Sourced and supplied across Saudi Arabia
The name covers two families that are not interchangeable and are routinely confused when a section is ordered by depth alone. The narrow-flange I section — the IPE family and the older tapered-flange joist — puts most of its material in the web and is efficient in bending about its major axis, which is what a floor beam mostly does. The wide-flange H section is a different shape with much greater lateral stiffness, and it is what a column needs. Ordering an I where an H was designed gives a member that is adequate on paper for the bending moment and unstable sideways. So order by the full section designation from the drawing, not by depth in millimetres. Two more items belong in the enquiry: the steel grade, because a section rolled in one grade cannot be substituted for another without a check, and the length, since a section supplied in mill lengths and cut on site wastes more than most estimates allow for.
The more of this you send, the closer the first quotation lands.
| Section designation | The full designation from the drawing, not the depth alone |
|---|---|
| Section family | Narrow flange I, tapered flange joist, or wide flange H |
| Span | Clear span between supports, and the bearing length at each end |
| Lateral restraint | Whether the compression flange is restrained, and at what spacing |
| Loading | Uniform, point loads, or a moving load such as a hoist |
| Steel grade | Such as an EN 10025-2 or ASTM grade named by the design |
| Notching and coping | At supports and where beams frame in — it is fabrication |
| Web openings | State if services must pass through, and where |
| Precamber | State if the beam is to be cambered, and by how much |
| Lengths and quantity | Cut lengths and pieces, or total tonnage |
| Protective treatment | Paint system or hot dip galvanising for the exposure |
| Certification | Mill certificate type and traceability to the heat |
Select one and it travels with your enquiry. Not sure? Leave it and describe the application instead.
We source to specification. Send your requirement and we will come back with options, lead time and pricing.