— Structural Steel Shapes
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 | Min. Tensile Fu | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM A36 | 36 ksi | 58–80 ksi | Plates, angles, general fabrication — largely superseded by A992 for W-shapes |
| ASTM A992 | 50 ksi | 65 ksi min. | Standard specification for W-shapes since the early 2000s |
| ASTM A572 Gr. 50 | 50 ksi | 65 ksi | High-strength low-alloy plates, channels, angles |
| ASTM A500 Gr. C | 46 ksi (rd.) / 50 ksi (sq./rect.) | 62 ksi | Cold-formed welded/seamless HSS — the common HSS grade |
| ASTM A53 Gr. B | 35 ksi | 60 ksi | Standard steel pipe |
Representative W-Shape Properties
A small sample of commonly referenced sizes — not a substitute for the full AISC Shapes Database. Always confirm exact section properties against the current AISC Steel Construction Manual before use in design.
| Designation | Depth d (in) | Area (in²) | Ix (in⁴) | Sx (in³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W8×31 | 8.00 | 9.13 | 110 | 27.5 |
| W12×26 | 12.2 | 7.65 | 204 | 33.4 |
| W16×26 | 15.7 | 7.68 | 301 | 38.4 |
| W18×35 | 17.7 | 10.3 | 510 | 57.6 |
| W24×55 | 23.6 | 16.2 | 1350 | 114 |