Structural Steel Shapes: Types, Properties & Applications

Wide Flanged Beams & H-Pile Beams

In addition to being the largest supplier of steel foundation products, Nucor Skyline supplies structural steel sections. Wide flange and H-Pile beams can be used as bracing, walers, and in-wall systems. Nucor Skyline has access to every W shape size in the AISC range.

Wide flange (W) beams and H-pile beams are two of the most commonly used structural steel sections in foundation, bridge, and commercial building projects. These beams provide high strength-to-weight ratios, making them ideal for supporting heavy loads and ensuring long-term stability.

Applications of Wide Flange & H-Pile Beams:

• Bracing Systems: Used to stabilize excavations and temporary shoring structures
• Waler Systems: Essential for retaining walls, offering lateral support
• In-Wall Systems: Provides reinforcement within deep foundation elements
• Pile Foundations: H-pile beams are commonly used for driven pile foundations in bridges, ports, and buildings

Why Choose Nucor Skyline for Wide Flange & H-Pile Beams?

• Largest supplier of steel foundation products with access to every W shape size in the AISC range
• High-strength steel options for demanding foundation and structural applications
• Custom fabrication and delivery options to meet project-specific requirements

Channels

Channel sections can be used to create waler systems for retaining walls. Nucor Skyline supplies waler systems and channel sections for projects throughout North America.

Channel sections, also known as C-sections, are commonly used for retaining wall systems, structural bracing, and industrial framework. Their design features a C-shaped cross-section, offering excellent strength and load distribution while remaining lightweight and easy to handle.

Common Uses of Steel Channels:

• Waler Systems: Used in retaining walls to distribute forces evenly and prevent soil movement
• Bracing & Support Frames: Ideal for reinforcing steel and concrete structures
• Railings & Guardrails: Provides safety barriers in industrial and commercial applications

At Nucor Skyline, we supply high-quality steel channels for projects throughout the United States, ensuring reliable availability and timely delivery.

Angles

Angle iron is often needed for miscellaneous work on job sites or for fabrication. As referenced by the name, an angle iron has an L-shaped cross section. Nucor Skyline has various sizes readily available for your needs.

Steel angles, also known as L-sections, have an L-shaped cross-section and are used in a variety of structural, industrial, and fabrication applications. Their versatility and strength make them essential components in bracing, framing, and reinforcing structures.

Uses of Structural Steel Angles:

• Structural Reinforcement: Enhances strength in steel-framed buildings
• Bracing & Support: Provides additional stability for beams, columns, and trusses
• Miscellaneous Fabrication: Used in custom-built components and frameworks

At Nucor Skyline, we stock various sizes of structural steel angles to meet your project needs. Whether for on-site construction work or fabrication projects, our ready-to-ship inventory ensures you receive the right materials on time.

Walers and Bracing for Cofferdams

Structural beams are commonly used as a horizontal support system in conjunction with sheet pile or soldier pile retaining walls with anchoring systems. Walers help transfer anchor loads into the piles of a soldier pile wall, or evenly across a sheet pile wall. Designed to sit flush against the wall, walers are typically either bolted or welded to the main steel components of the wall. Wide flange beams are typically used in this application, but H-piles can be used as well.

Secant and Tangent Pile Walls

Flanged beams, such as a wide flange beam or an H-pile beam are often used in secant and tangent pile walls. These are walls that are designed for numerous loading conditions and are used for retaining walls, foundation walls, or cut off walls. They are comprised of drilled or augered concrete columns with steel reinforcement. In a secant configuration, the concrete columns overlap, whereas in a tangent configuration, the concrete columns are adjacent with no overlap. Using structural steel beams allows for a faster, one-step installation and easier flow of concrete, when compared to a rebar cage to avoid potential voids in the wall. Nucor Skyline’s geostructural products, such as threaded bar or strand, can be used to provide additional anchoring support if required by project design parameters.

Beam-Z Walls

When used in combination with steel sheet piles, both wide flange and H-pile beams can be used as king piles to create walls. These walls can be used as bulkheads, for flood protection, or anywhere you need a wall where sheet pile alone is not strong enough to carry the required loads. This type of wall requires a third component, a connector that is welded to the ends of the flange to create a connection point between the sheet pile and the king pile. The sheet piles are typically between 60% and 80% of the length of the king piles, and are called intermediate sheets. These sheets then transfer the load of the wall to the king piles. Beam-Z walls are highly customizable, with hundreds of potential combinations. Working with Nucor Skyline’s engineering team assures you the most efficient wall design to meet your project needs.

Beam and Lagging/Soldier Pile Walls

Used for permanent, temporary, or temporary left-in-place applications, beam and lagging or soldier pile walls are constructed by placing wide flange steel beams at regular intervals with concrete panels or wood lagging between the steel beams. The wide flange beams may be driven or drilled into the soil to design depth. H-pile beams can be used in some applications depending on final use of the pile walls.

As with secant and tangent pile walls, Nucor Skyline’s geostructural products can be used to provide additional anchoring support. In the case of beam and lagging or soldier pile walls, additional anchoring support might be needed when deflections for cantilevered walls become too high.

Sound Walls

Wide flange or H-pile beams are often used in the construction of sight and sound walls, which are usually non-structural walls designed to provide a barrier for sight or sound pollution, often between a highway and a residential or commercial area. Wide flange or H-pile beams can be used as post foundations or for the posts themselves. Although most sound walls do not carry any significant loads, some may be used in conjunction with retaining walls to carry the load of the soils behind the wall.

Falsework for Bridges and Other Structures

Falsework, typically uses wide flange beams, H-pile beams, and other structural steel components, and is a temporary structure used as support in the construction of a permanent structure. Falsework includes temporary support structures for formwork used to mold concrete in the construction of buildings, bridges, and elevated roadways. When building an arched structure, steel support beams are used temporarily to hold the main construction in place until the construction is advanced enough to support itself.Applications of Structural Steel Shapes

What is the strongest structural steel shape?

Wide flange beams (W-beams) are among the strongest structural steel shapes due to their high load-bearing capacity and structural efficiency. Their wide flanges allow for better weight distribution, making them ideal for bridges, buildings, and heavy infrastructure projects.

Where can I buy structural steel shapes?

You can purchase high-quality structural shapes and steel sections from Nucor Skyline. We supply a wide range of steel shapes, including wide flange beams, H-piles, channels, and angles, for construction, geotechnical, and infrastructure projects.

Can Nucor Skyline provide custom steel shapes and sizes?

Yes! We offer custom-cut structural steel sections to match your project specifications, including custom lengths, coatings, and fabrication options.

Does Nucor Skyline supply structural steel nationwide?

Yes! Nucor Skyline supplies structural plate and steel sections throughout the United States. We ensure fast and reliable delivery to keep your projects on schedule.

Will Nucor Skyline provide engineering support for structural steel applications?

Yes! Our team of experts and engineers can provide technical support and recommendations for selecting the right structural steel shapes for your project.