Second moment of inertia

The second moment of inertia indicates the resistance to deflection of a particular section of a profile or beam. Other (more) correct names are moment of inertia of plane area, area moment of inertia, or second area moment. The unit used for the 2nd moment is length to the fourth power (m4).

The second moment of inertia is independent of material and environment and is purely determined by geometric values of the element. That is, shape, length and width. The outcome of the calculation can be used to determine the response of an element to a particular load. This is usually a form of deflection. The calculators on this website assume that the element always bends around its neutral line which runs across the gravitational center of the cross section.

Closely related is the section modulus which is used to determine stress at a certain load. For this, the second moment of inertia is divided by the outer fiber distance seen from the neutral line. The polar moment of inertia is determined from the same geometric input and is used in torque calculations.

It is common for the second moment of inertia to be confused with the mass moment of inertia that indicates the resistance to acceleration of an object.

Standard universal steel beams

At the bottom of this page several tables are placed containing data of standard universal beams. The tables contain next to second moment of inertia data about section modulus, geometrics, cross sectional area and more.

Properties of standard beams

properties of standard beam HEA
Descriptionunit
SizeThe designation of the size of the standard beam. E.g. HEA 100.mm
GThe weight of the standard beam per unit length.kg/m
hHeight of the profile.mm
bWidth of the profile.mm
AArea of the cross section.mm2
twThickness or width of the vertical element(s).mm
tfThickness of the flange.mm
ApPaint area per unit length of profile.m2/m
IySecond moment of inertia around y-axis.cm4
WySection modulus around y-axiscm3
IzSecond moment of inertia around z-axis.cm4
WzSection modulus around z-axiscm3

HEA

properties of standard beam HEA
Size G A h b tw tf Ap Iy Wy Iz Wz
100 17 2124 96 100 5 8 0.561 349 72.8 134 26.8
120 20.3 2534 114 120 5 8 0.677 606 106 231 38.5
140 25.1 3142 133 140 5.5 8.5 0.794 1033 155 389 55.6
160 31 3877 152 160 6 9 0.906 1673 220 616 76.9
180 36.2 4525 171 180 6 9.5 1.02 2510 294 925 103
200 43.1 5383 190 200 6.5 10 1.14 3692 389 1336 134
220 51.5 6434 210 220 7 11 1.26 5410 515 1955 178
240 61.5 7684 230 240 7.5 12 1.37 7763 675 2769 231
260 69.5 8682 250 260 7.5 12.5 1.48 10455 836 3668 282
280 77.8 9726 270 280 8 13 1.6 13673 1013 4763 340
300 90 11253 290 300 8.5 14 1.72 18263 1260 6310 421
320 99.5 12437 310 300 9 15.5 1.76 22929 1479 6985 466
340 107 13347 330 300 9.5 16.5 1.79 27693 1678 7436 496
360 114 14276 350 300 10 17.5 1.83 33090 1891 7887 526
400 127 15989 390 300 11 19 1.91 45069 2311 8564 571
450 142 17803 440 300 11.5 21 2.01 63722 2896 9465 631
500 158 19754 490 300 12 23 2.11 86975 3550 10367 691
550 169 21176 540 300 12.5 24 2.21 111932 4146 10819 721
600 181 22646 590 300 13 25 2.31 141208 4787 11271 751
650 193 24164 640 300 13.5 26 2.41 175178 5474 11724 782
700 208 26048 690 300 14.5 27 2.5 215301 6241 12179 812
800 229 28583 790 300 15 28 2.7 303443 7682 12639 843
900 256 32053 890 300 16 30 2.9 422075 9485 13547 903
1000 277 34685 990 300 16.5 31 3.1 553846 11189 14004 934

