Properties of Rolled Steel Beams are important in mechanical and structural engineering because these beams are standard hot-rolled steel sections used for carrying loads in buildings, industrial structures, platforms, bridges, and many fabricated steel structures. Their dimensions and sectional properties help engineers select the correct beam size during design and analysis.
Rolled steel beams are manufactured as hot-rolled structural steel sections. The commonly used Indian beam designations shown in this table are ISLB (Indian Standard Light Beam) and ISMB (Indian Standard Medium Weight Beam). These designations identify standardized beam series with fixed dimensions and sectional properties used in engineering practice. The dimensional standard for hot-rolled beam sections is covered by IS 808, while structural steel material requirements are specified separately under IS 2062.
The following Properties of Rolled Steel Beams table includes important engineering values such as depth of beam, flange width, web thickness, flange thickness, weight per metre, sectional area, moment of inertia, and radius of gyration. These properties are used in calculations related to beam strength, bending, stiffness, buckling, and structural design.
Important: ISLB and ISMB indicate the standardized beam section series; the actual steel grade is not determined by the designation alone. The applicable material grade should be selected according to the project specification and the relevant structural steel standard such as IS 2062.
Properties of Rolled Steel Beams
| Designation | Depth of Beam, h (mm) | Width of Flange, b (mm) | Thickness of Web, tᵥ (mm) | Thickness of Flange, t_f (mm) | Weight per metre (kgf) | Sectional Area (cm²) | I_xx (cm⁴) | I_yy (cm⁴) | k_xx (cm) | k_yy (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISLB 75 | 75 | 50 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 6.1 | 7.71 | 72.7 | 10.0 | 3.07 | 1.14 |
| ISLB 100 | 100 | 50 | 4.0 | 6.4 | 8.0 | 10.21 | 168.0 | 12.7 | 4.06 | 1.12 |
| ISLB 125 | 125 | 75 | 4.4 | 6.5 | 11.9 | 15.12 | 406.8 | 43.4 | 5.19 | 1.69 |
| ISLB 150 | 150 | 80 | 4.8 | 6.8 | 14.2 | 18.08 | 688.2 | 55.2 | 6.17 | 1.75 |
| ISLB 175 | 175 | 90 | 5.1 | 6.9 | 16.7 | 21.30 | 1096.2 | 79.6 | 7.17 | 1.93 |
| ISLB 200 | 200 | 100 | 5.4 | 7.3 | 19.8 | 25.27 | 1696.6 | 115.4 | 8.19 | 2.13 |
| ISLB 225 | 225 | 100 | 5.8 | 8.6 | 23.5 | 29.92 | 2501.9 | 112.7 | 9.15 | 1.94 |
| ISLB 250 | 250 | 125 | 6.1 | 8.2 | 27.9 | 35.53 | 3717.8 | 193.4 | 10.23 | 2.33 |
| ISLB 275 | 275 | 140 | 6.4 | 8.8 | 33.0 | 42.02 | 5375.3 | 287.0 | 11.31 | 2.61 |
| ISLB 300 | 300 | 150 | 6.7 | 9.4 | 37.7 | 48.08 | 7332.9 | 376.2 | 12.35 | 2.80 |
| ISLB 325 | 325 | 165 | 7.0 | 9.8 | 43.1 | 54.90 | 9874.6 | 510.8 | 13.41 | 3.05 |
| ISLB 350 | 350 | 165 | 7.4 | 11.4 | 49.5 | 63.01 | 13158.3 | 631.9 | 14.45 | 3.17 |
| ISLB 400 | 400 | 165 | 8.0 | 12.5 | 56.9 | 72.43 | 19306.3 | 716.4 | 16.33 | 3.15 |
