AISC Shapes Database

Versions 3.1 and 3.1H

Readme File
January 31, 2003

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION, INC.

One East Wacker Drive, Suite 3100, Chicago, Illinois 60601-2001

Copyright 2003
by
American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc.

All rights reserved. This publication or any part thereof

must not be reproduced in any form without the
written permission of the publisher.
The information presented in this publication has been prepared in accordance with recognized engineering principles and is for general information only. While it is believed to
be accurate, this information should not be used or relied upon for any specific application without competent professional examination and verification of its accuracy,
suitablility, and applicability by a licensed professional engineer, designer, or architect.
The publication of the material contained herein is not intended as a representation
or warranty on the part of the American Institute of Steel Construction or of any other
person named herein, that this information is suitable for any general or particular use
or of freedom from infringement of any patent or patents. Anyone making use of this
information assumes all liability arising from such use.
Caution must be exercised when relying upon other specifications and codes developed
by other bodies and incorporated by reference herein since such material may be modified or amended from time to time subsequent to the printing of this edition. The
Institute bears no responsibility for such material other than to refer to it and incorporate
it by reference at the time of the initial publication of this edition.

1
The AISC Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H CD-ROM contains the following:
Readme File
End User License Agreement
Commercial License Agreement
EDI Naming Convention
AISC Shapes Database Version 3.1
AISC Shapes Database Version 3.1H, Historic Shape Properties
AISC Search Utility for Structural Steel Shapes3.1
Adobe Acrobat Reader Installer
Excel Document Viewer Installer
Steel Shapes Plus 1.0 Demo
These are explained in detail below.
New in Shapes Database Version 3.1
Version 3.1 contains current section properties from the Manual of Steel Construction, LRFD 3rd edition,
updated January 31, 2003. The Database_v.3.1 is available in MS Excel and XML formats.
The maximum dimension of the radius between the web and flange of some W-shapes has increased. For
steel detailers, these changes may affect the fit-up of some parts that are located near the fillet radius.
accordingly, two values are given for k: a value for steel design and a value for steel detailing. The
following properties are no longer included in the database:
d/Af
d/tw
Fy
Fy (ASD)
Fillet radius information is also no longer included.
New in Shapes Database Version 3.1H
Version 3.1H contains historic steel section properties for shapes produced from 1873 1998. Version
3.1H does not contain current shape properties for use in the design of structural steel for new
construction.

Properties are taken from:

Iron and Steel Beams 1873 to 1952, 1953
AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 5th Edition, 1962
AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 6th Edition, 1964
AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 7th Edition, 1970
AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 8th Edition, 1980
AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 9th Edition, Allowable Stress Design, 1989
AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 1st Edition Load and Resistance Factor Design, 1986
AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 2nd Edition Load and Resistance Factor Design, 1994
The Database_v.3.1H is available in MS Excel and XML formats.

AISC Shapes Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H Readme.pdf File, January 31, 2003
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

2
Readme File
Readme.pdf (this file) is a description of the files on this disk.
AISC Shapes Database License Agreements
AISC offers two types of licenses for the AISC Shapes Database:
Commercial License Agreement
The Commercial License for revenue-producing applications. This is for Developers only, people
who make commercially-marketed software.
End User License Agreement
The non-commercial single user license for end users.
AISC Shapes Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H
The AISC Shapes Database Version 3.1 is provided in the following file formats:
Microsoft Excel (Database_3.1.xls)
XML
The AISC Shapes Database Version 3.1H is provided in the following file format:
Microsoft Excel (Database_3.1H.xls)
Directions for reading Database version 3.1 (LRFD 3rd edition properties only)
Dimensions and properties for each shape are listed sequentially in a single row.
The columns representing metric properties are listed in parentheses.
Column A
Column B (BC)

Column C (BD)

Column D

Type
Shape type, e.g. W, C, L, etc.
EDI_Std_Nomenclature the shape designation according to the
AISC Naming Convention for Structural Steel Products for Use in
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), June 25, 2001. This information
is intended solely for the use of software developers to facilitate the
electronic labeling of shape-specific data and electronic transfer of
that data.
AISC_Manual_Label the shape designation as seen in the AISC
LRFD Manual of Steel Construction, 2001 (1994) and the AISC Hollow
Structural Sections Connections Manual, 1997. The exception to this
is the designation for double angles. There is now a separate listing
(row) for each back to back spacing and configuration. Therefore, the
shape designation must reflect these two variables. The listings for
double angles follow the convention specified in the AISC Naming
Convention for Structural Steel Products for Use in Electronic Data
Interchange (EDI), June 25, 2001.
T_F A true/false variable. A value of T (true) indicates that there is
a special note for that shape (see below). A value of F (false)
indicates that there is not a special note for that shape.

