H Beam Weight Calculator - Calculate the Weight of H Beams (2024)

Our handy H-beam weight calculator makes it quick and easy to calculate the per foot, per meter, or total weight of H-beams across various dimensions.

Please refer to the user guide below the calculator for any technical guidance. We’ve also included a helpful tutorial if you’d prefer to calculate the weight of a H-beam manually and handy weight charts for common HEA and HEB and HEM beams.

Disclaimer: The weights shown in the above calculator are for guidance only and should not form the basis of any calculations where precise or accurate information is required. It isn’t uncommon for theoretical metal weights and densities to vary considerably from actual weights and densities, for example, due to differences in manufacturing processes and material compositions. Therefore, you should obtain relevant, accurate information from manufacturers if exact weight calculations are required.

How to Use the H Beam Weight Calculator

1. The first step is choosing the material used for the H beam(s) in your calculation, and you can choose this via the ‘H Beam Material’ dropdown in box (1).

   The ‘Density’ box will automatically be populated based on the material type you choose.

   You can update the ‘Density’ figure if needed, although we’ve based the figure used for each material on industry guidance.

2. You can change how many H beams you include in your calculation by updating the ‘Quantity’ dropdown in box (1).

3. You’ll need to enter various dimensions for your calculation including ‘Length’, ‘Width’, ‘Height’, the ‘Web Thickness’, the ‘Flange Thickness’, and the ‘Internal Radius’ as per the diagram in the calculator.

   Note: You don’t need to set an ‘Internal Radius’ figure if you don’t know it (simply enter ‘0’ in the box in this case), however the calculation will be more accurate if you include the correct value here.

   You can select the relevant units for each measurement using the ‘Unit’ dropdowns, including millimeters, centimeters, meters, inches, and feet.

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   Note: If you choose ‘inch’ as a unit, you’ll need to use either whole or decimal numbers instead of fractions. For example, 0.25 instead of ¹/₄.

4. Use the ‘Calculate’ button to complete your calculation, or the ‘Reset’ button to reset the H beam weight calculator if you want to start over.

How to Calculate H Beam Weight

Here’s how to manually calculate the weight of an H beam if you’d prefer to bypass the calculator above:

How to Calculate the Weight of an H Beam

You’ll first need to calculate the volume of the H beam, and you can do so via the following equation:

V1 = (W x FT x L) x 2
V2 = (H – (2 x FT)) x WT x L
V3 = ((R x 2)² – (π x R²)) x L
Overall Volume = V1 + V2 + V3

The above H beam weight formula consists of the following elements:

Let’s work through an example of a mild steel H beam that has a length of 1000mm, height of 100mm, width of 100mm, web thickness of 6mm, flange thickness of 10mm, and an internal radius of 12mm.

We’ll be using a density of 7850 kg/m³ for the mild steel in our calculation, so we need to convert the dimensions above into meters. The length becomes 1.0m, the height and width is 0.1m, the web thickness is 0.006mm, the flange thickness is 0.010m, and finally, the internal radius is 0.012m for the calculation.

Here’s an overview of how the H beam volume calculation works in the case of this example:

V1 = (0.1 x 0.010 x 1.0) x 2
V1 = 0.002m³

V2 = (0.1 – (2 x 0.010)) x 0.006 x 1.0
V2 = 0.00048m³

V3 = (0.2 x 2 x 0.01) + 2 x ((0.1 – 0.01) x 2 x 0.01)
V3 = 0.000123552m³

Overall Volume = 0.002m³ + 0.00048m³ + 0.000123552m³
Overall Volume = 0.0026m³

Mild Steel Density = 7850 kg/m³

If we multiply the 0.0076m³ volume figure by the 7850 kg/m³ density figure, we end up with a weight of 20.44 kg or 45.06 lbs.

HEA vs HEB vs HEM Beams – What’s the Difference?

There are three common European standard steel H-section types, including HEA (IPBL), HEB, and HEM beams.

The main difference between HEA, HEB, and HEM beams is the thickness and strength of the beam’s components. HEA beams, for example, have thinner flange and web thicknesses versus HEB and HEM beams, making them lighter and reducing their overall load-bearing capacity. HEB beams have a thicker flange and web section than HEA beams, whereas HEM beams are thicker again, making them stronger and heavier over a given length.

HEA, HEB, and HEM beams are typically manufactured using steel grades of S235JR, S275JR/J0, and S355JR/J2, but other grades can be used.

Standard beam lengths include 6000mm, 6100mm, 12000mm, and 12100mm. However, many manufacturers can offer these beams in custom sizes.

HEA, HEB, and HEM beams are subject to the following standards:

• Steel – EN 10025-2
• Dimensions – DIN 1025-3 / Euronorm 53-62
• Tolerances – EN 10034
• Surface – EN 10163-3

Other applicable standards depending on location include:

• STN 42 5550
• ČSN 42 5550
• TDP: STN 42 0135

Here’s an overview of the weight and dimensional information for each type:

HEA Beams

The lightest of the three European standard steel H-section types, here’s a summary of the weight and dimension data for HEA beams:

HEB Beams

The intermediate profile in terms of European standard steel H-section types, HEB beams are typically available in the following dimensions and weights:

HEM Beams

The heaviest of the three European standard steel H-section types (due to thicker flange and web profiles as outlined above), here’s a summary of the weight and dimension data for HEM beams:

Other Types of H Beam

Other classifications of H Beam are available, with hot-rolled H Beams being available in the following sizes and weights:

Narrow Flange H Beams

Medium Flange H Beams

Wide Flange H Beams

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