How to Use the Wide Flange (W-Beam) Weight Calculator
Wide flange beams (AISC W-shape, also called H-beams or I-beams) share the same web-and-flange cross section, so the same formula covers both. Enter the depth (d), flange width (bf), web thickness (tw), flange thickness (tf), and length to get the theoretical unit weight and total weight.
The cross-sectional area is two flanges (width × flange thickness × 2) plus the web ((depth − flange thickness × 2) × web thickness). Multiplying by the standard steel density factor of 3.4028 (from 490 lb/ft³) gives the unit weight in lb/ft, and multiplying by length gives the total weight for your run.
This formula ignores the fillet radius where the web meets the flanges, so it can differ from the AISC Steel Construction Manual's published weight by roughly 1-3%. For structural design, always verify against the AISC manual and have a licensed structural engineer confirm the final member size before construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Add the area of both flanges (width × flange thickness × 2) to the web area ((depth − flange thickness × 2) × web thickness), then multiply the total area by the steel density factor 3.4028 to get weight per foot.
Not exactly. This approximation ignores the fillet radius where the web meets the flanges, so it can differ from the AISC Steel Construction Manual value by about 1-3%.