Engineering Unit Converter — Imperial to Metric
Convert between imperial and metric units across 10 engineering categories. Enter a value, select your units, and get an instant result — no rounding, no approximations.
Engineering unit converter — imperial to metric
Engineers regularly work across measurement systems. Structural drawings in the UK use metric units (mm, kN, MPa), while US specifications often use imperial (inches, kips, psi). This converter handles all common engineering unit categories in one place.
Common conversions for structural engineers
| From | To | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 psi | 0.006895 MPa | × 0.006895 |
| 1 kip (ksi) | 6.895 MPa | × 6.895 |
| 1 kN | 1000 N | × 1000 |
| 1 ft | 0.3048 m | × 0.3048 |
| 1 inch | 25.4 mm | × 25.4 |
| 1 lb/ft² | 47.88 Pa | × 47.88 |
| 1 US gallon | 3.785 L | × 3.785 |
Pressure units in structural engineering
Pressure and stress use the same units in structural engineering. The SI unit is the pascal (Pa), but it is too small for practical use — engineers typically work in kilopascals (kPa) or megapascals (MPa). In US practice, psi (pounds per square inch) and ksi (kilopounds per square inch) are standard. 1 ksi = 6.895 MPa.
Force units
The SI unit of force is the newton (N). In structural engineering, kilonewtons (kN) and meganewtons (MN) are more common due to the scale of loads. US practice uses pound-force (lbf) and kips (1 kip = 1000 lbf = 4.448 kN).