Kip (kip) - Unit Information & Conversion
🔄 Quick Convert Kip
What is a Kip?
A kip is a US customary unit of force equal to 1,000 pounds-force (lbf). The name derives from "kilo-pound." Equal to 4,448.222 newtons or 4.448 kilonewtons, it is primarily used in American structural engineering and construction.
History of the Kip
Introduced in American structural engineering in the early 20th century as a convenient unit for large forces. The term "kip" comes from combining "kilo" (thousand) with "pound." Remains standard in US building codes, structural design, and engineering documentation.
Quick Answer
What is a Kip? A kip is a unit of force equal to 1,000 pounds-force (lbf). The name comes from "kilo-pound." 1 kip = 4,448.222 newtons = 4.448 kilonewtons. Widely used in American structural engineering for beam capacities, column loads, foundation design, and building specifications. Provides a convenient scale for construction forces without using large numbers. Use our force converter to convert kips to pounds-force, newtons, and other units instantly.
Key Facts: Kip
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Symbol | kip |
| Quantity | Force |
| System | Metric/SI Derived |
| Derived from | Newton |
| Category | Force |
| Standard Body | NIST / ISO |
Quick Comparison Table
| Kips | Pounds-force | Kilonewtons | Context | Convert Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | 100 | 0.445 | Heavy person weight | kip to lbf → |
| 0.5 | 500 | 2.22 | Motorcycle weight | kip to lbf → |
| 1 | 1,000 | 4.45 | Small car weight | kip to kN → |
| 5 | 5,000 | 22.2 | SUV weight | kip to kN → |
| 10 | 10,000 | 44.5 | Delivery truck | kip to lbf → |
| 100 | 100,000 | 445 | Large crane capacity | kip to kN → |
Definition
A kip equals 1,000 pounds-force. It is a standard unit in US structural engineering.
Formula: 1 kip = 1,000 lbf
Conversions:
- 1 kip = 1,000 lbf (pounds-force)
- 1 kip = 4,448.222 N (newtons)
- 1 kip = 4.448222 kN (kilonewtons)
- 1 kip = 453.592 kgf (kilogram-force)
- 1 kip = 0.5 ton-force (US short ton)
- 1 kip = 4.448 × 10⁶ dynes
History
The kip was introduced in American structural engineering during the early 20th century as building sizes increased and forces became too large for convenient expression in pounds. The term combines "kilo-" (meaning thousand) with "pound" to create "kip." It became standardized in US building codes, structural steel design manuals, and engineering textbooks. Organizations like the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and American Concrete Institute (ACI) use kips as the primary force unit in their design specifications. While the rest of the world uses kilonewtons, American engineers continue to work primarily in kips for structural calculations.
Common Uses
Structural Steel Design: Beam capacities, column loads, connection forces.
Concrete Engineering: Rebar tension, slab loads, foundation bearing capacity.
Building Codes: Load specifications, safety factors, structural requirements.
Construction: Equipment ratings, material strength, lifting capacity.
Civil Engineering: Bridge design, highway loads, retaining wall pressures.
