Search, filter and compare standard steel sections from US AISC, Canadian CISC, British, European and Australian libraries. View dimensions and section properties, download size charts, or analyze any section in the Kannamwar Engineering Calculator.
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Showing US AISC · W-Shapes · Imperial
AISC Shapes Database v16.0 · 2,299 sections
Searches every available library and shape family. Leave the field empty to browse the filters below.
Found 289 AISC W-shapes. Select a row to preview or check sections to compare.
Showing 1-75 of 289.
| Compare | Designation | Weight (lb/ft) | Depth, d (in) | Flange width, bf (in) | tw (in) | tf (in) | Area (in²) | Ix (in⁴) | Sx (in³) | Zx (in³) | Row action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W44x408 | 408 | 44.8 | 16.1 | 1.22 | 2.17 | 120 | 38,700 | 1,730 | 2,000 | Open calculator | |
| W44x368 | 368 | 44.4 | 16 | 1.1 | 1.97 | 108 | 34,700 | 1,560 | 1,800 | ||
| W44x335 | 335 | 44 | 15.9 | 1.03 | 1.77 | 98.5 | 31,100 | 1,410 | 1,620 | ||
| W44x290 | 290 | 43.6 | 15.8 | 0.865 | 1.58 | 85.4 | 27,000 | 1,240 | 1,410 | ||
| W40x655 | 655 | 43.6 | 16.9 | 1.97 | 3.54 | 193 | 56,500 | 2,590 | 3,080 | ||
| W44x262 | 262 | 43.3 | 15.8 | 0.785 | 1.42 | 77.2 | 24,100 | 1,110 | 1,270 | ||
| W36x853 | 853 | 43.1 | 18.2 | 2.52 | 4.53 | 251 | 70,000 | 3,250 | 3,920 | ||
| W36x925 | 925 | 43.1 | 18.6 | 3.02 | 4.53 | 272 | 73,000 | 3,390 | 4,130 | ||
| W40x593 | 593 | 43 | 16.7 | 1.79 | 3.23 | 174 | 50,400 | 2,340 | 2,760 | ||
| W44x230 | 230 | 42.9 | 15.8 | 0.71 | 1.22 | 67.8 | 20,800 | 971 | 1,100 | ||
| W36x802 | 802 | 42.6 | 18 | 2.38 | 4.29 | 236 | 64,800 | 3,040 | 3,660 | ||
| W40x503 | 503 | 42.1 | 16.4 | 1.54 | 2.76 | 148 | 41,600 | 1,980 | 2,320 | ||
| W36x723 | 723 | 41.8 | 17.8 | 2.17 | 3.9 | 213 | 57,300 | 2,740 | 3,270 | ||
| W40x392 | 392 | 41.6 | 12.4 | 1.42 | 2.52 | 116 | 29,900 | 1,440 | 1,710 | ||
| W40x431 | 431 | 41.3 | 16.2 | 1.34 | 2.36 | 127 | 34,800 | 1,690 | 1,960 | ||
| W36x652 | 652 | 41.1 | 17.6 | 1.97 | 3.54 | 192 | 50,600 | 2,460 | 2,910 | ||
| W40x397 | 397 | 41 | 16.1 | 1.22 | 2.2 | 117 | 32,000 | 1,560 | 1,800 | ||
| W40x327 | 327 | 40.8 | 12.1 | 1.18 | 2.13 | 95.9 | 24,500 | 1,200 | 1,410 | ||
| W40x331 | 331 | 40.8 | 12.2 | 1.22 | 2.13 | 97.7 | 24,700 | 1,210 | 1,430 | ||
| W40x362 | 362 | 40.6 | 16 | 1.12 | 2.01 | 106 | 28,900 | 1,420 | 1,640 | ||
