Steel H-beam stock in Chicago IL, ready for supply and fabrication! Call  Structural Beam at 773-917-8998 to get a free quote, today!

Get structural steel H-beam for your construction project in Chicago IL!

There’s a structural steel beam for every job. When it’s time to transfer loads of the building to the foundation, resisting compression, bending moment, and shear stress, the steel H-beam comes in handy. When it’s time to span greater spans, a steel H-beam is there for you. Used for structural beams and columns in steel-framed buildings, both residential and commercial, H-beam is one of the most used steel beams in the construction industry.

H-beam vs I-beam

Stronger by design

The superior power of the H-beam is determined by its design. The cross-section of the H-beam looks more like a capital H, with flanges wider than those of the S-beam.

The web and the flanges of the H-beam are thicker than those of the I-beam. The web, or vertical component, withstands shear stress, whilst horizontal flanges resist the bending moment.

The equal thickness of the vertical web and horizontal flanges allows the steel H-beam to resist twisting and makes its mechanical properties incredibly strong.

Steel I-beam with its high tensile strength, is great for load-bearing under direct force.  There’s a beam for every job, just make sure you order the right one for the application!

Structural Beam’s specialists will be happy to help you make the right choice, we’ve got various steel beam sizes for sale in Chicago IL, feel free to call 773-917-8998 for a free consultation.

The material to match the design

Structural steel H-beam consists of hot-rolled steel. Mild structural steel, like ASTM A36, and more modern, higher tensile strength ASTM A992, replacing ASTM A572 and ASTM A36 in applications requiring extra-strength, is hot-rolled at the steel mill into the bevels, and then welded into the steel H-beams.

The difference in manufacturing

Steel H-beam is produced by welding together 3 beveled parts, and thus different from the I-beam production process when a single piece of steel is hot-rolled into an I-beam.

This way, the H-beam can be built-up to various sizes, whilst the size of the I-beam is limited to the capacity of the hot-rolling equipment at the steel mill.

Steel H-beam is widely used in the construction industry. Its main applications are pretty much the same for structural steel builds in residential and commercial construction as the ones of the I-beam.

In general, H-beams are used when the application is calling for a higher load-bearing capacity, than that of the I-beam, and extra weight per foot is not an issue:

• Spanning long spans in commercial buildings, H-beams can span up to 330 feet, compared to “only” 100 feet of I-beam’s maximum span
• Stronger structural columns for residential steel-framed buildings, like steel-framed multi-storey houses
• In industrial building construction, H-beams are great for building platforms, when the higher lb/ft ratio is not that important

Manufacturing and fabrication

Structural columns and beams are fabricated from the steel H-beams, by manufacturing, drilling, and cutting holes. The role of the structural column is to transfer the dead and live weight of the building to the foundation and provide structural stability to the building, structural beams bear loads and transfer it to the columns.

Beams and columns work together in the steel frame and are fabricated together, as a part of the one fabrication project, according to the engineer’s blueprints. Structural Beam offers steel fabrication services, reach out to receive a free consultation today!

Steel H-beam sizing

Reading the beam size designation

Since the H-beam has greater flange width than steel I-beams, it is often referred to as a wide flange beam and is designated by the letter W. The full designation will look like W6x9, where 6 is the depth, and 9 is the lbs/ft ratio, meaning that 1 foot of W6x9 beam will weigh 9 pounds.

H-beam sizing range

The range of H-beam sizes is from W4x13 to W12x336, custom H-beams can be built up to even greater sizes, like the ones used in bridge construction, industrial construction, etc.

Highly versatile, one of the great metal construction materials made of iron, steel H-beam can greatly benefit your building construction project. If you are looking to buy some or order fabrication, Structural Beam is offering steel H-beam supply and fabrication services in Chicago, IL.

Reach out and call  773-917-8998 today to place your order, or get a free price quote! Or, upload your blueprints into the calculator form on the site, and we’ll get back to you with the results.

What is an H beam used for?

H-beam is used for applications, where the extra weight is less important than extra-strength it provides, like in structural steel columns in the case of a steel-framed building.

Is I beam or H beam stronger?

Being of equal depth, the H-beam is stronger due to its web and flanges being thicker. That extra-thickness, along with its wider flanges, gives it a superior load-bearing capacity, if compared to I-beam

What does H beam mean?

H-beam is a structural steel beam with an H-shaped cross-section and a thicker web and flanges, that allow for longer spans. That makes H-beams a perfect choice of construction material for larger construction projects.