American Wide Flange Steel Beams (W-Beams)
Dimensions and section properties of American wide flange (W) beams in Imperial units, commonly used in structural engineering and construction
W-Beam Dimensions and Properties Chart (Imperial)
| Designation (W) | Depth d (in) | Flange Width bf (in) | Web Thickness tw (in) | Flange Thickness tf (in) | Weight (lb/ft) | Area (in²) | Ix (in⁴) | Sx (in³) | rx (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W8×10 | 7.89 | 4.00 | 0.170 | 0.260 | 10.0 | 2.94 | 48.5 | 12.3 | 4.05 |
| W10×19 | 10.2 | 5.75 | 0.230 | 0.350 | 19.0 | 5.57 | 199 | 39.0 | 5.98 |
| W12×35 | 12.3 | 6.49 | 0.260 | 0.430 | 35.0 | 10.3 | 662 | 108 | 8.02 |
| W14×43 | 13.7 | 8.03 | 0.300 | 0.440 | 43.0 | 12.6 | 1080 | 157 | 9.25 |
| W16×67 | 16.2 | 10.40 | 0.440 | 0.715 | 67.0 | 19.7 | 2740 | 339 | 11.8 |
| W18×86 | 18.4 | 11.00 | 0.440 | 0.715 | 86.0 | 25.3 | 4580 | 498 | 13.5 |
| W21×93 | 21.1 | 8.27 | 0.530 | 0.870 | 93.0 | 27.4 | 6740 | 640 | 15.7 |
| W24×131 | 24.7 | 10.30 | 0.680 | 1.180 | 131 | 38.6 | 14,400 | 1160 | 19.3 |
| W27×178 | 27.2 | 11.50 | 0.750 | 1.320 | 178 | 52.4 | 24,500 | 1800 | 21.6 |
| W30×211 | 30.6 | 11.70 | 0.870 | 1.460 | 211 | 62.1 | 37,400 | 2450 | 24.6 |
About American Wide Flange (W) Steel Beams
American wide flange steel beams (W-beams) are among the most commonly used structural steel shapes in the United States. Designed for superior strength and efficiency, W-beams feature parallel flanges and a broad web, providing excellent resistance to bending, shear, and deflection. They are widely used in building frames, bridges, platforms, and heavy construction projects.
This reference chart provides comprehensive dimensions and section properties of American W-shapes in Imperial units. It includes essential geometric and structural parameters such as depth (d), flange width (bf), web thickness (tw), flange thickness (tf), weight per foot, area, moment of inertia (Ix), section modulus (Sx), and radius of gyration (rx). These properties are vital for performing structural analysis, load design, beam selection, and finite element modeling.
Key W-Beam Property Definitions
- Designation (W) – Standard AISC designation for wide flange beams, where “W” indicates a wide flange shape followed by nominal depth (in) × weight per foot (lb/ft).
- Depth (d) – The total vertical height of the beam section, critical for determining stiffness and deflection.
- Flange Width (bf) – The width of the beam flanges, influencing lateral stability and flexural strength.
- Web Thickness (tw) – Thickness of the central web; governs the beam’s shear resistance and web buckling behavior.
- Flange Thickness (tf) – Thickness of the top and bottom flanges; affects bending resistance and local flange buckling.
- Weight (lb/ft) – Linear mass of the beam, used for estimating material quantities and dead load in design.
- Area (in²) – Cross-sectional area; relevant for calculating axial stress and load capacity.
- Moment of Inertia (Ix) – Determines stiffness and resistance to bending deformation about the strong axis.
- Section Modulus (Sx) – Ratio of moment of inertia to the neutral axis distance; used to evaluate bending stresses.
- Radius of Gyration (rx) – Reflects how the cross-sectional area is distributed about the centroid; used in column and beam stability analysis.
Applications and Design Use
W-beams are the preferred choice for structural framing systems, bridge girders, column supports, and industrial platforms due to their high load-bearing efficiency and ease of fabrication. Engineers rely on these section properties for bending moment, shear force, and deflection calculations to ensure compliance with AISC Steel Construction Manual and relevant design codes.
Using this reference chart, structural engineers, architects, and fabricators can quickly identify and compare beam sizes, evaluate performance parameters, and select optimal W-sections for safe and cost-effective steel design.