| W40x372 | 372 | 40.6 | 16.1 | 1.16 | 2.05 | 110 | 29,600 | 1,460 | 1,680 | ||
| W40x294 | 294 | 40.4 | 12 | 1.06 | 1.93 | 86.2 | 21,900 | 1,080 | 1,270 | ||
| W40x278 | 278 | 40.2 | 12 | 1.03 | 1.81 | 82.3 | 20,500 | 1,020 | 1,190 | ||
| W40x324 | 324 | 40.2 | 15.9 | 1 | 1.81 | 95.3 | 25,600 | 1,280 | 1,460 | ||
| W40x264 | 264 | 40 | 11.9 | 0.96 | 1.73 | 77.4 | 19,400 | 971 | 1,130 | ||
| W40x297 | 297 | 39.8 | 15.8 | 0.93 | 1.65 | 87.3 | 23,200 | 1,170 | 1,330 | ||
| W36x529 | 529 | 39.8 | 17.2 | 1.61 | 2.91 | 156 | 39,600 | 1,990 | 2,330 | ||
| W40x235 | 235 | 39.7 | 11.9 | 0.83 | 1.58 | 69.1 | 17,400 | 875 | 1,010 | ||
| W40x277 | 277 | 39.7 | 15.8 | 0.83 | 1.58 | 81.5 | 21,900 | 1,100 | 1,250 | ||
| W40x211 | 211 | 39.4 | 11.8 | 0.75 | 1.42 | 62.1 | 15,500 | 786 | 906 | ||
| W40x249 | 249 | 39.4 | 15.8 | 0.75 | 1.42 | 73.5 | 19,600 | 993 | 1,120 | ||
| W36x487 | 487 | 39.3 | 17.1 | 1.5 | 2.68 | 143 | 36,000 | 1,830 | 2,130 | ||
| W36x387 | 387 | 39.1 | 12.7 | 1.42 | 2.56 | 114 | 26,500 | 1,360 | 1,610 | ||
| W40x183 | 183 | 39 | 11.8 | 0.65 | 1.2 | 53.3 | 13,200 | 675 | 774 | ||
| W40x215 | 215 | 39 | 15.8 | 0.65 | 1.22 | 63.5 | 16,700 | 859 | 964 | ||
| W36x441 | 441 | 38.9 | 17 | 1.36 | 2.44 | 130 | 32,100 | 1,650 | 1,910 | ||
| W40x199 | 199 | 38.7 | 15.8 | 0.65 | 1.07 | 58.8 | 14,900 | 770 | 869 | ||
| W40x167 | 167 | 38.6 | 11.8 | 0.65 | 1.03 | 49.3 | 11,600 | 600 | 693 | ||
| W36x350 | 350 | 38.6 | 12.6 | 1.3 | 2.32 | 103 | 23,600 | 1,220 | 1,440 | ||
| W36x395 | 395 | 38.4 | 16.8 | 1.22 | 2.2 | 116 | 28,500 | 1,490 | 1,710 | ||
| W40x149 | 149 | 38.2 | 11.8 | 0.63 | 0.83 | 43.8 | 9,800 | 513 | 598 | ||
| W36x318 | 318 | 38.2 | 12.4 | 1.18 | 2.13 | 93.4 | 21,200 | 1,110 | 1,300 | ||
| W36x361 | 361 | 38 | 16.7 | 1.12 | 2.01 | 106 | 25,700 | 1,350 | 1,550 | ||
| W36x286 | 286 | 37.8 | 12.3 | 1.06 | 1.93 | 83.9 | 18,900 | 1,000 | 1,160 | ||
| W36x330 | 330 | 37.7 | 16.6 | 1.02 | 1.85 | 96.9 | 23,300 | 1,240 | 1,410 | ||
| W36x256 | 256 | 37.4 | 12.2 | 0.96 | 1.73 | 75.3 | 16,800 | 895 | 1,040 | ||
| W36x302 | 302 | 37.3 | 16.7 | 0.945 | 1.68 | 89 | 21,100 | 1,130 | 1,280 | ||
| W36x232 | 232 | 37.1 | 12.1 | 0.87 | 1.57 | 68 | 15,000 | 809 | 936 | ||
| W36x282 | 282 | 37.1 | 16.6 | 0.885 | 1.57 | 82.9 | 19,600 | 1,050 | 1,190 | ||
| W36x262 | 262 | 36.9 | 16.6 | 0.84 | 1.44 | 77.2 | 17,900 | 972 | 1,100 | ||
| W36x210 | 210 | 36.7 | 12.2 | 0.83 | 1.36 | 61.9 | 13,200 | 719 | 833 | ||
