CHAPTER 1

CONVERSION FACTORS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE

Civil engineers throughout the world accept both the United States Customary System (USCS) and the System International (SI) units of measure for both applied and theoretical calculations. However, the SI units are much more widely used than those of the USCS. Hence, both the USCS and the SI units are presented for essentially every formula in this book. Thus, the user of the book can apply the formulas with confidence anywhere in the world. To permit even wider use of this text, this chapter contains the conversion factors needed to switch from one system to the other. For engineers unfamiliar with either system of units, the author suggests the following steps for becoming acquainted with the unknown system: 1. Prepare a list of measurements commonly used in your daily work. 2. Insert, opposite each known unit, the unit from the other system. Table 1.1 shows such a list of USCS units with corresponding SI units and symbols prepared by a civil engineer who normally uses the USCS. The SI units shown in Table 1.1 were obtained from Table 1.3 by the engineer. 3. Find, from a table of conversion factors, such as Table 1.3, the value used to convert from USCS to SI units. Insert each appropriate value in Table 1.2 from Table 1.3. 4. Apply the conversion values wherever necessary for the formulas in this book. 5. Recognizehere and nowthat the most difficult aspect of becoming familiar with a new system of measurement is becoming comfortable with the names and magnitudes of the units. Numerical conversion is simple, once you have set up your own conversion table. Be careful, when using formulas containing a numerical constant, to convert the constant to that for the system you are using. You can, however, use the formula for the USCS units (when the formula is given in those units) and then convert the final result to the SI equivalent using Table 1.3. For the few formulas given in SI units, the reverse procedure should be used.

CHAPTER ONE

TABLE 1.1 Commonly Used USCS and SI Units* Conversion factor (multiply USCS unit by this factor to obtain SI unit) 0.0929 0.2831 6.894 4.448 1.356 1.355 0.06309 6.89

USCS unit Square foot Cubic foot Pound per square inch Pound force Foot pound torque Kip foot Gallon per minute Kip per square inch

SI unit Square meter Cubic meter Kilopascal Newton Newton meter Kilonewton meter Liter per second Megapascal

SI symbol m2 m3 kPa N Nm kNm L/s MPa

*This table is abbreviated. For a typical engineering practice, an actual table would be many times this length.

TABLE 1.2 Typical Conversion Table* To convert from Square foot Foot per second squared Cubic foot Pound per cubic inch Gallon per minute Pound per square inch Pound force Kip per square foot Acre foot per day Acre Cubic foot per second To Square meter Meter per second squared Cubic meter Kilogram per cubic meter Liter per second Kilopascal Newton Pascal Cubic meter per second Square meter Cubic meter per second Multiply by 9.290304 3.048 2.831685 2.767990 6.309 6.894757 4.448222 4.788026 1.427641 4.046873 2.831685 E 02 E 01 E 02 E 04 E 02 E 04 E 02 E 03 E 02

*This table contains only selected values. See the U.S. Department of the Interior Metric Manual, or National Bureau of Standards, The International System of Units (SI), both available from the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), for far more comprehensive listings of conversion factors. The E indicates an exponent, as in scientific notation, followed by a positive or negative number, representing the power of 10 by which the given conversion factor is to be multiplied before use. Thus, for the square foot conversion factor, 9.290304 1/100 0.09290304, the factor to be used to convert square feet to square meters. For a positive exponent, as in converting acres to square meters, multiply by 4.046873 1000 4046.8. Where a conversion factor cannot be found, simply use the dimensional substitution. Thus, to convert pounds per cubic inch to kilograms per cubic meter, find 1 lb 0.4535924 kg and 1 in3 0.00001638706 m3. Then, 1 lb/in3 0.4535924 kg/0.00001638706 m3 27,680.01, or 2.768 E 4.

CONVERSION FACTORS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE

TABLE 1.3 Factors for Conversion to SI Units of Measurement To convert from Acre foot, acre ft Acre Angstrom, Atmosphere, atm (standard) Atmosphere, atm (technical 1 kgf/cm2) Bar Barrel (for petroleum, 42 gal) Board foot, board ft British thermal unit, Btu, (mean) British thermal unit, Btu (International Table)in/(h)(ft2) (F) (k, thermal conductivity) British thermal unit, Btu (International Table)/h British thermal unit, Btu (International Table)/(h)(ft2)(F) (C, thermal conductance) British thermal unit, Btu (International Table)/lb British thermal unit, Btu (International Table)/(lb)(F) (c, heat capacity) British thermal unit, cubic foot, Btu (International Table)/ft3 Bushel (U.S.) Calorie (mean) Candela per square inch, cd/in2 Centimeter, cm, of mercury (0C) To Cubic meter, m3 Square meter, m2 Meter, m Pascal, Pa Pascal, Pa Multiply by 1.233489 4.046873 1.000000* 1.013250* E 03 E 03 E 10 E 05

