h type steel beam W16x50 W16x55
W16x50 and W16x55 wide flange H-beams are part of the W16 series and have a nominal height of 16 inches, but differ in weight and cross-sectional properties.
W16x50 Structural H Beam
Basic specifications and dimensions of W16x50 steel h column
Nomenclature: W16x50 means nominal depth of 16 inches and weight of 50 pounds per foot.
Depth: about 16.26 inches (about 413 mm).
Flange Width: about 7.07 inches (about 179.6 mm).
Web Thickness: about 0.38 inches (about 9.65 mm).
Flange Thickness: about 0.63 inches (about 16 mm).
Cross-Sectional Area: about 14.7 square inches (about 948 square millimeters).
Weight per foot: 50 pounds per foot (about 74.4 kg/m).
Material and mechanical properties of W16x50 h section beam (ASTM A992)
Yield strength: 50 ksi (about 345 MPa).
Tensile strength: 65 ksi (about 448 MPa).
Moment of Inertia:
X axis (strong axis): about 659 in⁴ (about 2.74×10⁸ mm⁴).
Y axis (weak axis): about 23.6 in⁴ (about 9.82×10⁶ mm⁴).
Section Modulus:
X axis: about 81.0 in³ (about 1.33×10⁶ mm³).
Y axis: about 6.67 in³ (about 1.09×10⁵ mm³).
Application areas of W16x50 h beam structure
Architecture: secondary beams or supporting columns of small and medium-sized buildings.
Industry: Lightweight factory frame.
Bridge: Auxiliary components for small bridges.
W16x55 H Section Steel Beam
Basic specifications and dimensions of W16x55 h beam steel structure
Nomenclature: W16x55 means nominal depth of 16 inches and weight of 55 pounds per foot.
Depth: about 16.43 inches (about 417.3 mm).
Flange Width: about 7.53 inches (about 191.3 mm).
Web Thickness: about 0.43 inches (about 10.9 mm).
Flange Thickness: about 0.69 inches (about 17.5 mm).
Cross-Sectional Area: about 16.2 square inches (about 1045 square mm).
Weight per foot: 55 pounds per foot (about 81.8 kg/m).
Material and mechanical properties of W16x55 h beam material (ASTM A992)
Yield strength: 50 ksi (about 345 MPa).
Tensile strength: 65 ksi (about 448 MPa).
Moment of Inertia:
X axis (strong axis): about 749 in⁴ (about 3.12×10⁸ mm⁴).
Y axis (weak axis): about 30.8 in⁴ (about 1.28×10⁷ mm⁴).
Section modulus:
X axis: about 91.2 in³ (about 1.49×10⁶ mm³).
Y axis: about 8.18 in³ (about 1.34×10⁵ mm³).
Application areas of W16x55 structural steel h beam
Architecture: main beam or secondary beam of medium-sized buildings.
Industry: medium load equipment support structure.
Earthquake-resistant design: Due to the good toughness of A992 material, it is suitable for small and medium-sized structures in earthquake zones.
Comparison between W16x50 h shaped iron beam and W16x55 h shaped beam
Dimensions and Weight
W16x50 h type beam: 16.26 in. deep, 7.07 in. wide flange, 50 lbs/ft.
W16x55 material h beam: 16.43 in. deep, 7.53 in. wide flange, 55 lbs/ft.
Differences: W16x55 has slightly thicker web and flanges, about 10% more cross-sectional area, and 5 lbs/ft more weight.
Mechanical Properties
Moment of Inertia: The W16x55 h shaped steel beam has a moment of inertia about the strong axis (749 in⁴) that is about 13.7% higher than the W16x50 (659 in⁴), and is more resistant to bending.
Section modulus: The X-axis section modulus of W16x55 steel beam h (91.2 in³) is about 12.6% higher than that of W16x50 (81.0 in³), which means it has better stress resistance.
Conclusion: W16x55 can withstand greater loads at the same span.
W16x50 is more suitable for lightweight structures or projects with limited budgets.
W16x55 is suitable for medium-sized structures that require slightly higher load-bearing capacity.