| W36x247 | 247 | 36.7 | 16.5 | 0.8 | 1.35 | 72.5 | 16,700 | 913 | 1,030 | ||
| W36x194 | 194 | 36.5 | 12.1 | 0.765 | 1.26 | 57 | 12,100 | 664 | 767 | ||
| W36x231 | 231 | 36.5 | 16.5 | 0.76 | 1.26 | 68.2 | 15,600 | 854 | 963 | ||
| W36x182 | 182 | 36.3 | 12.1 | 0.725 | 1.18 | 53.6 | 11,300 | 623 | 718 | ||
| W36x170 | 170 | 36.2 | 12 | 0.68 | 1.1 | 50 | 10,500 | 581 | 668 | ||
| W36x160 | 160 | 36 | 12 | 0.65 | 1.02 | 47 | 9,760 | 542 | 624 | ||
| W33x387 | 387 | 36 | 16.2 | 1.26 | 2.28 | 114 | 24,300 | 1,350 | 1,560 | ||
| W36x150 | 150 | 35.9 | 12 | 0.625 | 0.94 | 44.3 | 9,040 | 504 | 581 | ||
| W36x135 | 135 | 35.6 | 12 | 0.6 | 0.79 | 39.9 | 7,800 | 439 | 509 | ||
| W33x354 | 354 | 35.6 | 16.1 | 1.16 | 2.09 | 104 | 22,000 | 1,240 | 1,420 | ||
| W33x318 | 318 | 35.2 | 16 | 1.04 | 1.89 | 93.7 | 19,500 | 1,110 | 1,270 | ||
| W33x291 | 291 | 34.8 | 15.9 | 0.96 | 1.73 | 85.6 | 17,700 | 1,020 | 1,160 | ||
| W33x263 | 263 | 34.5 | 15.8 | 0.87 | 1.57 | 77.4 | 15,900 | 919 | 1,040 | ||
| W33x241 | 241 | 34.2 | 15.9 | 0.83 | 1.4 | 71.1 | 14,200 | 831 | 940 | ||
| W33x221 | 221 | 33.9 | 15.8 | 0.775 | 1.28 | 65.3 | 12,900 | 759 | 857 | ||
| W33x169 | 169 | 33.8 | 11.5 | 0.67 | 1.22 | 49.5 | 9,290 | 549 | 629 | ||
| W33x201 | 201 | 33.7 | 15.7 | 0.715 | 1.15 | 59.1 | 11,600 | 686 | 773 | ||
| W33x152 | 152 | 33.5 | 11.6 | 0.635 | 1.06 | 44.9 | 8,160 | 487 | 559 | ||
| W33x141 | 141 | 33.3 | 11.5 | 0.605 | 0.96 | 41.5 | 7,450 | 448 | 514 | ||
| W30x391 | 391 | 33.2 | 15.6 | 1.36 | 2.44 | 115 | 20,700 | 1,250 | 1,450 | ||
| W33x130 | 130 | 33.1 | 11.5 | 0.58 | 0.855 | 38.3 | 6,710 | 406 | 467 | ||
| W33x118 | 118 | 32.9 | 11.5 | 0.55 | 0.74 | 34.7 | 5,900 | 359 | 415 | ||
| W30x357 | 357 | 32.8 | 15.5 | 1.24 | 2.24 | 105 | 18,700 | 1,140 | 1,320 | ||
| W27x539 | 539 | 32.5 | 15.3 | 1.97 | 3.54 | 159 | 25,600 | 1,570 | 1,890 |
Selected section
US AISC Wide flangeImperial
Not to scale. Dimensions shown for reference.
408 lb/ft · 44.8 in deep · 16.1 in wide
Opens the calculator with W44x408 properties preloaded.
View full propertiesBrowse all 6,691 integrated steel sections by country, regional standard and section family. Every family link opens its complete size chart with searchable dimensions, weights and section properties.
US customary designations with imperial and metric property display.
2,299 published sections
Shapes Database v16.0
Metric-native Canadian designations with converted imperial values.