9.806650* E 04 1.000000* E 05 1.589873 E 01 2.359737 1.05587 1.442279 E 03 E 03 E 01

Pascal, Pa Cubic meter, m2 Cubic meter, m3 Joule, J Watt per meter kelvin, W/(mK)

Watt, W

2.930711

E 01 E 00

Watt per square meter kelvin, W/(m2K)

5.678263

Joule per kilogram, J/kg Joule per kilogram kelvin, J/(kgK)

2.326000* E 03 4.186800* E 03

Joule per cubic meter, J/m3

3.725895

E 04

Cubic meter, m3 Joule, J Candela per square meter, cd/m2 Pascal, Pa

3.523907 4.19002 1.550003 1.33322

E 02 E 00 E 03 E 03

(Continued)

CHAPTER ONE

TABLE 1.3 Factors for Conversion to SI Units of Measurement (Continued ) To convert from Centimeter, cm, of water (4C) Chain Circular mil Day Day (sidereal) Degree (angle) Degree Celsius Degree Fahrenheit Degree Fahrenheit Degree Rankine (F)(h)(ft2)/Btu (International Table) (R, thermal resistance) (F)(h)(ft2)/(Btu (International Table)in) (thermal resistivity) Dyne, dyn Fathom Foot, ft Foot, ft (U.S. survey) Foot, ft, of water (39.2F) (pressure) Square foot, ft2 Square foot per hour, ft2/h (thermal diffusivity) Square foot per second, ft2/s Cubic foot, ft3 (volume or section modulus) Cubic foot per minute, ft3/min Cubic foot per second, ft3/s Foot to the fourth power, ft4 (area moment of inertia) Foot per minute, ft/min Foot per second, ft/s To Pascal, Pa Meter, m Square meter, m2 Second, s Second, s Radian, rad Kelvin, K Degree Celsius, C Kelvin, K Kelvin, K Kelvin square meter per watt, Km2/W Kelvin meter per watt, Km/W Multiply by 9.80638 E 01

2.011684 E 01 5.067075 E 10 8.640000* E 04 8.616409 E 04 1.745329 E 02 TK tC 273.15 tC (tF 32)/1.8 TK (tF 459.67)/1.8 TK TR /1.8 1.761102 E 01

6.933471

E 00

Newton, N Meter, m Meter, m Meter, m Pascal, Pa Square meter, m2 Square meter per second, m2/s Square meter per second, m2/s Cubic meter, m3 Cubic meter per second, m3/s Cubic meter per second, m3/s Meter to the fourth power, m4 Meter per second, m/s Meter per second, m/s

1.000000 1.828804 3.048000 3.048006 2.98898 9.290304 2.580640

E 05 E 00 E 01 E 01 E 03 E 02 E 05 E 02 E 02 E 04 E 02 E 03 E 03 E 01

9.290304 2.831685 4.719474 2.831685 8.630975

5.080000 3.048000

CONVERSION FACTORS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE

TABLE 1.3 Factors for Conversion to SI Units of Measurement (Continued ) To convert from Foot per second squared, ft/s2 Footcandle, fc Footlambert, fL Foot pound force, ftlbf Foot pound force per minute, ftlbf/min Foot pound force per second, ftlbf/s Foot poundal, ft poundal Free fall, standard g Gallon, gal (Canadian liquid) Gallon, gal (U.K. liquid) Gallon, gal (U.S. dry) Gallon, gal (U.S. liquid) Gallon, gal (U.S. liquid) per day Gallon, gal (U.S. liquid) per minute Grad Grad Grain, gr Gram, g Hectare, ha Horsepower, hp (550 ftlbf/s) Horsepower, hp (boiler) Horsepower, hp (electric) horsepower, hp (water) Horsepower, hp (U.K.) Hour, h Hour, h (sidereal) Inch, in To Meter per second squared, m/s2 Lux, lx Candela per square meter, cd/m2 Joule, J Watt, W Watt, W Joule, J Meter per second squared, m/s2 Cubic meter, m3 Cubic meter, m3 Cubic meter, m3 Cubic meter, m3 Cubic meter per second, m3/s Cubic meter per second, m3/s Degree (angular) Radian, rad Kilogram, kg Kilogram, kg Square meter, m2 Watt, W Watt, W Watt, W Watt, W Watt, W Second, s Second, s Meter, m Multiply by 3.048000 1.076391 3.426259 1.355818 2.259697 1.355818 4.214011 9.806650 4.546090 4.546092 4.404884 3.785412 4.381264 6.309020 9.000000 1.570796 6.479891 1.000000 1.000000 7.456999 9.80950 7.460000 7.46043 7.4570 3.600000 3.590170 2.540000 E 01 E 01 E 00 E 00 E 02 E 00 E 02 E 00 E 03 E 03 E 03 E 03 E 08 E 05 E 01 E 02 E 05 E 03 E 04 E 02 E 03 E 02 E 02 E 02 E 03 E 03 E 02