HEB

properties of standard beam HEB
Size G A h b tw tf Ap Iy Wy Iz Wz
100 20.8 2604 100 100 6 10 0.567 450 89.9 167 33.5
120 27.2 3401 120 120 6.5 11 0.686 864 144 318 52.9
140 34.4 4296 140 140 7 12 0.805 1509 216 550 78.5
160 43.4 5425 160 160 8 13 0.918 2492 312 889 111
180 52.2 6525 180 180 8.5 14 1.04 3831 426 1363 151
200 62.5 7808 200 200 9 15 1.15 5696 570 2003 200
220 72.8 9104 220 220 9.5 16 1.27 8091 736 2843 258
240 84.8 10599 240 240 10 17 1.38 11259 938 3923 327
260 94.8 11844 260 260 10 17.5 1.5 14919 1148 5135 395
280 105 13136 280 280 10.5 18 1.62 19270 1376 6595 471
300 119 14908 300 300 11 19 1.73 25166 1678 8563 571
320 129 16134 320 300 11.5 20.5 1.77 30824 1926 9239 616
340 137 17090 340 300 12 21.5 1.81 36656 2156 9690 646
360 145 18063 360 300 12.5 22.5 1.85 43193 2400 10141 676
400 158 19778 400 300 13.5 24 1.93 57681 2884 10819 721
450 174 21798 450 300 14 26 2.03 79888 3551 11721 781
500 191 23864 500 300 14.5 28 2.12 107176 4287 12624 842
550 203 25406 550 300 15 29 2.22 136691 4971 13077 872
600 216 26996 600 300 15.5 30 2.32 171041 5701 13530 902
650 229 28634 650 300 16 31 2.42 210616 6480 13984 932
700 245 30638 700 300 17 32 2.52 256888 7340 14441 963
800 267 33418 800 300 17.5 33 2.71 359084 8977 14904 994
900 297 37128 900 300 18.5 35 2.91 494065 10979 15816 1054
1000 320 40005 1000 300 19 36 3.11 644748 12895 16276 1085

HEM

properties of standard beam HEM
Size G A h b tw tf Ap Iy Wy Iz Wz
100 42.6 5324 120 106 12 20 0.619 1143 190 399 75.3
120 53.1 6641 140 126 12.5 21 0.738 2018 288 703 112
140 64.4 8056 160 146 13 22 0.857 3291 411 1144 157
160 77.6 9705 180 166 14 23 0.97 5098 566 1759 212
180 90.6 11325 200 186 14.5 24 1.09 7483 748 2580 277
200 105 13128 220 206 15 25 1.2 10642 967 3651 354
220 120 14944 240 226 15.5 26 1.32 14605 1217 5012 444
240 160 19959 270 248 18 32 1.46 24290 1799 8153 657
260 176 21964 290 268 18 32.5 1.57 31307 2159 10449 780
280 192 24016 310 288 18.5 33 1.69 39547 2551 13163 914
300 242 30308 340 310 21 39 1.83 59201 3482 19403 1252
320 250 31205 359 309 21 40 1.87 68135 3796 19709 1276
340 253 31583 377 309 21 40 1.9 76372 4052 19711 1276
360 255 31881 395 308 21 40 1.93 84867 4297 19522 1268
400 261 32578 432 307 21 40 2 104119 4820 19335 1260
450 268 33544 478 307 21 40 2.1 131484 5501 19339 1260
500 275 34430 524 306 21 40 2.18 161929 6180 19155 1252
550 284 35438 572 306 21 40 2.28 197984 6923 19158 1252
600 291 36366 620 305 21 40 2.37 237448 7660 18975 1244
650 299 37374 668 305 21 40 2.47 281668 8433 18979 1245
700 306 38302 716 304 21 40 2.56 329278 9198 18797 1237
800 323 40427 814 303 21 40 2.75 442598 10875 18627 1230
900 339 42363 910 302 21 40 2.93 570434 12537 18452 1222
1000 355 44421 1008 302 21 40 3.13 722299 14331 18459 1222

INP

properties of standard beam INP
Size G A h b tw tf Ap Iy Wy Iz Wz
80 6.06 757 80 42 3.9 5.9 0.303 77.7 19.4 6.28 2.99
100 8.5 1062 100 50 4.5 6.8 0.37 170 34.1 12.1 4.86
120 11.3 1418 120 58 5.1 7.7 0.438 327 54.5 21.4 7.38
140 14.6 1824 140 66 5.7 8.6 0.506 572 81.8 35.1 10.6
160 18.2 2280 160 74 6.3 9.5 0.573 934 117 54.6 14.7
180 22.3 2787 180 82 6.9 10.4 0.641 1444 160 81.2 19.8
200 26.7 3343 200 90 7.5 11.3 0.709 2138 214 116 25.9
220 31.6 3950 220 98 8.1 12.2 0.776 3055 278 162 33.1
240 36.9 4608 240 106 8.7 13.1 0.844 4239 353 220 41.5
260 42.7 5332 260 113 9.4 14.1 0.908 5734 441 287 50.9
280 48.8 6101 280 119 10.1 15.2 0.967 7575 541 363 61
300 55.2 6899 300 125 10.8 16.2 1.03 9785 652 449 71.9
320 62.2 7771 320 131 11.5 17.3 1.09 12494 781 554 84.6
340 69.3 8668 340 137 12.2 18.3 1.15 15669 922 672 98.1
360 77.6 9698 360 143 13 19.5 1.21 19575 1087 817 114
380 85.6 10698 380 149 13.7 20.5 1.27 23978 1262 973 131
400 94.2 11774 400 155 14.4 21.6 1.33 29173 1459 1156 149

