Kip (kip) - Unit Information & Conversion
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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.
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
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:
Frequently Asked Questions
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 →
Convert Kip
Need to convert Kip to other force units? Use our conversion tool.