European Beam Capacity Calculator — EN 1993-1-1

Design per EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.2

Calculate the bending and shear resistance of European hot-rolled steel sections per Eurocode 3. The calculator supports IPE, HEA, HEB, and HEM sections with S235, S275, S355, and S460 steel grades.

Supported Sections and Grades

IPE sections — IPE 80 to IPE 750, the standard European I-section for beams
HEA sections — HEA 100 to HEA 1000, wide flange with light flange thickness
HEB sections — HEB 100 to HEB 1000, wide flange with medium flange thickness
HEM sections — HEM 100 to HEM 1000, wide flange with heavy flange thickness
Steel grades — S235 (EN 10025-2), S275, S355 (most common), S460

Design Checks Performed

Section classification — Class 1, 2, 3, or 4 per EN 1993-1-1 Table 5.2
Bending moment resistance — Mc,Rd = Wpl × fy / γM0 for Class 1-2 sections
Lateral-torsional buckling — Mb,Rd = χLT × Wy × fy / γM1 per Clause 6.3.2
Shear resistance — Vc,Rd = Av × (fy/√3) / γM0 per Clause 6.2.6
Shear buckling — Checked when hw/tw > 72ε/η per Clause 6.2.6(6)
Deflection — Serviceability limits per EN 1990 Annex A1.4.3

Worked Example

Problem: Check an IPE 400 beam in S355 steel for a 6.0 m simply supported span with a factored UDL of 30 kN/m.

Solution:

Section: IPE 400, S355 (fy = 355 MPa)
Section class: Class 1 (compact)
Plastic modulus Wpl,y = 1307 cm³
Design moment: MEd = 30 × 6.0² / 8 = 135 kNm
Moment resistance: Mc,Rd = 1307 × 10³ × 355 / 1.0 = 464 kNm
Utilisation: 135/464 = 0.29 (29%) — OK
Design shear: VEd = 30 × 6.0 / 2 = 90 kN
Shear resistance: Vc,Rd = 4268 × (355/√3) / 1.0 = 874 kN
Utilisation: 90/874 = 0.10 (10%) — OK

Result: IPE 400 in S355 is adequate. Moment governs at 29% utilisation.

Related Resources

FAQ

What steel grades does the calculator support? S235, S275, S355, and S460 per EN 10025-2. S355 is the default and most commonly used grade for structural steel in Europe.

Does it check lateral-torsional buckling? Yes. The calculator determines the reduction factor χLT based on the non-dimensional slenderness λLT and the appropriate buckling curve per EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.3.2.

What is the difference between EN 1993-1-1 and EN 1993-1-5 for beams? Clause 6.2 of EN 1993-1-1 covers the basic cross-section resistance. EN 1993-1-5 covers plate buckling for slender webs (Class 4 sections) — the calculator flags when this is required.

Can I use UK National Annex values? The calculator uses the recommended values from EN 1993-1-1 (γM0 = 1.0, γM1 = 1.0). For UK NA modifications, refer to the UK-specific guidance page.