AISC Shapes Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H Readme.pdf File, January 31, 2003
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

Column E (BE)
Column F (BF)
Column G (BG)
Column H (BH)
Column I (BI)
Column J (BJ)
Column K (BK)
Column L (BL)
Column M (BM)
Column N (BN)
Column O (BO)
Column P (BP)
Column Q (BQ)
Column R (BR)
Column S (BS)
Column T (BT)
Column U (BU)
Column V (BV)
Column W (BW)
Column X (BX)
Column Y (BY)
Column Z (BZ)
Column AA (CA)
Column AB (CB)
Column AC (CC)
Column AD (CD)
Column AE (CE)
Column AF (CF)
Column AG (CG)
Column AH (CH)
Column AI (CI)
Column AJ (CJ)
Column AK (CK)
Column AL (CL)
Column AM (CM)
Column AN (CN)
Column AO (CO)
Column AP (CP)
Column AQ (CQ)
Column AR (CR)
Column AS (CS)

Special notes:
W-shapes: a value of T indicates that the shape is a Group 4 or 5
(jumbo) shape.
M-shapes: a value of T indicates that the shape has sloped flanges.
WT-shapes: a value of T indicates that the shape is a Group 4 or 5
(jumbo) shape.
MT-shapes: a value of T indicates that the shape has sloped flanges.
HSS: a value of T indicates that the shape is produced by the
submerged arc weld (SAW) process.
W Nominal weight, lbs/ft (kN/m)
A Cross-sectional area, in.2 (mm 2 )
d Overall depth of member (longer leg for angles), in. (mm)
Ht Overall depth of HSS, in. (mm)
OD Outside diameter, in. (mm)
bf Flange width, in. (mm)
b Overall width of member (shorter leg for angles), in. (mm)
ID Inside diameter, in (mm)
tw Web thickness, in. (mm)
tf Flange thickness, in. (mm)
t Thickness of leg or wall, in. (mm)
tnom HSS nominal wall thickness, in. (mm)
tdes HSS design wall thickness, in. (mm)
kdes Design value of the k dimension as defined in the Manual, in. (mm)
kdet Detailing value of the k dimension as defined in the Manual, in. (mm)
k1 - Design value of the k1 dimension as defined in the Manual, in. (mm)
x horizontal distance from designated member edge to centroidal axis, in. (mm)
y vertical distance from designated member edge to centroidal axis, in. (mm)
e0 horizontal distance from designated member edge to shear center, in. (mm)
xp horizontal distance from designated member edge to plastic
neutral axis, in. (mm)
yp vertical distance from designated member edge to plastic
neutral axis, in. (mm)
bf_2tf bf/2tf slenderness ratio
b_t B/t slenderness ratio for rectangular HSS
h_tw h/tw slenderness ratio
h_t H/t slenderness ratio for rectangular HSS
D_t D/t slenderness ratio for round HSS
Fy3p Fy, ksi (MPa)
X1 - X1 beam buckling factor, ksi (MPa)
X2 - X2 beam buckling factor multiplied by 106 , [1/ksi]2 (1/MPa)2
Ix Moment of inertia about the x-axis, in.4 (mm4 /106 )
Zx Plastic section modulus about the x-axis, in.3 (mm3 /103 )
Sx Elastic section modulus about the x-axis, in.3 (mm3 /103 )
rx Radius of gyration about the x-axis, in. (mm)
Iy Moment of inertia about the y-axis, in.4 (mm4 /106 )
Zy Plastic section modulus about the y-axis, in.3 (mm3 /103 )
Sy Elastic section modulus about the y-axis, in.3 (mm3 /103 )
ry Radius of gyration about the y-axis, in. (mm)
rz Radius of gyration about the principal axis, in. (mm)
J Torsional moment of inertia, in.4 (mm4 /103 )
Cw Warping constant, in.6 (mm6 /109 )
C HSS torsional constant, in.3 (mm3 /103 )