1,514 published sections
Structural Section Tables v12.1
British rolled, tee, angle and hollow sections in metric and imperial display units.
1,196 published sections
Steel Sections v2023.11
European rolled, channel, angle and hollow-section families with metric-native properties.
1,239 published sections
European Steel Sections v2026.1
Australian rolled, welded, tee, angle, channel and hollow sections.
443 published sections
Australian Steel Sections v2019.11
Enter a complete designation such as W12×26, W310×39 or IPE 300, or select a regional library, shape family and depth series.
Use advanced filters to narrow sections by maximum depth, maximum weight, minimum Ix and minimum Sx.
Select a row to see its labelled cross-section. Check multiple sections to compare their dimensions and properties side by side.
Choose “Analyze in Beam Calculator” to open a new beam model with the selected section properties already loaded for slope, deflection and stress analysis.
Steel section labels encode family, size and weight differently by region. Use the examples below to read common US, Canadian, British and European designations.
W12×26 is an American wide-flange steel section. “W” identifies the shape family, “12” is the approximate nominal depth in inches, and “26” is the nominal weight in pounds per foot. The actual depth can differ from the nominal designation, so the tabulated dimensions should be used for analysis and detailing.
In the Canadian metric designation W310×39, “310” represents the approximate nominal depth in millimetres and “39” represents the nominal mass in kilograms per metre.
A British universal beam such as UB 406×178×67 is read as approximate depth × flange width × mass per metre: about 406 mm deep, 178 mm flange width, and 67 kg/m.
IPE 300 belongs to the European IPE family. “300” is the nominal section depth in millimetres. Actual depth, flange width and thickness vary by product and should be taken from the selected steel library.
These symbols appear in the steel section finder and PDF charts. Use the table below to understand what each property represents and why it matters in beam and column design.
| Symbol | Property | What it represents | Common units | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| d | Overall depth | Distance between the outer flange faces | in, mm | Influences stiffness, clearance and bending behaviour |
| bf | Flange width | Overall width of the flange | in, mm | Affects lateral stability and y-axis behaviour |
| tw | Web thickness | Thickness of the vertical web | in, mm | Important for shear resistance |
| tf | Flange thickness | Thickness of the flange | in, mm | Important for flexural resistance and local slenderness |
| A | Cross-sectional area | Total steel area | in2, mm2 | Used for weight, axial stress and average shear stress |
| Ix | Moment of inertia about the x-axis | Distribution of area about the x-axis | in4, mm4 | Controls flexural stiffness and deflection about the x-axis |
| Iy | Moment of inertia about the y-axis | Distribution of area about the y-axis | in4, mm4 | Controls stiffness about the y-axis |
| Sx | Elastic section modulus | Ix divided by the extreme-fibre distance | in3, mm3 | Used for elastic bending stress |
| Sy | Elastic section modulus about the y-axis | Elastic modulus about the y-axis | in3, mm3 | Used for bending stress about the y-axis |
| Zx | Plastic section modulus | Plastic bending property about the x-axis | in3, mm3 | Used in plastic flexural resistance calculations |
| Zy | Plastic section modulus about the y-axis | Plastic property about the y-axis | in3, mm3 | Used in plastic resistance about the y-axis |
| rx | Radius of gyration about the x-axis | √(Ix/A) | in, mm | Used in member slenderness calculations |
| ry | Radius of gyration about the y-axis | √(Iy/A) | in, mm | Often important for column and lateral stability |
| J | Torsional constant | Saint-Venant torsional property | in4, mm4 | Used in torsional and stability calculations |
| Cw | Warping constant | Resistance associated with nonuniform warping | in6, mm6 | Used in lateral-torsional buckling analysis |
Steel libraries use different designations for similar families. Use the crosswalk below to open the matching catalog for each region.
Rolled, welded, parallel-flange and taper-flange beam families.
Stockier I-sections, pile sections, welded columns and column cores.
Single-web sections for secondary framing and bracing.
Equal- and unequal-leg sections for connections and built-up members.
Square, rectangular and round closed sections.
Structural tees cut from I-sections, commonly used in trusses and connections.
Round sections designated according to nominal pipe sizing conventions.
