What is I-beam?

I-beam, also known as steel beam, is a type of steel strip with an I-shaped cross-section. It is mainly divided into ordinary I-beams, light I-beams, and wide flange I-beams. The flanges of ordinary and lightweight I-beams are narrower, while the flanges of wide flange I-beams are wider, sometimes also known as H-beams.
The specifications of I-beams are usually expressed in centimeters of waist width, for example, the waist width of No.10 I-beams is 10cm. The inner surface of the upper and lower flanges of the I-beam has a slope of 1:6, which makes the flanges thin on the outside and thick on the inside. This results in a significant difference in the cross-sectional characteristics of the I-beam in the two main planes, and it can only be directly used for components that are bent in its web plane, or to form a lattice load-bearing component. It is not suitable to use axial compression components or components with bending perpendicular to the web plane.
I-beams are widely used in construction, bridges, mechanical manufacturing, aerospace and other fields. When selecting I-beams, factors such as mechanical properties, chemical properties, weldability, and structural dimensions should be considered.