I-beams and H-beams are critical components in structural steel design but differ significantly in shape, strength, and ideal applications. I-beams have a narrow, tapered flange and are lighter, making them suitable for smaller projects and unidirectional load-bearing. In contrast, H-beams feature wider, thicker flanges, providing more strength and stability, making them ideal for larger structures and multi-directional load-bearing.
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This article explains these key differences in detail, helping you understand when and why to choose each beam type based on your project’s specific needs.
An I-beam, also known as a W-beam or Universal Beam, is a structural steel member shaped like a capital “I” when viewed from the side. The vertical middle section is called the web, while the top and bottom horizontal sections are called the flanges. The web resists shear forces, and the flanges resist bending moments. This distinctive design makes I-beams highly effective for vertical load-bearing applications.
H-beams, on the other hand, get their name from their appearance, resembling the letter “H.” Unlike I-beams, H-beams have wider and thicker flanges and are known for their equal dimensions of the web and flanges. This more symmetrical and robust structure enables H-beams to withstand both vertical and horizontal loads, making them highly versatile in construction.
The design of an I-beam is centered on efficiency. The narrow flanges make it suitable for bearing vertical loads, and the web transfers those forces downward. The flanges in I-beams taper slightly towards the edges, making them lighter and more economical for smaller construction projects. The overall “I” shape leads to good resistance to bending forces, primarily in one direction.
In contrast, the H-beam has broader flanges and a thicker web, making the beam more resistant to twisting and bending in multiple directions. The flanges in an H-beam are much wider and do not taper, providing a more substantial surface area for load distribution. This structure gives H-beams a perfect “H” shape and the capacity to handle heavier loads across wider spans.
Both I-beams and H-beams are manufactured from rolled steel, but the process differs in terms of the final product’s dimensions. I-beams are produced by rolling the steel into the desired “I” shape, while H-beams require more material and often a more complex manufacturing process due to their thicker flanges and webs. This results in H-beams being heavier and stronger but also more costly to produce.
In terms of cost, I-beams are generally more economical due to their lighter weight and lower material usage. They are a preferred option for budget-conscious projects that don’t require heavy load-bearing beams. H-beams, being heavier and more robust, come with a higher price tag due to the larger amount of steel used in their construction. However, for projects where strength and durability are critical, the additional investment in H-beams is often justified by their performance.
The uses of these two iron beams are many, but in this article, we will focus on three of the most commonly used ones:
Steel canopies, often supported by I-beams or H-beams, are commonly used in architectural designs to provide shade and weather protection. Due to their lightweight structure, I-beams are ideal for smaller canopies, while H-beams are used for larger installations requiring additional strength and stability. Canopies supported by these beams are typically found in commercial building entrances, parking structures, outdoor seating areas, and transit stations, where aesthetics and structural integrity are key. Discover more about our custom canopy solutions and see how we can elevate your project by visiting our Canopy Service Page.
Steel structures are the backbone of many construction projects, especially industrial and commercial buildings. H-beams are preferred in heavy-duty applications due to their superior strength and ability to handle multi-directional loads. These beams are commonly used in warehouses, factories, and high-rise buildings, ensuring the structure can bear significant weight over large spans. With their lighter profile, I-beams are often found in smaller commercial projects or where unidirectional load-bearing is needed, such as in residential buildings or smaller industrial facilities.
Steel staircases built with I-beams offer both strength and design flexibility. I-beams are frequently used in staircase construction due to their ease of installation and sleek profile, making them suitable for modern and industrial architectural designs. These staircases can be found in commercial offices, residential complexes, and public buildings, where safety and durability are essential. For larger, more industrial-scale stairs, H-beams may provide the additional load-bearing capacity required for heavy traffic areas.
I-beam, the inner surfaces of the upper and lower flanges have an inclination, generally 1:6, which makes the flanges thin on the outside and thick on the inside. This results in a huge difference in the cross-sectional properties of the I-beam on the two main planes. It is difficult to exert the strength characteristics in application. Although thickened I-beams have also appeared on the I-beam market, the structure of the I-beam has determined its shortcomings in torsional resistance.
H-shaped steel is a widely used profile in today’s steel structure buildings. It has many differences compared with I-beam. The first is the flange, and secondly the inner surface of the flange has no inclination, and the upper and lower surfaces are parallel. The cross-sectional properties of H-shaped steel are significantly better than traditional I-beam, channel steel and angle steel.
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H-shaped steel is an economical cross-section and high-efficiency profile with more optimized cross-sectional area distribution and more reasonable strength-to-weight ratio. It is named because its cross-section is the same as the English letter “H”. The two outer edges of the H-shaped steel have no slope on the inner side and are straight. This makes the welding and splicing of H-beams easier to operate than I-beams, has better mechanical properties per unit weight, and can save a lot of materials and construction time.
The I-beam section can withstand direct pressure well and can withstand tension, but the cross-section size cannot withstand torsion due to the narrow wing plate. H steel is the opposite, both have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Differences and uses of H-beam and I-beam
1. Whether I-shaped steel is ordinary or light, due to the relatively high and narrow cross-sectional dimensions, the moment of inertia of the two main sleeves of the cross-section is quite different. Therefore, it can generally only be used directly on its web. It is not suitable to use axial compression members or members that are perpendicular to the web plane and are curved, which greatly limits its application range.
2. H-shaped steel is an efficient and economical cutting profile (others include cold-formed thin-walled steel, profiled steel plates, etc.). Due to their reasonable cross-sectional shape, they can make the steel more efficient and improve its cutting capacity. Being different from the ordinary I-shaped steel, the flange of the H-shaped steel is widened, and the inner and outer surfaces are usually parallel, which makes it easier to connect to other components with high-strength bolts. Its size constitutes a reasonable series with complete models, which is convenient for design and selection.
3. The flanges of H-shaped steel are all of equal thickness, including rolled sections and combined sections composed of three welded plates. I-beams are all rolled sections. Due to poor production technology, the inner edge of the flange has a slope of 1:10. The rolling of H-shaped steel is different from that of ordinary I-beam steel, which only uses one set of horizontal rollers. Because its flange is wide and has no slope (or the slope is very small), it is necessary to add a set of vertical rollers for rolling at the same time. Therefore, its rolling process and equipment are more complex than ordinary rolling mills. The maximum height of rolled H-shaped steel that can be produced in China is 800mm. If it exceeds the height, it can only be welded and combined.
4. The I-beam has a small side length and a large height, and can only withstand force in one direction. The H-shaped steel channel is deep and thick, and can withstand forces in both directions.
5. With the development needs of steel structure buildings, only I-beams are not enough. Thickening I-beams will easily cause instability when used for load-bearing columns.
6. I-beams can only be used for beams, while H-beams can be used for load-bearing columns of structures.
7. The flange of I-beam is a variable wearing surface, which is thicker against the web and thinner on the outside; the flange of H-shaped steel is an equal wearing surface.
8. HW HM HN H is the general name for H-shaped steel. H-shaped steel is welded; HW HM HN is hot-rolled.
9. HW is an H-shaped steel whose height and flange width are basically equal; it is mainly used for steel core columns in reinforced concrete frame structure columns, also called stiff steel columns; it is mainly used for columns in steel structures.
10. HM is an H-shaped steel whose height to flange width ratio is roughly 1.33~~1.75; mainly used in steel structures: used as steel frame columns and frame beams in frame structures that bear dynamic loads; for example: equipment platforms.
11. HN is an H-shaped steel whose height to flange width ratio is greater than or equal to 2; it is mainly used for beams; the use of I-shaped steel is equivalent to that of HN-shaped steel.
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