US Ton-force (tonf) - Unit Information & Conversion
🔄 Quick Convert US Ton-force
What is a US Ton-force?
US ton-force (short ton-force) is the force exerted by one short ton (2,000 pounds) of mass under standard Earth gravity. Equal to 8,896.44 newtons or 8.896 kilonewtons, it is used in American engineering, construction, and industrial applications.
History of the US Ton-force
Based on the US customary short ton of 2,000 pounds. Standard in American engineering and construction alongside kips (1,000 lbf). Remains common in US heavy industry, crane specifications, and equipment ratings despite international SI adoption.
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.
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
US Ton-force 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 UK Ton-force:
To Poundal:
To Ounce-force:
To Kip:
Frequently Asked Questions
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 →
Convert US Ton-force
Need to convert US Ton-force to other force units? Use our conversion tool.
US Ton-force Quick Info
Related Force Units
Popular Conversions
- US Ton-force to NewtonConvert →1 tonf = 8896.443231 N
- US Ton-force to MillinewtonConvert →1 tonf = 8896443.230521 mN
- US Ton-force to KilonewtonConvert →1 tonf = 8.896443 kN
- US Ton-force to MeganewtonConvert →1 tonf = 0.008896 MN
- US Ton-force to DyneConvert →1 tonf = 889644323.0521 dyn
- US Ton-force to Pound-forceConvert →1 tonf = 2000 lbf