AISC Shapes Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H Readme.pdf File, January 31, 2003
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

Column AT (CT)
Column AU (CU)
Column AV (CV)
Column AW (CW)
Column AX (CX)
Column AY (CY)
Column AZ (CZ)
Column BA (DA)
Column BB (DB)

Wno Normalized warping function, in.2 (mm2 )

Sw Warping statical moment, in.4 (mm4 /106 )
Qf Statical moment at point in flange, in.3 (mm3 /103)
Qw Statical moment at mid-depth of the section, in.3 (mm3 /103 )
ro Polar radius of gyration about the shear center, in. (mm)
H Flexural constant
tan_alpha Tangent of the angle between the y-y and z-z axes for single angles.
Qs Reduction factor for slender unstiffened compression elements.
Tdim The T-dimension, design depth between the web toes of the fillets, in.

Directions for reading Database version 3.1H (Historic Section Properties 1873-1998)
Dimensions and properties for each shape are listed sequentially in a single row.
Column A

Column B

Column C

Edition Source document from which the section properties have been
compiled, corresponding to the following:
Historic - Iron and Steel Beams 1873 to 1952, 1953
ASD5 - AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 5th Edition, 1962
ASD6 - AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 6th Edition, 1964
ASD7 - AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 7th Edition, 1970
ASD8 - AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 8th Edition, 1980
ASD9 - AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 9th Edition,
Allowable Stress Design, 1989
LRFD1 - AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 1st Edition Load and Resistance
Factor Design, 1986
LRFD2 - AISC Manual of Steel Construction, 2nd Edition Load and Resistance
Factor Design, 1994
Footnote In ASD5, ASD6, ASD7, ASD8, ASD9, LRFD1, and LRFD2
Editions, this refers to special considerations for the listed section that must be
used in design. For Historic Sections, this refers to the shape producer, as listed
in the producer key of Design Guide 15 or in the Shapes Database Search Utility
3.1.
Type Shape type, as summarized by the following:
Electronic
2L
B
BCB
BJ
BL
BLB
BP
BWF
C
CB
G
HP
HSS
I
J
Jr

Engineering
2L
B
B and CB
B (Joists)
B (Light Beams)
B (Light Beams)
BP
B (WF)
C
CB
G
HP
HSS
I
J
Jr Beam

Description
Double Angles
Miscellaneous Beam Section
Both B and CB Sections
Miscellaneous Joist Section
Miscellaneous Light Beam Section
Miscellaneous Light Beam Section
H Bearing Pile Section
Miscellaneous Wide Flange Section
Channel Section
Carnegie Beam Section
Girder Section
H Pile Section
Hollow Structural Section
I Section
Junior Section
Junior Beam Section

AISC Shapes Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H Readme.pdf File, January 31, 2003
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

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JRC
JrU
L
LWF
M
MC
MT
PIPE
S
ST
ST B
ST I
ST Jr
ST M
ST R
ST S
ST WF
T FS
U
W
WF
WFB
WFCB
WT
XP
XXP
Z
Columns E through K
Column L
Column M
Column N
Column O
Column P
Column Q
Column R
Column S
Column T
Column U
Column V
Column W
Column X
Column Y
Column Z
Column AA
Column AB
Column AC
Column AD
Column AE
Column AF
Column AG

Jr Column
Jr Channel
L
Light WF
M
MC
MT
PIPE
S
ST
ST (B)
ST (I)
ST (Jr)
ST (M)
ST-R
ST-S
ST (WF)
T (FS)
U
W
WF
WF, B
WF, CB
WT
XP
XXP
Z