A section with a larger moment of inertia is generally stiffer about the corresponding axis, but that does not automatically make it suitable for a particular beam. The required section depends on the span, support conditions, applied loads, material grade, unbraced length, deflection criteria and applicable design standard.
Establish span and support conditions.
Define dead, live and other applicable loads.
Select the appropriate material and regional standard.
Identify candidate sections based on depth, weight and stiffness.
Analyze reactions, shear, moment, slope and deflection.
Complete the applicable strength, stability and serviceability checks.
Compare passing alternatives for weight and constructability.
Analysis workflows
For a line beam, select a section and choose “Analyze in Beam Calculator” to open a model with its properties already loaded. For portal frames, trusses, braced frames and other connected systems, open the 2D Structural Analysis app and assign standard or custom sections to each member.
Need to combine catalogue shapes with plates, openings or imported CAD geometry? Use the free Section Builder for custom, arbitrary and built-up cross-sections.
PDF downloads
Get printable Kannamwar Engineering PDFs instantly from the finder—no email wait. Use a section sheet for one designation, or a size chart for the family or group you are browsing.
Select a section above, then use Download PDF on the selected card.
W12x26
AISC · Wide flange · Imperial
Not to scale
Geometry
Section properties
Methodology
Kannamwar Engineering preserves the underlying published source values and uses normalized values for unit conversion and calculations. Values displayed in the table may be rounded for readability. Confirm critical dimensions and properties against the official publisher’s tables before fabrication or final design.
Last verified: July 2026
Questions & answers
The numbers encode size differently by library. In AISC W12×26, 12 is the approximate nominal depth in inches and 26 is the weight in pounds per foot. In Canadian W310×39, 310 is the approximate depth in millimetres and 39 is the mass in kilograms per metre. British UB designations use depth × flange width × mass, while IPE 300 uses a nominal depth in millimetres. Always use the tabulated dimensions for detailing and analysis.
“I-beam” is an informal name for I-shaped sections. A W-beam is an AISC wide-flange shape—the common rolled I-section with parallel flanges. American standard S shapes are also I-shaped but use different flange geometry. Other libraries use designations such as UB, UC or IPE for similar families.
Nominal depth is the rounded depth used in the designation, such as the “12” in W12×26. Actual depth is the published overall depth from the steel table and can differ from the nominal value. Use the tabulated depth for clearance, connections and analysis.
Ix is the moment of inertia about the x-axis and governs stiffness and deflection. Sx is the elastic section modulus about the x-axis and is used in elastic bending stress checks. Zx is the plastic section modulus about the x-axis and is used for plastic bending strength of suitable ductile sections. None of these alone is a complete code design check.
Select multiple sections with the compare checkboxes to review depth, weight, Ix, Sx and related properties side by side. For project suitability, send candidates to the Kannamwar Engineering calculator and compare them under the same span, supports and loads.
Yes. Use the Metric / Imperial toggle in the steel section finder. Display values are normalized for the selected unit system while the original source data remains stored in the database.
The finder includes 6,691 sections from AISC Shapes Database v16.0, Canadian CISC Structural Section Tables SST12.1, and the integrated European, British and Australian libraries across rolled, welded, angle, tee, channel, pipe and hollow-section families.
Yes. Use Export Excel or Export PDF in the finder toolbar. Both exports include the sections that match your current family, unit system and active filters. For a single designation, select the section and use Download PDF on the selected card.
Yes. Choose Analyze on a selected section to open the Kannamwar Engineering calculator with that section’s geometric and section properties loaded into a new beam model. Then define the span, supports and loads to calculate reactions, shear, moment, slope, deflection and stress.
No. A higher Ix means the section is generally stiffer about that axis, which often reduces deflection, but it does not by itself determine load capacity. Capacity depends on span, support conditions, loads, material grade, unbraced length, deflection limits and the applicable design standard.
No. This page helps you browse, compare and analyze steel sections. Selecting the correct beam for a project requires engineering judgment and the applicable strength, stability and serviceability checks for your design standard.
Use these values as a convenient reference from published steel shape libraries. Before fabrication or final design, confirm critical dimensions and properties against the publisher’s official tables for the edition you are using.