How many m² of glass fit in a 20 ft or 40 ft container? Table

It is our importers’ first question: how many square metres of glass can I get in one container? The answer depends mainly on thickness, because a glass container is limited by weight, not by space. Here is the complete table, and the method to calculate it yourself.

The basic rule: 2.5 kg per m² per millimetre

Flat glass weighs about 2.5 kg per square metre per millimetre of thickness. So 6 mm float weighs 15 kg per m², and 10 mm float weighs 25 kg per m². To find the area, divide the container load by that weight: about 24 tonnes for a 20 ft, divided by 15 kg, gives about 1,600 m² of 6 mm float.

Glass	Weight per m²	20′ container (≈ 24 t)	40′ container (≈ 26 t)
Float 3 mm	7,5 kg	≈ 3 200 m²	≈ 3 450 m²
Float 4 mm	10 kg	≈ 2 400 m²	≈ 2 600 m²
Float 5 mm	12,5 kg	≈ 1 900 m²	≈ 2 080 m²
Float 6 mm	15 kg	≈ 1 600 m²	≈ 1 730 m²
Float 8 mm	20 kg	≈ 1 200 m²	≈ 1 300 m²
Float 10 mm	25 kg	≈ 960 m²	≈ 1 040 m²
Float 12 mm	30 kg	≈ 800 m²	≈ 860 m²
Laminated 33.1	≈ 16 kg	≈ 1 500 m²	≈ 1 620 m²
Laminated 44.2	≈ 21 kg	≈ 1 100 m²	≈ 1 200 m²
Laminated 55.2	≈ 26 kg	≈ 900 m²	≈ 1 000 m²
Mirror 4 mm	≈ 10 kg	≈ 2 400 m²	≈ 2 600 m²

Indicative values. The weight of the wooden crates slightly reduces the real area, and the permitted load depends on the shipping line and on road transport at destination. We confirm the exact quantity with your quote.

20 ft or 40 ft: which one?

A 40 ft has twice the volume, but it cannot carry twice the weight. For glass, it only takes a few hundred square metres more than a 20 ft, for a higher freight cost. The 20 ft is therefore almost always the cheapest per m². The 40 ft becomes useful for jumbo sheets 6,000 mm long, which do not fit in a 20 ft, or for light, bulky loads.

Sheet sizes and crates

Standard size 3,210 × 2,250 mm: it fits in a 20 ft, and it is the most common size for joinery.
Jumbo size 6,000 × 3,210 mm: for facades and industrial cutting, it needs a 40 ft.
Crates: about 2 to 2.5 tonnes each, so around ten crates per 20 ft.
Open-Top: this container opens from the top, so the crates can be loaded and unloaded by crane.

Mixing your container

A container can mix several thicknesses and types of glass. Just add up the weights: for example 800 m² of 6 mm float (12 tonnes) and 500 m² of 44.2 laminated (about 10.5 tonnes) make about 22.5 tonnes, which fits in a 20 ft. Our Build my container tool does this calculation for you.