Shape Designation Nomenclature
| Prefix | Shape Family | Designation Example |
|---|---|---|
| W | Wide-flange (I-shaped, parallel flange surfaces) | W12×26 = 12 in nominal depth, 26 lb/ft |
| S | American Standard beam (I-shaped, sloped inner flange) | S12×35 |
| M | Miscellaneous shape (doesn't fit W, S, or HP) | M8×6.5 |
| HP | Bearing pile (wide-flange, flange & web nearly equal thickness) | HP12×53 |
| C | American Standard channel | C9×15 |
| MC | Miscellaneous channel | MC8×8.5 |
| L | Angle (equal or unequal leg) | L4×4×3/8 |
| WT | Structural tee (cut from a W-shape) | WT6×13 |
| HSS (rect./sq.) | Hollow structural section | HSS6×4×3/8 |
| HSS (round) | Round hollow structural section | HSS8.625×0.322 |
| PIPE | Steel pipe (Std./x-Strong/xx-Strong or Schedule) | Pipe 6 Std. |
Common Structural Steel Grades
| Specification | Min. Yield Fy (ksi) | Min. Tensile Fu (ksi) | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM A36 | 36 | 58–80 | Plates, angles, general fabrication — largely superseded by A992 for W-shapes |
| ASTM A992 | 50 | 65 min. | Standard specification for W-shapes since the early 2000s |
| ASTM A572 Gr. 50 | 50 | 65 | High-strength low-alloy plates, channels, angles |
| ASTM A500 Gr. C | 46 (rd.) / 50 (sq./rect.) | 62 | Cold-formed welded/seamless HSS — the common HSS grade |
| ASTM A53 Gr. B | 35 | 60 | Standard steel pipe |
Shape Dimensions & Properties
Every W, M, S, HP, C, MC, single-angle, WT, HSS and pipe shape of the AISC Shapes Database v16.0 (Steel Construction Manual, 16th ed., Part 1), as the database gives it in US units; the SI values are converted.
Property Tables
One family at a time, in US units, in the database’s order.
No matching shapes.