Convert Pounds per Square Foot to Gigapascals
Convert Pounds per Square Foot (lbf/ft²) to Gigapascals (GPa) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
GPa = lbf/ft² × 4.788025898e-8
About Pounds per Square Foot
One pound per square foot (psf) ≈ 47.88 Pa - the standard structural engineering load unit in US practice. Building codes specify design loads in psf: residential floors 40 psf; office buildings 50-80 psf; assembly areas 100+ psf; snow loads can exceed 100 psf. Wind pressure on building facades, soil bearing capacity for shallow foundations, and lateral earth pressure in retaining walls are all in psf. The related unit ksf (1,000 psf = 47.88 kPa) covers higher-capacity soils and deep foundations. 1 psf = 47.88 Pa.
About Gigapascals
A gigapascal (GPa) = 10⁹ Pa = 10 kbar - the extreme-pressure unit for materials science and planetary physics. Bulk moduli: fused silica 72 GPa; iron 170 GPa; diamond 442 GPa (highest known). Earth's inner core: 330-360 GPa. Jupiter's core: ~40,000-70,000 GPa. NIF laser-shocked experiments create 100-100,000 GPa to reproduce planetary interior conditions. Metallic hydrogen is predicted to form above ~500 GPa and has been tentatively observed at 400-500 GPa in diamond anvil cells. 1 GPa = 10⁹ Pa = 10 kbar.
Quick Reference Table
| Pounds per Square Foot (lbf/ft²) | Gigapascals (GPa) |
|---|---|
| 1 lbf/ft² | 4.788 × 10-8 GPa |
| 2 lbf/ft² | 9.576 × 10-8 GPa |
| 5 lbf/ft² | 2.394 × 10-7 GPa |
| 10 lbf/ft² | 4.788 × 10-7 GPa |
| 25 lbf/ft² | 1.197 × 10-6 GPa |
| 50 lbf/ft² | 2.394 × 10-6 GPa |
| 100 lbf/ft² | 4.788 × 10-6 GPa |