Structural Steel

Structural steel is all around us in the world, supporting everything from our high-rise buildings to bridges, roads, and even homes. According to a 2012 report by the American Institute of Steel Construction, the industry supplied structural steel for over 8,000 buildings and bridges in 2011, and has revenue in excess of $10 billion annually.  

Types of Structural Steel


There are many different types of structural steel you can use, and the type you choose ultimately depends on the construction project you are working on. Some of the most common include:

Beams


Beams are the backbone of most structural projects, particularly for larger projects. There are a few different types that are commonly used on construction projects, known as an I-beam, Wide flange steel beam (W) with an I-shaped cross-section and wide parallel flange surfaces, American standard beam (S) with an I-shaped cross-section and sloping inner flange surfaces, Bearing Pile (HP) with an H-shaped cross-section, and other miscellaneous shapes that don’t fall into the above-mentioned categories.

Beams are often identified using a measurement of the width (in inches), by the weight per unit length, or the amount of pounds of force per foot it can withstand. For example, a W beam with a depth of 27 inches that has a weight per foot of 130 pounds would be denoted as W27 x 130.

 

Channels

Channels are another common type of structural steel that you can find at Wasatch Steel. Standard American Channels (C) look like an I-beam cut in half, with a C-shape from the side. They have sloping surfaces on the inner side of the C-shape, and are used to mount, brace, and support structural elements during construction. They are measured and denoted using a similar system to beams, with the depth, followed by the pound force per foot.  

Angles

Angles, like the name would indicate, are steel beams that have two sides that meet in an angle. They look like an L, and could have either two equal sides, or two unequal sides, depending on the type of angle you are using. The measurement system for these is different from beams and channels, indicating the measurement for each leg (Leg A and Leg B), plus the thickness of the steel for each leg. For example, an angle might be denoted as L4 x 3 x ¾, which would indicate an angle that has one side that is 4 inches, another that is 3 inches, and it has ¾ inch thick steel on each side.