(Continued)

CHAPTER ONE

TABLE 1.3 Factors for Conversion to SI Units of Measurement (Continued ) To convert from Inch of mercury, in Hg (32F) (pressure) Inch of mercury, in Hg (60F) (pressure) Inch of water, in H2O (60F) (pressure) Square inch, in2 Cubic inch, in3 (volume or section modulus) Inch to the fourth power, in4 (area moment of inertia) Inch per second, in/s Kelvin, K Kilogram force, kgf Kilogram force meter, kgm Kilogram force second squared per meter, kgfs2/m (mass) Kilogram force per square centimeter, kgf/cm2 Kilogram force per square meter, kgf/m2 Kilogram force per square millimeter, kgf/mm2 Kilometer per hour, km/h Kilowatt hour, kWh Kip (1000 lbf) Kipper square inch, kip/in2 ksi Knot, kn (international) Lambert, L Liter Maxwell Mho To Pascal, Pa Pascal, Pa Pascal, Pa Multiply by 3.38638 3.37685 2.4884 E 03 E 03 E 02 E 04 E 05 E 07 E 02

Square meter, m2 Cubic meter, m3

6.451600 1.638706

Meter to the fourth power, m4 Meter per second, m/s Degree Celsius, C Newton, N Newton meter, Nm Kilogram, kg

4.162314

2.540000

tC TK 273.15 9.806650 E 00 9.806650 E 00 9.806650 E 00 E 04 E 00 E 06 E 01 E 06 E 03 E 06 E 01 E 03 E 03 E 08 E 00

Pascal, Pa

9.806650

Pascal, Pa

9.806650

Pascal, Pa

9.806650

Meter per second, m/s Joule, J Newton, N Pascal, Pa Meter per second, m/s Candela per square meter, cd/m2 Cubic meter, m3 Weber, Wb Siemens, S

2.777778 3.600000 4.448222 6.894757 5.144444 3.183099 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000

CONVERSION FACTORS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE

TABLE 1.3 Factors for Conversion to SI Units of Measurement (Continued ) To convert from Microinch, in Micron, m Mil, mi Mile, mi (international) Mile, mi (U.S. statute) Mile, mi (international nautical) Mile, mi (U.S. nautical) Square mile, mi2 (international) Square mile, mi2 (U.S. statute) Mile per hour, mi/h (international) Mile per hour, mi/h (international) Millibar, mbar Millimeter of mercury, mmHg (0C) Minute, min (angle) Minute, min Minute, min (sidereal) Ounce, oz (avoirdupois) Ounce, oz (troy or apothecary) Ounce, oz (U.K. fluid) Ounce, oz (U.S. fluid) Ounce force, ozf Ounce forceinch, ozfin Ounce per square foot, oz (avoirdupois)/ft2 Ounce per square yard, oz (avoirdupois)/yd2 Perm (0C) To Meter, m Meter, m Meter, m Meter, m Meter, m Meter, m Meter, m Square meter, m2 Square meter, m2 Meter per second, m/s Kilometer per hour, km/h Pascal, Pa Pascal, Pa Radian, rad Second, s Second, s Kilogram, kg Kilogram, kg Cubic meter, m3 Cubic meter, m3 Newton, N Newton meter, Nm Kilogram per square meter, kg/m2 Kilogram per square meter, kg/m2 Kilogram per pascal second meter, kg/(Pasm) Kilogram per pascal second meter, kg/(Pasm) Kilogram per pascal second meter, kg/(Pasm) Multiply by 2.540000 1.000000 2.540000 1.609344 1.609347 1.852000 1.852000 2.589988 2.589998 4.470400 1.609344 1.000000 1.33322 2.908882 6.000000 5.983617 2.834952 3.110348 2.841307 2.957353 2.780139 7.061552 3.051517 3.390575 5.72135 E 08 E 06 E 05 E 03 E 03 E 03 E 03 E 06 E 06 E 01 E 00 E 02 E 02 E 04 E 01 E 01 E 02 E 02 E 05 E 05 E 01 E 03 E 01 E 02 E 11 E 11 E 12

