Carbon Steel H-Beam | Wide Flange I-Beam (A36, A992, Q235B, Q345B)

Huaxia Steel — Professional Carbon Steel H-Beam & I-Beam Supplier
15+ years of experience | ISO 9001 & SGS Certified | HW/HM/HN series | Custom cutting & welding | Global shipping

What is Carbon Steel H-Beam?

Carbon steel H-beams are wide-flange structural steel profiles with H-shaped cross-sections, designed to carry heavy loads in bending, shear, and compression. They offer superior strength-to-weight ratio compared to I-beams due to parallel flanges and optimized web-to-flange proportions. Huaxia Steel supplies a comprehensive range of carbon steel H-beams including Chinese HW/HM/HN series (GB/T 11263), European HEA/HEB/HEM series (EN 10210), and American W-shapes (ASTM A992/A6), for high-rise buildings, bridges, and industrial structures.

Available Grades & Standards

Chemical Composition & Mechanical Properties of Common Carbon Steel H-Beam Grades

Grade	Standard	C%	Yield (MPa)	Tensile (MPa)	Application
Q235B	GB/T 700	0.12–0.20	≥235	375–500	Standard structural
Q345B	GB/T 1591	≤0.20	≥345	470–630	High-strength structural
Q390B	GB/T 1591	≤0.20	≥390	490–650	Heavy-load structures
A36	ASTM A36	0.25–0.29	≥250	400–550	General construction
A992	ASTM A992	≤0.23	≥345	450–620	US building frames
A572 Gr50	ASTM A572	≤0.23	≥345	450–620	Bridges / high-strength
SS400	JIS G3101	≤0.15	≥245	400–510	General structural
S355JR	EN 10025-2	≤0.22	≥355	470–630	EU standard structural

Dimensions & Specifications

Carbon Steel H-Beam Size Range & Tolerances

Series	Depth Range	Standard	Characteristics
HW (Wide Flange)	100–400mm	GB/T 11263	Equal flange width and depth, heavy columns
HM (Medium Flange)	150–600mm	GB/T 11263	Flange wider than depth, beam-column hybrid
HN (Narrow Flange)	100–900mm	GB/T 11263	Flange narrower than depth, primary beam use
HEA/HEB/HEM	100–1000mm	EN 10210	European standard wide-flange sections
W-Shapes	W4–W44	ASTM A6/A992	American standard wide-flange beams
Standard Length	—	—	6m, 9m, 12m (custom cut available)

Manufacturing Process

Carbon steel H-beams are manufactured through hot rolling using universal mills:

Heating: Continuously cast blooms or billets are heated to 1150–1250°C in a reheating furnace for uniform through-section temperature.

Universal Mill Rolling: The heated material passes through a universal mill with horizontal rolls (shaping the web) and vertical rolls (shaping the flanges) simultaneously. Multiple passes progressively form the H-shaped cross-section with precise dimensions and parallel flanges.

Cooling: H-beams are air-cooled on walking-beam cooling beds to ensure uniform cooling and minimize residual stresses and distortion.

Cutting & Inspection: Beams are cut to standard lengths (6m, 9m, 12m) and inspected for dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and mechanical properties before tagging.

Surface Finish & Treatment Options

Available surface treatments:
– Hot Rolled (Black): Standard mill finish with oxide scale, most economical
– Hot-Dip Galvanized (HDG): Zinc coating (60–130 µm) for outdoor/corrosive environments
– Painted: Anti-corrosion primer + topcoat per RAL color specification
– Sandblasted & Primed: SA 2.5 blast cleaning + epoxy primer for structural welding
– Fire-Resistant Coated: Intumescent paint for building fire protection

Common Applications

• High-rise building structural frames, columns, and transfer beams
• Bridge superstructures, piers, and girders
• Industrial plant frames, crane girders, and equipment supports
• Warehouse and logistics center structures
• Foundation piles and retaining walls
• Offshore platforms and marine structures
• Power plant and petrochemical facility structures
• Stadium, exhibition center, and long-span roof structures

Why Choose Huaxia Steel as Your Carbon Steel H-Beam Supplier?

Factory-Direct Pricing

Eliminate middlemen. Our direct mill partnerships ensure competitive pricing on every order, from small prototype quantities to full container loads.

Certified Quality

Every shipment includes full mill test certificates (MTC/EN 10204 3.1). ISO 9001:2015 certified. Third-party SGS inspection available on request.

Custom Processing

Cut-to-size, precision slitting, bending, welding, galvanizing, and surface treatment services. We deliver material ready for your production line.

Fast Global Logistics

Efficient shipping to North America, Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, and beyond. Standard lead time 7–15 days for stock items.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between H-beam and I-beam?

H-beams have parallel flanges (same thickness throughout) and a wider flange-to-depth ratio, optimized for load-bearing capacity in both directions. I-beams (or IPE/INP) have tapered flanges (thicker at the web junction, thinner at the tips), optimized for bending about the strong axis. H-beams are generally preferred for columns and heavy structural use, while I-beams are used for beam applications where single-axis bending dominates.

What do HW, HM, and HN mean?

In the Chinese GB/T 11263 standard: HW (H Width) has roughly equal flange width and depth, designed primarily for columns. HM (H Medium) has flanges wider than the web depth, serving as beam-column hybrid sections. HN (H Narrow) has flanges narrower than the depth, optimized as beams for carrying heavy loads over spans.

What is the standard length of H-beam?

Standard lengths are 6 meters, 9 meters, and 12 meters. American W-shapes are commonly available in 20ft (6.1m), 30ft (9.1m), 40ft (12.2m), and 60ft (18.3m). Custom cut lengths are available per your project requirements.

Can H-beams be welded?

Yes, carbon steel H-beams are fully weldable using standard arc welding processes (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW). For grades Q345 and above, preheating (100–150°C) is recommended before welding. All welds should comply with AWS D1.1 or equivalent structural welding codes.