along the grain, wood expands only 3–5 ×10⁻⁶/K — less than steel — so thermal movement is rarely the issue. Moisture movement dominates instead: swelling across the grain from humidity swings is typically an order of magnitude larger than any thermal effect. Detail timber for moisture, not temperature.
Try the Calculators
Material Properties Table — Density, E, Yield & Thermal Values — reuven.tools/reference/material-properties — verified against: ASTM A36 / A992 specified minimums; carbon-steel physical constants per published steel references (theworldmaterial, makeitfrom cross-check); AZoM datasheets for 304 (article 965) and 316 (article 863) stainless — ASTM A240 / ASM data; ASM/MatWeb datasheet values for Aluminum 6061-T6; KME C11000 Cu-ETP datasheet and Copper Development Association data; PCA/ACI published ranges for normal-weight concrete; FPL Wood Handbook (2010) and Swedish Wood for timber; float-glass and supplier plastics datasheets (Perspex rigid PVC, HDPE and PTFE supplier data)