Perm (23C) Perm inch, permin (0C)

5.74525

1.45322

(Continued)

CHAPTER ONE

TABLE 1.3 Factors for Conversion to SI Units of Measurement (Continued ) To convert from Perm inch, permin (23C) Pint, pt (U.S. dry) Pint, pt (U.S. liquid) Poise, P (absolute viscosity) Pound, lb (avoirdupois) Pound, lb (troy or apothecary) Pound square inch, lbin2 (moment of inertia) Pound per foot second, lb/fts Pound per square foot, lb/ft2 Pound per cubic foot, lb/ft3 Pound per gallon, lb/gal (U.K. liquid) Pound per gallon, lb/gal (U.S. liquid) Pound per hour, lb/h Pound per cubic inch, lb/in3 Pound per minute, lb/min Pound per second, lb/s Pound per cubic yard, lb/yd3 Poundal Poundforce, lbf Pound force foot, lbfft Pound force per foot, lbf/ft Pound force per square foot, lbf/ft2 Pound force per inch, lbf/in Pound force per square inch, lbf/in2 (psi) To Kilogram per pascal second meter, kg/(Pasm) Cubic meter, m3 Cubic meter, m3 Pascal second, Pas Kilogram, kg Kilogram, kg Kilogram square meter, kgm2 Pascal second, Pas Kilogram per square meter, kg/m2 Kilogram per cubic meter, kg/m3 Kilogram per cubic meter, kg/m3 Kilogram per cubic meter, kg/m3 Kilogram per second, kg/s Kilogram per cubic meter, kg/m3 Kilogram per second, kg/s Kilogram per second, kg/s Kilogram per cubic meter, kg/m3 Newton, N Newton, N Newton meter, Nm Newton per meter, N/m Pascal, Pa Newton per meter, N/m Pascal, Pa Multiply by 1.45929 E 12 E 04 E 04 E 01 E 01 E 01 E 04 E 00 E 00 E 01 E 01 E 02 E 04 E 04 E 03 E 01 E 01 E 01 E 00 E 00 E 01 E 01 E 02 E 03

5.506105 4.731765 1.000000 4.535924 3.732417 2.926397

1.488164 4.882428 1.601846 9.977633 1.198264 1.259979 2.767990 7.559873 4.535924 5.932764 1.382550 4.448222 1.355818 1.459390 4.788026 1.751268 6.894757

CONVERSION FACTORS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE

TABLE 1.3 Factors for Conversion to SI Units of Measurement (Continued ) To convert from Quart, qt (U.S. dry) Quart, qt (U.S. liquid) Rod Second (angle) Second (sidereal) Square (100 ft2) Ton (assay) Ton (long, 2240 lb) Ton (metric) Ton (refrigeration) Ton (register) Ton (short, 2000 lb) Ton (long per cubic yard, ton)/yd3 Ton (short per cubic yard, ton)/yd3 Ton force (2000 lbf) Tonne, t Watt hour, Wh Yard, yd Square yard, yd2 Cubic yard, yd3 Year (365 days) Year (sidereal) To Cubic meter, m3 Cubic meter, m3 Meter, m Radian, rad Second, s Square meter, m2 Kilogram, kg Kilogram, kg Kilogram, kg Watt, W Cubic meter, m3 Kilogram, kg Kilogram per cubic meter, kg/m3 Kilogram per cubic meter, kg/m3 Newton, N Kilogram, kg Joule, J Meter, m Square meter, m2 Cubic meter, m3 Second, s Second, s Multiply by 1.101221 9.463529 5.029210 4.848137 9.972696 9.290304 2.916667 1.016047 1.000000 3.516800 2.831685 9.071847 1.328939 1.186553 8.896444 1.000000 3.600000 9.144000 8.361274 7.645549 3.153600 3.155815 E 03 E 04 E 00 E 06 E 01 E 00 E 02 E 03 E 03 E 03 E 00 E 02 E 03 E 03 E 03 E 03 E 03 E 01 E 01 E 01 E 07 E 07

*Commonly used in engineering practice. Exact value. From E380, Standard for Metric Practice, American Society for Testing and Materials.