Real-World Examples
Building Structural Loads:
- Residential floor live load: 0.04 kip/ft²
- Office floor live load: 0.05 kip/ft²
- Retail floor load: 0.1 kip/ft²
- Steel beam (W18×50): capacity ~50 kip
- Building column: 100-1,000 kip
- Foundation pile: 50-500 kip capacity
Construction Equipment:
- Mobile crane: 10-100 kip capacity
- Hydraulic jack: 5-50 kip
- Pile driver: 10-100 kip impact force
- Concrete test cylinder: fails at 50-200 kip
- Steel cable: 10-100 kip breaking strength
- Lifting sling: 1-20 kip rating
Vehicle and Bridge Loads:
- Compact car: 2-3 kip
- Pickup truck: 4-6 kip
- Delivery truck: 8-15 kip
- Semi-truck (loaded): 40-80 kip
- Highway bridge design load: 16 kip axle load
- Railway car: 100-200 kip
Material Testing:
- Concrete compression test: 50-200 kip
- Steel tensile test: 10-500 kip
- Anchor bolt pullout: 5-50 kip
- Welded connection: 20-200 kip capacity
- Bolt shear strength: 5-50 kip
- Wood beam failure: 5-30 kip
Real-World Examples
Structural Engineering Load Specifications
Beams and columns rated in kips:
| Component | Load Rating (kips) | In Newtons | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential beam | 5-50 | 22,000-220,000 | House structure |
| Commercial floor joist | 50-200 | 220,000-890,000 | Office building |
| Bridge girder | 500-2,000 | 2,200,000-8,900,000 | Span support |
| Column base plate | 100-1,000 | 450,000-4,450,000 | Building foundation |
| Suspension cable | 5,000-50,000 | 22,000,000-220,000,000 | Bridge cables |
Crane and Lifting Equipment
Hoist capacity specifications in kips:
| Equipment | Capacity (kips) | In Metric Tons | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain hoist | 1-10 | 0.5-4.5 | Shop equipment |
| Electric hoist | 5-50 | 2.3-23 | Industrial lifting |
| Overhead crane | 50-500 | 23-227 | Plant equipment |
| Portal crane | 500-2,000 | 227-909 | Shipyard/heavy |
| Heavy-lift ship | 10,000+ | 4,500+ | Offshore construction |
Foundation and Soil Engineering
Bearing capacity and settlement calculations:
| Specification | In Kips | Per Unit Area (kips/ft²) | Foundation Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential footing | 50-100 | 5-10 | Single story |
| Commercial pad | 200-500 | 5-20 | Multi-story |
| Pile capacity | 100-1,000 | N/A | Deep foundation |
| Caisson | 500-5,000 | N/A | Large diameter |
How do I convert kips to pounds-force?
Formula: lbf = kip × 1,000
Examples:
- 0.5 kip = 500 lbf
- 1 kip = 1,000 lbf
- 5 kip = 5,000 lbf
- 10 kip = 10,000 lbf
Simple rule: Multiply by 1,000 or add three zeros.
Kips to Pounds-force converter →
How many kips equal one kilonewton?
1 kilonewton = 0.2248 kips (approximately 0.225 kips)
Quick conversions:
- 1 kN = 0.225 kip
- 10 kN = 2.25 kip
- 100 kN = 22.5 kip
- 1,000 kN = 225 kip
Reverse: 1 kip = 4.448 kN
Kilonewtons to Kips converter →
Why do American engineers use kips instead of kilonewtons?
Historical practice: Kips have been standard in US engineering since the early 1900s.
Building codes: US codes (IBC, ASCE 7) specify loads in pounds and kips.
Engineering education: American universities teach structural design in kips.
Industry standards: AISC Steel Manual, ACI Concrete Code use kips.
Existing infrastructure: Decades of drawings, specifications, and software use kips.
Convenience: For US engineers working in imperial units, kips integrate naturally with feet, inches, and pounds per square foot.
While metric units (kN) are standard internationally, the kip remains deeply embedded in American structural engineering practice.
What is a kip per square inch (ksi)?
ksi = kips per square inch - a unit of stress or pressure.
Common use: Material strength specifications
- Structural steel: 36-100 ksi yield strength
- Concrete: 3-10 ksi compressive strength
- Aluminum: 30-70 ksi tensile strength
Conversion: 1 ksi = 6.895 MPa (megapascals)
Note: ksi is to stress what kip is to force - a convenient large unit avoiding excessive digits.
Kip Conversion Formulas
To Newton:
To Millinewton:
To Kilonewton:
To Meganewton:
To Dyne:
To Pound-force:
To Kilogram-force:
To Gram-force:
To Metric Ton-force:
To US Ton-force:
To UK Ton-force:
To Poundal:
To Ounce-force:
Convert Kip
Need to convert Kip to other force units? Use our conversion tool.