Structural steel shapes provide support to buildings of all kinds. They’re integral to weight distribution and ensure the integrity, safety, and durability of buildings.

In addition to being characterized by their shape, structural steel shapes vary in their mechanical, and chemical qualities, which also play a role in determining how they are used and when. Kloeckner Metals stocks structural channels, structural tubes, structural angles, structural beams, and structural plate and can customize any and all to customer specification.

What Is Structural Steel profiles ?

Structural Steel profiles is a high utility building material that is made of a versatile type of carbon steel that’s available in a range of metal grades. Uses span everything from bridges to residential and commercial constructions, from parking garages to machine bases.

The Advantage of Structural Steel

There are many reasons structural steel is a critical component for thousands of buildings around the world. Here are ten according to the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC):

Cost effectiveness. Overall costs including erection, material, and fabrication are lower than other building systems and do not experience diminishing return.

Accelerated schedules. Off-site fabrication supports quick construction, even in adverse weather conditions.

Increased usable floor space. Design flexibility makes open spaces possible.

Aesthetically pleasing. Pliability offers designers many options to create beautiful spaces.

Future adaptability. Existing steel frames can be repurposed.

Quality and predictability. Off-site fabrication and delivery accelerate building schedules.

Ease of design. Consistent strength levels simplify the design process.

Enhanced productivity. A fully integrated supply chain and advanced technology reduce error, lower cost, and improve safety.

Green. As much as 93% of structural steel produced in the United States is recycled and will continue to be recyclable.

Solutions abound. Structural steel can adapt to resolve project challenges, wherever they may arise.

Structural Steel Shapes

Though structural steel shapes can be customized, they usually fall into one of four categories: beams, angles, channels, or plates. Each shape has defining features and optimal applications.

Structural Steel Angles

Structural steel angles is a hot rolled product with an L-shaped cross-section that’s appropriate for a number of applications. A standard structural angle is 90 degrees and is measured by the length of the legs as well as the leg thickness.

L-shapes

L-shapes are produced with both equal and unequal leg lengths. When notating unequal leg angles in measurement, the longer leg is always first, and thickness last. All measurements are always taken from the outside.

Applications include structural reinforcement, framework, shelving, and repair.

Structural Steel Tubing – Hollow Structural Sections

Hollow structural section (HSS) refers to high-strength welded steel tubing. Sometimes referred to as hollow steel sections, they are produced in round, square, and rectangular shapes that support multidirectional load bearing. As the name suggests, regardless of shape, the mid-sections are hollow.

Tubes are a hollow steel shape that can be further distinguished as either mechanical or structural tubing. Mechanical tubing is used in low-stress applications and is characterized by a thinner wall. Structural tubing is designed for high-stress structural applications in bridges, buildings, roll cages, and underwater platforms. The walls are thicker and stronger.

Pipes are another hollow structure that is intended to carry liquids, gasses, or even solids. Its wall thickness is described by its schedule, which is a system created by the American Standards Association.

Structural Steel Beams

Stuctural steel beams are the basis of support. The basic design is built to handle a maximum bending load with minimum material.

Beams have a flat top and bottom, called flanges (sometimes, legs). Often these flanges taper. The vertical section of the beam is called the web. The web is built to resist blunt force, while flanges resist bending. The angle which connects the web to the flanges is called the fillet.

Beams are identified by their depth, which is the distance from the top to the bottom; flange width, which is the length of the horizontal flanges; flange thickness; and web thickness.

Steel I beams are high-strength, long-span structural timber beams which are extensively used in construction and engineering projects. In general speaking, I beams contains S-beam, universal beam, H beam or wide flange beam. However, these beam sections are different in dimensions, strength and applications.

I beam consists horizontal element - flanges and vertical element - web. The web resists shear forces while the flanges resist most of the bending moment. Due to its effectiveness in carrying both bending and shear loads, it is the most frequent for steel buildings, bridge and civil project.

According to the profile, steel beams can be divided into "S" shaped I beam and wide flange H beam. What is the difference between S-shaped beam section to wide flange H beam? First, wide flange steel beam has parallel flanges while S-shaped I beam has tapered flanges which have a slope on the inside surface. Second, for the wide flange beam, the width of web and flange is almost equal, while for the S beam, the flange is a lot narrower than the web. Third, as a result of the differences above, their mechanical properties and applications are very different.

Steel i beam dimensions:

According to European Standards, Steel I Beams dimensions contain IPN & IPE. Find the following profiles and the details in specific steel I beam products.

Steel i beam applications:

Support beams for construction, facilities and engineering.

Support steel channels, steel angles.

Workplace platforms.

Factory shops, warehouses.

Truck bed framing.

Wide flange h beam dimensions:

Light version - HEA according to DIN 1025-3.

Normal Version - HEB according to DIN 1025-2.

Heavy Version - HEM according to DIN 1025-4.

Wide flange h beam applications:

Construction support beams for factory shops, steel buildings.

Factory platforms.

Bridges.

Frames for truck bed.

Machinary.

beams are sometimes called the universal beam or wide flange beams. The name describes the shape of the cross-section and legs that are parallel. I-beams act as the critical support trusses in construction framework.

S Beams are designed to offer superior strength with wider flanges that have a slope on the inside surface. They are used in home and building construction, truck bed frames, hoists, lifts, and more.