Indian Steel Beam Sizes — ISMB, ISHB, ISMC, ISA Section Chart
Complete reference for Indian Standard Medium Beams (ISMB), Heavy Beams (ISHB), Channel Sections (ISMC), and Angle Sections (ISA) per IS 808:1989 and SP 6(1). Dimensions, weights, and section properties for the most commonly specified Indian steel sections. All values are from published standards (IS 808:1989, SP 6(1) — Steel Sections). Verify against the current edition of the relevant standard or mill certificate before procurement.
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Indian Section Families
Indian steel construction uses four main hot-rolled section families per IS 808 and IS 12778 (parallel flange sections):
| Family | Designation | Description | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Standard Medium Beam | ISMB | Tapered flange I-beam, medium weight | Beams, girders, general framing |
| Indian Standard Heavy Beam | ISHB | Deeper, heavier I-beam | Heavy beams, transfer girders |
| Indian Standard Medium Channel | ISMC | C-shaped channel, tapered flange | Purlins, bracing, edge beams |
| Indian Standard Angle | ISA | Equal and unequal leg angles | Bracing, trusses, gusset-plate connections |
IS 12778 (2003) introduced parallel flange sections (NPB/WPB series) matching the European IPE/HEB profiles. However, the traditional ISMB/ISHB/ISMC sections per IS 808 remain the most commonly specified in Indian construction.
ISMB — Indian Standard Medium Beams
The 20 most commonly specified ISMB sections in Indian construction per IS 808:1989. Standard structural steel grade is E250 (Fe 410) per IS 2062.
| Designation | D (mm) | B (mm) | tw (mm) | tf (mm) | Mass (kg/m) | Ixx (cm^4) | Zxx (cm^3) | rxx (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISMB 100 | 100 | 75 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 11.5 | 249 | 49.7 | 4.22 |
| ISMB 125 | 125 | 75 | 4.4 | 7.6 | 13.3 | 452 | 72.3 | 5.29 |
| ISMB 150 | 150 | 80 | 4.8 | 7.6 | 14.9 | 727 | 96.9 | 6.35 |
| ISMB 175 | 175 | 90 | 5.1 | 8.6 | 19.3 | 1,240 | 142 | 7.30 |
| ISMB 200 | 200 | 100 | 5.4 | 10.8 | 24.2 | 2,080 | 208 | 8.42 |
| ISMB 225 | 225 | 110 | 5.8 | 11.8 | 30.0 | 3,260 | 290 | 9.51 |
| ISMB 250 | 250 | 125 | 6.1 | 12.5 | 37.3 | 5,110 | 409 | 10.66 |
| ISMB 300 | 300 | 140 | 6.7 | 13.1 | 44.2 | 8,610 | 574 | 12.74 |
| ISMB 350 | 350 | 140 | 7.4 | 14.2 | 52.4 | 12,800 | 731 | 14.27 |
| ISMB 400 | 400 | 140 | 8.0 | 16.0 | 61.6 | 19,200 | 962 | 16.11 |
| ISMB 450 | 450 | 150 | 8.6 | 17.4 | 72.4 | 29,300 | 1,300 | 18.17 |
| ISMB 500 | 500 | 180 | 9.2 | 17.2 | 86.9 | 43,800 | 1,750 | 20.40 |
| ISMB 550 | 550 | 190 | 9.9 | 19.3 | 103.7 | 62,100 | 2,260 | 22.28 |
| ISMB 600 | 600 | 210 | 10.5 | 20.8 | 122.6 | 87,400 | 2,910 | 24.26 |
Source: IS 808:1989 — Dimensions for Hot Rolled Steel Beam, Column, Channel and Angle Sections. For parallel flange sections (NPB/WPB), refer to IS 12778:2003.
ISHB — Indian Standard Heavy Beams
ISHB sections are used for heavy beams, transfer girders, and columns where ISMB sections are insufficient. Also available as column sections (ISHB with additional flange width).
| Designation | D (mm) | B (mm) | tw (mm) | tf (mm) | Mass (kg/m) | Ixx (cm^4) | Zxx (cm^3) | rxx (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISHB 150 | 150 | 150 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 27.1 | 1,140 | 152 | 5.90 |
| ISHB 200 | 200 | 200 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 40.0 | 3,040 | 304 | 7.96 |
| ISHB 225 | 225 | 225 | 9.0 | 11.8 | 46.6 | 4,820 | 428 | 9.26 |
| ISHB 250 | 250 | 250 | 9.5 | 12.7 | 54.7 | 7,070 | 566 | 10.36 |
| ISHB 300 | 300 | 250 | 9.4 | 13.1 | 63.0 | 11,500 | 769 | 12.28 |
| ISHB 350 | 350 | 250 | 10.0 | 14.2 | 73.7 | 17,800 | 1,020 | 14.13 |
| ISHB 400 | 400 | 250 | 10.6 | 16.0 | 85.1 | 26,600 | 1,330 | 16.05 |
| ISHB 450 | 450 | 250 | 11.3 | 17.4 | 98.1 | 38,800 | 1,720 | 18.07 |
Source: IS 808:1989. ISHB sections have nearly equal depth and flange width, making them suitable for columns where buckling about the weak axis governs.
