With so many international standards, there are many shapes for warm rolled profiles. This page gives an overview.

I-beams

What is an I- and what is a H-profile? It is subjective, except for the fact that I profiles have a larger height / width ratio. And when is an I-profile a beam or a bearing pile or a column? An engineer is free to use a column as a beam. So we put everything together and designate it all as I-beams family. That includes W-beams (Wide flange), Rolled Steel Joists and more.

The horizontal parts of the "I" are called flanges and the vertical part between the flanges is called the web.

Variants

• Every standard covers many dimensions and shapes. A standard also covers a market area. US ASTM-beams are not a logical choice in Europe, just as Russian GOST-beams are not practical in Great-Britain. A standard acts as a main group identifier for choosing a product.
• Concerning shapes, there are major differences in principles: there are tapered and parallel flanges. Minor difference can be radii or production details like welded I-beams.