IPE

properties of standard beam IPE
Size G A h b tw tf Ap Iy Wy Iz Wz
80 6.11 764 80 46 3.8 5.2 0.328 80.1 20 8.49 3.69
100 8.26 1032 100 55 4.1 5.7 0.4 171 34.2 15.9 5.79
120 10.6 1321 120 64 4.4 6.3 0.475 318 53 27.7 8.65
140 13.1 1643 140 73 4.7 6.9 0.551 541 77.3 44.9 12.3
160 16.1 2009 160 82 5 7.4 0.623 869 109 68.3 16.7
180 19.2 2395 180 91 5.3 8 0.698 1317 146 101 22.2
200 22.8 2848 200 100 5.6 8.5 0.768 1943 194 142 28.5
220 26.7 3337 220 110 5.9 9.2 0.848 2772 252 205 37.3
240 31.3 3912 240 120 6.2 9.8 0.922 3892 324 284 47.3
270 36.8 4595 270 135 6.6 10.2 1.04 5790 429 420 62.2
300 43 5381 300 150 7.1 10.7 1.16 8356 557 604 80.5
330 50.1 6261 330 160 7.5 11.5 1.25 11767 713 788 98.5
360 58.2 7273 360 170 8 12.7 1.35 16266 904 1043 123
400 67.6 8446 400 180 8.6 13.5 1.47 23128 1156 1318 146
450 79.1 9882 450 190 9.4 14.6 1.61 33743 1500 1676 176
500 92.4 11552 500 200 10.2 16 1.74 48199 1928 2142 214
550 108 13442 550 210 11.1 17.2 1.88 67117 2441 2668 254
600 125 15598 600 220 12 19 2.01 92083 3069 3387 308

UNP

properties of standard beam UNP
Size G A h b tw tf Ap Iy Wy Iz Wz
80 8.82 1102 80 45 6 8 0.313 106 26.5 19.4 6.35
100 10.8 1345 100 50 6 8.5 0.372 205 41.1 29.1 8.45
120 13.6 1699 120 55 7 9 0.429 364 60.7 43.1 11.1
140 16.3 2037 140 60 7 10 0.487 605 86.4 62.5 14.7
160 19.2 2401 160 65 7.5 10.5 0.545 925 116 85 18.2
180 22.4 2797 180 70 8 11 0.603 1354 150 113 22.4
200 25.7 3218 200 75 8.5 11.5 0.66 1911 191 148 26.9
220 30 3744 220 80 9 12.5 0.718 2691 245 196 33.5
240 33.8 4231 240 85 9.5 13 0.776 3599 300 247 39.5
260 38.6 4828 260 90 10 14 0.833 4824 371 317 47.8
280 42.7 5342 280 95 10 15 0.891 6276 448 398 57.1
300 47 5876 300 100 10 16 0.949 8028 535 493 67.6
320 60.6 7578 320 100 14 17.5 0.984 10869 679 597 80.6
350 61.8 7725 350 100 14 16 1.05 12845 734 571 75.1
380 64.3 8035 380 102 13.5 16 1.11 15755 829 615 78.7
400 73.2 9149 400 110 14 18 1.18 20353 1018 851 102

UPE

properties of standard beam UPE
Size G A h b tw tf Ap Iy Wy Iz Wz
80 9.05 1131 80 50 4.5 8 0.342 118 29.4 28.3 8.99
100 11.1 1393 100 55 5 8.5 0.401 227 45.3 42.3 11.9
120 13.5 1684 120 60 5.5 9 0.46 392 65.4 60.7 15.3
140 16 2004 140 65 6 9.5 0.519 630 90 84.3 19.3
160 19 2372 160 70 6.5 10 0.577 965 121 114 23.9
180 22 2750 180 75 7 10.5 0.636 1404 156 151 29.1
200 25.3 3157 200 80 7.5 11 0.695 1972 197 196 35
220 29.4 3670 220 85 8 12 0.754 2767 252 256 43.1
240 34 4256 240 90 8.5 13 0.81 3816 318 331 52.4
270 39.5 4935 270 95 9 14 0.889 5559 412 425 63.3
300 45.3 5662 300 100 9.5 15 0.968 7823 522 538 75.6
330 54.2 6777 330 105 11 16 1.04 11008 667 681 89.7
360 62.3 7791 360 110 12 17 1.12 14825 824 844 105
400 73.5 9193 400 115 13.5 18 1.22 20981 1049 1045 123