ISMC — Indian Standard Medium Channels
ISMC channels are used as purlins, girts, bracing members, and edge beams. They are tapered-flange channels with the sloping inner flange surface characteristic of Indian hot-rolled channels.
| Designation | D (mm) | B (mm) | tw (mm) | tf (mm) | Mass (kg/m) | Ixx (cm^4) | Zxx (cm^3) | cyy (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISMC 75 | 75 | 40 | 4.8 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 64.6 | 17.2 | 13.1 |
| ISMC 100 | 100 | 50 | 5.0 | 7.7 | 9.2 | 158 | 31.6 | 15.4 |
| ISMC 125 | 125 | 65 | 5.3 | 8.2 | 12.7 | 346 | 55.4 | 18.4 |
| ISMC 150 | 150 | 75 | 5.7 | 9.0 | 16.4 | 681 | 90.8 | 21.2 |
| ISMC 175 | 175 | 75 | 6.1 | 10.2 | 19.1 | 1,080 | 123 | 22.2 |
| ISMC 200 | 200 | 75 | 6.2 | 11.4 | 22.1 | 1,640 | 164 | 24.0 |
| ISMC 225 | 225 | 80 | 6.5 | 12.4 | 25.9 | 2,450 | 218 | 25.6 |
| ISMC 250 | 250 | 80 | 7.1 | 14.1 | 30.4 | 3,610 | 289 | 27.5 |
| ISMC 300 | 300 | 90 | 7.6 | 13.6 | 35.8 | 6,160 | 411 | 30.3 |
| ISMC 350 | 350 | 100 | 8.1 | 14.7 | 42.2 | 9,820 | 561 | 33.8 |
| ISMC 400 | 400 | 100 | 8.6 | 15.3 | 49.4 | 14,800 | 740 | 37.8 |
Source: IS 808:1989. cyy is the distance from the back of the web to the centroid. For bracing connections, account for the eccentricity between the bolt line and the shear centre.
ISA — Indian Standard Angles
ISA angles are designated by leg size × leg size × thickness for equal angles, or long leg × short leg × thickness for unequal angles. Steel grade E250 (Fe 410) per IS 2062.
Equal Angles — Common Sizes
| Designation | A (mm) | B (mm) | t (mm) | Mass (kg/m) | Ixx = Iyy (cm^4) | Cxx = Cyy (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISA 50x50x6 | 50 | 50 | 6 | 4.5 | 16.3 | 14.5 |
| ISA 65x65x6 | 65 | 65 | 6 | 5.8 | 36.0 | 17.9 |
| ISA 65x65x8 | 65 | 65 | 8 | 7.7 | 46.4 | 18.5 |
| ISA 75x75x6 | 75 | 75 | 6 | 6.8 | 56.5 | 20.2 |
| ISA 75x75x8 | 75 | 75 | 8 | 8.9 | 72.9 | 20.8 |
| ISA 90x90x6 | 90 | 90 | 6 | 8.2 | 99.0 | 23.7 |
| ISA 90x90x8 | 90 | 90 | 8 | 10.8 | 128.0 | 24.3 |
| ISA 100x100x8 | 100 | 100 | 8 | 12.1 | 179.0 | 26.7 |
| ISA 100x100x10 | 100 | 100 | 10 | 14.9 | 218.0 | 27.3 |
| ISA 110x110x10 | 110 | 110 | 10 | 16.5 | 296.0 | 29.7 |
| ISA 130x130x10 | 130 | 130 | 10 | 19.7 | 497.0 | 34.4 |
| ISA 150x150x12 | 150 | 150 | 12 | 27.3 | 879.0 | 40.1 |
Unequal Angles — Common Sizes
| Designation | A (mm) | B (mm) | t (mm) | Mass (kg/m) | Ixx (cm^4) | Iyy (cm^4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISA 75x50x6 | 75 | 50 | 6 | 5.6 | 45.2 | 15.8 |
| ISA 75x50x8 | 75 | 50 | 8 | 7.4 | 58.3 | 20.1 |
| ISA 90x60x6 | 90 | 60 | 6 | 6.8 | 83.1 | 29.3 |
| ISA 90x60x8 | 90 | 60 | 8 | 8.9 | 107.0 | 37.3 |
| ISA 100x75x8 | 100 | 75 | 8 | 10.6 | 163.0 | 64.8 |
| ISA 125x75x8 | 125 | 75 | 8 | 12.2 | 292.0 | 79.3 |
| ISA 150x75x10 | 150 | 75 | 10 | 17.0 | 505.0 | 103.0 |
Source: IS 808:1989. For bolted connections, the gross and net areas per ISA depend on the staggered hole layout per IS 800 Cl. 6.3.
