US Ton-force (tonf) - Unit Information & Conversion

Quick Answer

What is US Ton-force? A US ton-force (short ton-force, tonf) is the force exerted by a short ton (2,000 lb) mass in Earth's standard gravity. 1 tonf = 8,896.44 newtons = 8.896 kilonewtons = 2,000 pounds-force = 0.907 metric ton-force. Used in American engineering for crane capacities, structural loads, equipment ratings, and heavy construction. Common in US industry alongside kips. Use our force converter to convert US ton-force to newtons, kilonewtons, and other units instantly.

Key Facts: Ton-force (US)

Property	Value
Symbol	tonf
Quantity	Force
System	Metric/SI Derived
Derived from	Newton
Category	Force
Standard Body	NIST / ISO

Quick Comparison Table

US Ton-force	Kilonewtons	Pounds-force	Context	Convert Now
0.1	0.890	200	Small load	tonf to kN →
0.5	4.45	1,000	Half ton	tonf to kN →
1	8.90	2,000	1 short ton weight	tonf to N →
5	44.5	10,000	Truck weight	tonf to kN →
10	89.0	20,000	Heavy truck	tonf to kN →
100	890	200,000	Large crane	tonf to kN →

Definition

US ton-force (short ton-force) is the force exerted by one short ton (2,000 pounds) under standard gravity.

Formula: 1 tonf = 2,000 lbf = 2 kip

Conversions:

• 1 tonf = 8,896.44 N (newtons)
• 1 tonf = 8.89644 kN (kilonewtons)
• 1 tonf = 2,000 lbf (pounds-force)
• 1 tonf = 2 kip (kilopounds)
• 1 tonf = 907.185 kgf (kilogram-force)
• 1 tonf = 0.907185 metric ton-force
• 1 tonf = 0.892857 UK ton-force (long ton-force)

History

The US ton-force is based on the short ton of 2,000 pounds, the standard ton in the United States. The short ton (as opposed to the UK's long ton of 2,240 pounds) became standardized in American commerce and industry in the 19th century. As a force unit, ton-force provides a convenient scale for heavy loads in US engineering, particularly in construction equipment, crane capacities, and structural design. It is closely related to the kip (1,000 lbf), with 1 ton-force = 2 kips. While international engineering uses kilonewtons, US ton-force remains common in American construction, heavy industry, and equipment specifications.

Common Uses

Construction Equipment: Crane capacity, lifting equipment, heavy machinery ratings.

Structural Engineering: Large building loads, bridge components, foundation design.

Industrial Equipment: Press capacity, forging equipment, material handling.

Marine Engineering: Ship displacement, anchor forces, dock equipment.

Automotive: Heavy vehicle specifications, towing capacity, load ratings.

Real-World Examples

Vehicle and Equipment Weights:

• Pickup truck: 2-4 tonf
• Dump truck: 10-20 tonf
• Concrete mixer truck: 15-25 tonf
• Semi-truck (loaded): 20-40 tonf
• Railway car (loaded): 50-150 tonf
• Ship (small cargo): 500-5,000 tonf

Construction Equipment:

• Mobile crane (small): 10-30 tonf capacity
• Crawler crane: 50-500 tonf capacity
• Tower crane: 20-100 tonf capacity
• Excavator (large): 20-100 tonf weight
• Bulldozer: 10-80 tonf weight
• Forklift (industrial): 5-50 tonf capacity

Structural Loads:

• Building column load: 50-500 tonf
• Bridge pier: 500-5,000 tonf
• Foundation pile: 20-200 tonf capacity
• Offshore platform: 1,000-10,000 tonf per leg
• Dam structure: 5,000-50,000 tonf
• High-rise foundation: 1,000-10,000 tonf

Industrial Equipment:

• Hydraulic press: 100-5,000 tonf capacity
• Forging press: 500-10,000 tonf
• Rolling mill: 100-2,000 tonf force
• Stamping press: 50-1,000 tonf
• Die casting machine: 100-3,000 tonf clamping force
• Compression testing machine: 100-500 tonf

Real-World Examples

US Structural and Heavy Equipment Ratings

Ton-force used in American engineering:

Equipment/Structure	Capacity (tonf)	In Kilonewtons	Purpose
Building column	100-500	890-4,450	Vertical load support
Bridge cable	1,000-10,000	8,900-89,000	Suspension support
Hydraulic press	50-500	445-4,450	Metal forming
Marine crane	500-5,000	4,450-44,500	Ship equipment
Mining shovel	50-200	445-1,780	Ore extraction

Vehicle and Transportation

US weight capacity standards:

Vehicle Type	Gross Weight (tonf)	In Kilonewtons	Standard
Small pickup	2-3	18-27	GVWR rating
Heavy pickup	4-5	36-45	Truck class
Single axle truck	15-20	134-178	Gross rating
Tractor-trailer	80	712	US federal limit
Heavy haul	150+	1,335+	Specialized permit

How do I convert US ton-force to kilonewtons?

Formula: kN = tonf × 8.89644 (approximately tonf × 9)

Examples:

• 1 tonf = 8.90 kN
• 5 tonf = 44.5 kN
• 10 tonf = 89.0 kN
• 100 tonf = 890 kN

Quick approximation: Multiply by 9 for rough conversion.

US Ton-force to Kilonewtons converter →

How many US ton-force equal one kip?

1 US ton-force = 2 kips (2,000 lbf)

Quick conversions:

• 0.5 tonf = 1 kip = 1,000 lbf
• 1 tonf = 2 kip = 2,000 lbf
• 5 tonf = 10 kip = 10,000 lbf
• 10 tonf = 20 kip = 20,000 lbf

Reverse: 1 kip = 0.5 tonf

Both units are common in US structural engineering, with kips preferred for building design and ton-force for heavy equipment.

Kips to US Ton-force converter →

What is the difference between US, UK, and metric ton-force?

US ton-force (short ton-force):

• 2,000 pounds = 907.2 kg
• 1 tonf = 8.896 kN

UK ton-force (long ton-force):

• 2,240 pounds = 1,016 kg
• 1 LTf = 9.964 kN

Metric ton-force (tonne-force):

• 1,000 kg = 2,205 pounds
• 1 tf = 9.807 kN

Conversions:

• 1 US tonf = 0.893 UK tonf = 0.907 metric tf
• 1 UK tonf = 1.12 US tonf = 1.016 metric tf
• 1 metric tf = 1.102 US tonf = 0.984 UK tonf

Critical: Always specify which ton to avoid 10-12% errors in calculations!

Convert between ton-force types →

When should I use US ton-force instead of kips or kilonewtons?

Use US ton-force when:

• Heavy equipment specifications (cranes, presses)
• Industrial machinery ratings
• Ship displacement and cargo capacity
• Following US industry standards for large forces
• Working with equipment rated in tons

Use kips when:

• US structural engineering calculations
• Building and bridge design
• Following AISC or ACI codes
• Typical range: 1-1000 kip

Use kilonewtons when:

• International projects
• SI unit compliance required
• Scientific and academic work
• Modern engineering software

Note: 1 tonf = 2 kips = ~9 kN. Many US engineers are fluent in all three units.

Convert US ton-force to other force units →