Contractors, builders and homeowners will need steel beams and other reinforcing products to complete their projects. So, what are steel beams used for, specifically? When adding a shed, building an addition, or even constructing a custom home from the ground up, you may need steel beams to provide structure and support. Steel beam installation may actually be one of the most important steps of many home improvement projects.  

Here is our guide to the types of steel beams and other steel products you may need for your home building project. 

WF Beam   

The WF beam is the most commonly used beam in residential construction. This is the beam you are probably looking for to complete your smaller construction projects. The “WF” stands for “wide flange”. It has a lighter weight while spanning wider and is easy to weld, rivet and bolt. Where space is at a premium and the project and weights on the beam are small, WF beams are often the best choice. 

Channel Beam 

Channel beams are another great option for smaller residential projects. They are also known as C-shaped beams due to their cross-section, which earns them the name. They are great for supporting smaller loads and can also cover pillars and panels. In addition, you can find channel beams in many small outdoor projects, like sheds. 

Rebar or Reinforcing Rod 

Rebar, short for reinforcing bar, is a steel reinforcing rod designed to be inserted into concrete. These steel bars reinforce the concrete under tension. Often, the surface of these bars is textured or ribbed to enhance the bond between concrete and steel. Necessary in foundations, rebar will provide your home structures with the support they need.  

Need professional help with your tools and materials? At Grand Rive Natural Stone, we have a wide selection of high-quality materials and an expert team who can guide you throughout your project. Contact us today.

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Steel Posts & Tubes  

Steel posts and tubes are cold-pressed hollow structural steel, making them a lighter option for smaller structures. In most cases, steel posts and tubes are used in welded steel frames,  basement floor jacks, fences, and custom steel construction projects. Steel posts are round and tubes are square in shape. 

Angle Iron 

Angle iron is a type of steel bar with two faces that meet at a 90-degree angle (i.e. they have an L-shaped cross-section). Due to its shape, angle iron is extremely strong and resistant to bending. Therefore, angle iron is best used in scenarios when it needs to bear a large load, such as framing, shelving, masonry projects and more.  

Professional Support for Your Project 

Contractors and homeowners may not have the time to handle every aspect of their steel beam purchase, but there’s no need to worry when you consult with an expert. The professionals at Grand River Natural Stone offer services that can help you keep your project on schedule, including: 

• Jobsite delivery 
• Beam placement 
• Site placement with a crane 
• Onsite welding 
• Custom fabrication 
• Custom rebar bending 
• Steel shop drawings 

Buy Steel Beams from Grand River Natural Stone 

The professionals shop at Grand River Natural Stone because we have a wide selection of high-quality materials and a team of knowledgeable staff who can help guide your project and advise you on materials. We can help homeowners too and direct you to resources such as steel beam span calculators or size charts. Look through our selection for yourself or reach out to discuss your needs with one of our staff members today.   

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Applications of Steel Beams

Structural steel is a highly adaptable component for construction also. Steel is easily modified to provide custom fabrication of structural units not available from standard stock. Steel is often the most cost effective solution for small residential projects, large-scale construction such as vehicle bridges and for strengthening the original structure of older buildings under renovation.

Sectional Steel Beams

Steel beams are produced in a wide variety of configurations. In general, there are four standard shapes:

• Beams with a cross-section resembling the letter ‘I’, called I-beams
• Beams with an ‘H’ cross-section, called HP beams
• Channel beams, whose cross-section resembles the letter ‘C’
• Angles, which are L-shaped

Within each of these standard types variations are distinguished by the dimensions of the flange surfaces. I-beams designated by ‘W’ have wide parallel flanges, whereas an American Standard Beam, designated by ‘S,’ has sloping inner flanges.

In addition to the types above, tubular steel in circular or rectangular shapes is used for beams. These are designated as “Hollow Section” with a leading letter indicating the shape:
• C.H.S. – Circular Hollow Section
• S.H.S. – Square Hollow Section
• R.H.S. – Rectangular Hollow Section

Steel Beam Standards

Global regions, such as the EU, Asia and the Americas, have developed different standards regarding steel construction components. All regions regulate structural steel as to its chemical composition, strength, shape and size however.

In North America, structural steel standards developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM International, are the norm. Most steel grades have direct equivalents in multiple standards. The EU S235 grade, for instance, is equal to ASTM’s A283C.

Additional standardization of steel construction design is found in the Steel Construction Manual, published by The American Institute of Steel Construction.
I-Beam Specification in the U.S. and Canada

I-beams consist of a vertical section, called the web, plus two orthogonal flanges on top and bottom that are parallel to one another. This configuration is efficient in terms of its load to weight ratio for handling bending and shear loads in the web’s plane. They are not efficient, however, in resisting torsional stresses. For those, hollow section beams are superior.

In both Canada and the U.S., I-beams are specified by the depth and weight of the beam per unit length. The depth is the distance between the outer faces of each flange. The difference in naming between the two countries derives from their different measurement systems, metric versus Imperial.

For example, in Canada a W250X33 wide flange I-beam has a 250 mm depth and weighs 33 kg per meter. The same beam in the U.S. would be designated as W10X22, which translates to a depth of 10 inches and a weight of 22 lbs. per foot.

Improving Steel Beams

The corrosion resistance of structural steel that will be exposed to weather is improved at the time of manufacture or via special chemical coatings before installation. A beam’s thermal resistance is improved with foam coatings that also reduce noise transmission.

If load-carrying or free-span requirements cannot be met by “off-the-shelf” steel beams, plate girders can be fabricated by riveting, bolting or welding separate flanges and a web plate. Some manufacturers produce cellular beams, which have cutouts along the length of the web to optimize load strength and weight ratios.

Our specialized steel division in Stoney Creek has extremely diverse manufacturing capabilities. Contact us to request a quote today on angle iron, reinforcing rod, custom fabricating, beam replacement and more.

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