Indian Steel Grades per IS 2062
Standard structural steel grades for Indian construction per IS 2062:2011:
| Grade | Min Fy (MPa) t<=20mm | Min Fu (MPa) | Comparable US Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E250 (Fe 410) A/BR/B0/C | 250 | 410 | A36 (250 MPa) | Standard grade for all structural work |
| E300 (Fe 440) | 300 | 440 | — | Medium strength |
| E350 (Fe 490) | 350 | 490 | A572 Gr 50 | Higher strength, common for bridges |
| E410 (Fe 540) | 410 | 540 | — | High strength, special order |
| E450 (Fe 570) | 450 | 570 | A572 Gr 65 | Very high strength, limited availability |
The suffix letters denote deoxidation practice and impact requirements:
- A: Killed steel (standard)
- BR: Killed, semi-killed acceptable
- B0: Killed, with Charpy at 0°C (27 J min)
- C: Killed, with Charpy at -20°C (27 J min)
E250 Grade C (Fe 410 C) is the most common specification for primary structural members in Indian multi-storey and industrial buildings. E350 Grade BR is the standard for bridges per IRC 24.
Design to IS 800:2007
All steel member design for Indian projects should follow IS 800:2007 (Limit State Design). Key references:
- IS 808:1989 — Dimensions for hot-rolled steel sections
- SP 6(1) — Handbook for Structural Engineers: Steel Sections
- IS 800:2007 — General Construction in Steel — Code of Practice (Limit State Design)
- IS 875 (Part 1-5) — Design loads for buildings and structures
- IS 1893 (Part 1) — Earthquake-resistant design
IS 800:2007 uses the limit state design approach with partial safety factors:
- gamma_m0 = 1.10 (yielding, cross-section resistance)
- gamma_m1 = 1.10 (buckling resistance)
- gamma_m2 = 1.25 (ultimate stress, connections)
These are more conservative than EN 1993 (gamma_M0 = gamma_M1 = 1.00) and AISC 360 (phi = 0.90). Designers should not directly translate EN 1993 or AISC results to IS 800 without re-calculating with the correct partial factors.
IS 800 vs Other Codes
| Feature | IS 800:2007 | EN 1993-1-1 | AISC 360-22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design philosophy | Limit state | Limit state (Eurocode) | LRFD |
| Partial factor (yielding) | gamma_m0 = 1.10 | gamma_M0 = 1.00 | phi_b = 0.90 |
| Partial factor (buckling) | gamma_m1 = 1.10 | gamma_M1 = 1.00 | phi_c = 0.90 |
| Section classification | Plastic / Compact / Semi-Compact / Slender | Class 1-4 | Compact / Noncompact / Slender |
| Steel grades | E250-E450 (IS 2062) | S235-S460 (EN 10025) | A36, A992, A572 |
| Bolt grades | 4.6, 8.8, 10.9 (IS 1367) | 4.6, 5.6, 8.8, 10.9 | A307, A325, A490 |
| Buckling curves | a, b, c, d (Table 7) | a0, a, b, c, d | Single curve |
IS 800:2007 is largely harmonised with EN 1993 and BS 5950 conceptually, but the specific partial factors, classification limits, and buckling curves differ. Do not assume equivalence.
Related Pages
- Steel Beam Sizes — W, UB, IPE, HEA — Full international section comparison
- UK Steel Beam Sizes — UB, UC, PFC — UK sections per SCI Blue Book
- Steel Grades — A36, A572, A992, 350 Grade — Cross-standard grade reference
- Beam Capacity Calculator — Free multi-code beam capacity calculator
- Slab Steel Calculator — Rebar BBS for Indian RCC — Bar bending schedule calculator
This page is for educational reference. All section data is sourced from IS 808:1989 and SP 6(1). Verify dimensions and properties against the current standard edition and mill certificates before procurement or design. Results are PRELIMINARY — NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION without independent PE/SE verification.