What this converter does
This converter changes soil bearing capacity between tsf, kg/cm², psf, kPa and MPa. It helps when US foundation figures must feed a metric geotechnical calculation. Every pair uses an exact factor, so results stay precise. Type a value and read the answer instantly.
One ton per square foot is 95.76 kPa, so US bearing values roughly multiply by 96 to reach kPa.
The units it covers
Soil bearing-pressure units, each expressed against the kilopascal.
View all units & their values
| Unit | Symbol | Value | Mainly used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilopascal | kPa | 1 | SI, geotechnical reports |
| Ton per square foot | tsf | 95.76 | US foundation practice |
| Kilogram-force per cm² | kg/cm² | 98.07 | Legacy metric, ≈ 1 bar |
| Pound per square foot | psf | 0.04788 | US allowable pressures |
| Megapascal | MPa | 1000 | Rock, high-capacity soils |
The formula
Each unit has a fixed value in kPa, so any pair converts through kPa:
result = value × factor_from ÷ factor_toWhere:
- value = the number you typed
- factor_from = the “from” unit in kPa
- factor_to = the “to” unit in kPa
Worked example
Convert 3 tsf to kilopascals.
1 tsf = 95.76 kPa3 × 95.76 = 287.3 kPaSo 3 tsf is about 287 kPa — a dense, competent bearing soil.
The units in this example
A US customary bearing-pressure unit (short ton per square foot) used in foundation design.
- 1 tsf = 95.76 kPa
- 1 tsf ≈ 0.976 kg/cm²
- 1 tsf = 2,000 psf
- 2 tsf ≈ 192 kPa
The SI unit of pressure used for allowable and ultimate bearing capacity in geotechnical reports.
- 1 kPa ≈ 0.01044 tsf
- 100 kPa ≈ 1.044 tsf
- 1 kPa ≈ 0.0102 kg/cm²
- 1 MPa = 1,000 kPa