UB, UC and American W-sections vs European HE/IPE profiles

European HE/IPE profiles, British UB/UC sections and American W-shapes all belong to the broad family of rolled I/H sections.

They are not the same series with different names.

The geometries, designation systems and available sizes differ, so a direct “equivalent” should never be chosen from nominal depth alone.

The main naming systems

European IPE and HE

Examples:

• IPE 300
• HEA 300
• HEB 300

The designation identifies a standardized section family and nominal size. Actual dimensions must be read from the section table.

See HEA, HEB, HEM and IPE sections.

British UB and UC

British ranges commonly use:

• UB — Universal Beam;
• UC — Universal Column.

A designation typically contains nominal depth, nominal width and mass per metre.

The current EN 10365:2026 scope includes UB and UC section series among the hot-rolled profiles for which nominal dimensions and masses are specified.

American W-shapes

AISC’s standard naming convention for U.S. customary units is:

W nominal-depth × nominal-weight-per-foot

For example:

W16×89

means a W-shape with nominal depth in the 16-inch family and nominal mass of 89 lb/ft.

The “16” is nominal, not the exact measured depth.

W, UB and HE are not one-to-one families

A W16×89 does not have one automatic HE or UB equivalent.

Similarly, an HEA 200 does not have one universally correct UB/UC/W replacement.

Treat substitution as an exception, not a normal procurement option

As a practical rule, do not substitute one profile family for another simply because a section looks close in size or capacity. UB, UC, W, HE and IPE profiles should be treated as non-interchangeable unless the structural designer or responsible engineer has checked and formally approved the proposed alternative.

Cross-series substitution is normally only worth considering in exceptional procurement situations — for example, a very small quantity that must be sourced from available stock when the specified section cannot reasonably be obtained. Even then, the supplier or buyer should only identify a candidate alternative. The final decision belongs to the designer.

If such an exception is being evaluated, compare the actual section geometry, structural properties and connection constraints rather than nominal depth or mass alone.

What should be compared?

At minimum:

Geometry

• overall depth;
• flange width;
• web thickness;
• flange thickness;
• root radius;
• clear web depth;
• mass per metre.

Structural properties

• cross-sectional area;
• second moment of area about both axes;
• elastic section modulus;
• plastic section modulus;
• radius of gyration;
• torsional properties where relevant.

Connection constraints

• flange width for end plates;
• web clearances;
• bolt gages;
• copes/notches;
• available flange/web thickness.

A “heavier” substitute can still be unsuitable if its connection geometry is wrong or if the required minor-axis property is lower.

What does “closest thicker section” mean?

The word thicker is ambiguous.

It could mean:

• thicker web;
• thicker flange;
• greater mass per metre;
• greater section modulus;
• greater second moment of area;
• greater overall capacity.

Before searching for a substitute, define which property must be equal to or greater than the original.

For how to read the geometry, see h, b, tw, tf and root radius.

Convert the units before comparing

American W-shapes are often listed in inches and lb/ft, while European and British tables commonly use mm and kg/m.

Convert the units first, but do not stop there. Equal mass does not mean equal section properties.

AISC provides an official electronic shapes database in both U.S. customary and metric units, which is much safer than manually converting every property.

Availability also matters

A technically close section may not be commercially useful if:

• it is not rolled regularly;
• the required grade is unavailable;
• minimum order quantity is too high;
• required length is not available;
• local stockholders do not carry it.

For procurement, section equivalence is therefore both an engineering and a supply-chain question.

MetalMate takeaway

UB, UC, W, HE and IPE are distinct standardized section series and should not normally be substituted for one another. If an exceptional stock-driven substitution is considered, treat it only as a designer-approved engineering deviation after checking the full geometry, section properties and connection requirements.

Related Knowledge

• HEA, HEB, HEM and IPE sections
• How to read beam dimensions
• How to calculate or look up steel-section unit weight

References

• NEN, EN 10365:2026 — Dimensions and masses, including UB and UC series: https://www.nen.nl/en/nen-en-10365-2026-en-353950
• British Steel, Sections product range / Universal Beams and Universal Columns: https://www.britishsteel.co.uk/what-we-do/construction-steel/sections-product-range/
• AISC, Naming Convention for Structural Steel Products — W-shapes: https://www.aisc.org/globalassets/aisc/manual/v15.0-shapes-database/naming-convention-for-structural-steel-products-for-use-in-electronic-data-interchange-edi.pdf
• AISC, Shapes Database v16.0: https://www.aisc.org/aisc/publications/steel-construction-manual/aisc-shapes-database-v160/