| ISLB 450 | 450 | 170 | 8.6 | 13.4 | 65.3 | 83.14 | 27536.1 | 853.0 | 18.20 | 3.20 |
| ISLB 500 | 500 | 180 | 9.2 | 14.1 | 75.0 | 95.50 | 35879.0 | 1063.9 | 20.10 | 3.34 |
| ISLB 550 | 550 | 190 | 9.9 | 15.0 | 86.3 | 109.97 | 53161.6 | 1335.1 | 21.99 | 3.48 |
| ISLB 600 | 600 | 210 | 10.5 | 15.5 | 99.5 | 126.69 | 72867.6 | 1821.9 | 23.98 | 3.79 |
| ISMB 100 | 100 | 75 | 4.0 | 7.2 | 11.5 | 14.60 | 257.5 | 40.8 | 4.20 | 1.67 |
| ISMB 125 | 125 | 75 | 4.4 | 7.6 | 13.0 | 16.60 | 449.0 | 43.7 | 5.20 | 1.62 |
| ISMB 150 | 150 | 80 | 4.8 | 7.6 | 14.9 | 19.00 | 726.4 | 52.6 | 6.18 | 1.66 |
| ISMB 175 | 175 | 90 | 5.5 | 8.6 | 19.3 | 24.62 | 1272.0 | 85.0 | 7.19 | 1.86 |
| ISMB 200 | 200 | 100 | 5.7 | 10.8 | 25.4 | 32.33 | 2235.4 | 150.0 | 8.32 | 2.15 |
| ISMB 225 | 225 | 110 | 6.5 | 11.8 | 31.2 | 39.72 | 3441.8 | 218.3 | 9.31 | 2.34 |
| ISMB 250 | 250 | 125 | 6.9 | 12.5 | 37.3 | 47.55 | 5131.6 | 334.5 | 10.39 | 2.65 |
| ISMB 300 | 300 | 140 | 7.5 | 12.4 | 44.2 | 56.26 | 8603.6 | 453.9 | 12.37 | 2.84 |
| ISMB 350 | 350 | 140 | 8.1 | 14.2 | 52.4 | 66.71 | 13630.3 | 537.7 | 14.29 | 2.84 |
| ISMB 400 | 400 | 140 | 8.9 | 16.0 | 61.6 | 78.46 | 20458.4 | 622.1 | 16.15 | 2.82 |
| ISMB 450 | 450 | 150 | 9.4 | 17.4 | 72.4 | 92.27 | 30390.8 | 834.0 | 18.15 | 3.01 |
| ISMB 500 | 500 | 180 | 10.2 | 17.2 | 86.9 | 110.74 | 45218.3 | 1369.8 | 20.21 | 3.52 |
| ISMB 550 | 550 | 190 | 11.2 | 19.3 | 103.7 | 132.11 | 64893.6 | 1833.8 | 22.16 | 3.73 |
| ISMB 600 | 600 | 210 | 12.0 | 20.8 | 122.6 | 156.21 | 91813.0 | 2651.0 | 24.24 | 4.12 |
Note: ISLB = Indian Standard Light Beam; ISMB = Indian Standard Medium Weight Beam. (1 kgf = 9.807 N)
What Material Are Rolled Steel Beams Made From?
Rolled steel beams are made from structural steel. The particular steel grade depends on the applicable material specification and the required mechanical properties. IS 808:2021 references IS 2062 for the material strength requirements of structural steel used for these sections.
Where Are Rolled Steel Beams Used?
These steel sections are commonly used where a strong structural member is required to carry loads. Typical applications include:
- Building structures
- Industrial sheds and factories
- Platforms and supporting structures
- Bridges and infrastructure
- Machinery supporting structures
- Crane and industrial structures
- Frames and other load-bearing applications
The exact beam section should be selected based on the design load, span, support condition, bending and shear requirements, and applicable design standard.
Conclusion
Standard beam tables make it easier to compare different steel sections before starting a design calculation. The listed dimensions and section properties give engineers the basic data needed to evaluate a suitable beam for a particular application. Final selection should be checked against the required loading, span, support conditions, and applicable design requirements.