Junior Column Section

Junior Channel Section
Angle Section
Light WF and Miscellaneous Column Sections
Miscellaneous Section
Miscellaneous Channel Section
Structural Tee Section split from M-Shape
Structural Pipe Section
S-Section
Structural Tees Split from S-Shapes
Structural Tees Split from B-Shapes
Structural Tees Split from I-Shapes
Structural Tees Split from Jr-Shapes
Structural Tees Split from M-Shapes
Rectangular Structural Tubing Section
Square Structural Tubing Section
Structural Tees Split from WF-Shapes
Tees (Flange by Stem)
American Standard Channel Sections
Wide Flange Sections
Wide Flange Sections
Both WF and B Sections
Both WF and CB Sections
Structural Tees Split from W-Shapes
Extra Strong Pipe Section
Double-Extra Strong Pipe Section
Z-Section

Designation - Shape Label as listed in the Manual of Steel Construction or in

Iron and Steel Beams 1873-1952 to which the Edition label corresponds
A Cross-sectional area, in.2
d Overall depth of member (longer leg for angles), in.
tw Web thickness, in.
tw_2 Web half-thickness, in.
bf Flange width, in.
tf Flange thickness, in.
T Design depth between the web toes of the fillets, in.
k - Design distance from outer face of flange to web toe of fillet, in.
k1 - Design distance from tip of flange to flange toe of fillet, in.
W Weight, lb/ft.
bf_2tf - bf_2tf slenderness ratio
h_tw - h/tw slenderness ratio
Fy3p - Fy, ksi
X1 - X1 beam buckling factor, ksi
X2 X2 beam buckling factor multiplied by 106, (1/ksi2)
Ix - Moment of inertia about the x-axis, in.4
Zx Plastic section modulus about the x-axis, in.3
Sx - Elastic section modulus about the y-axis, in.3
rx Radius of gyration about the x-axis, in.3
y - Vertical distance from designated member edge to centroidal axis, in.
yp - Vertical distance from designated member edge to plastic neutral axis, in.
Iy - Moment of inertia about the y-axis, in.4

AISC Shapes Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H Readme.pdf File, January 31, 2003
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

Column AH
Column AI
Column AJ
Column AK
Column AL
Column AM
Column AN
Column AO
Column AP
Column AQ
Column AR
Column AS

Column AT

Column AU

Column AV

Column AW
Column AX
Column AY
Column AZ
Column BA
Column BB
Column BC
Column BD
Column BE
Column BF
Column BG
Column BH
Column BI
Column BJ
Column BK
Column BL
Column BM
Column BN

Zy - Plastic section modulus about the y-axis, in.3

Sy - Elastic section modulus about the y-axis, in.3
ry - Radius of gyration about the y-axis, in.
x - Horizontal distance from designated member edge to centroidal axis, in.
xp - Horizontal distance from designated member edge to plastic neutral axis, in.
rz Radius of gyration about the z-axis, in.
maxf - Maximum flange fastener, in
Grip - Grip, in.
eo Horizontal distance from designated edge of member to shear center
location, in.
Qs36 - Reduction factor for slender unstiffened compression elements for A36
Material.
Qs50 - Reduction factor for slender unstiffened compression elements for 50 ksi.
Material.
Qc36c - Qs* Reduction factor for slender unstiffened compression elements; A36
Material with angles in contact.
*Where no value of Qs is shown on applicable sections, the angles comply with
the non-compact section criteria of the Specification and may be considered fully
effective.
Qs50c - Qs* Reduction factor for slender unstiffened compression elements;
50ksi material with angles in contact.
*Where no value of Qs is shown on applicable sections, the angles comply with
the non-compact section criteria of the Specification and may be considered fully
effective.
Qs36s - Qs* Reduction factor for slender unstiffened compression elements; A36
Material with angles separated.
*Where no value of Qs is shown on applicable sections, the angles comply with
the non-compact section criteria of the Specification and may be considered fully
effective.
Qs50s - Qs* Reduction factor for slender unstiffened compression elements;
50ksi material with angles separated.
*Where no value of Qs is shown on applicable sections, the angles comply with
the non-compact section criteria of the Specification and may be considered fully
effective.
Astem Stem cross-sectional area, in.2
tanalpha - Tangent of the angle between the y-y and z-z axes for single angles.
twstem Stem thickness, in.
twstem_2 Stem half-thickness, in.
OD Outside diameter, in.
ID Inside diameter, in.
twall Wall thickness, in.
J Torsional moment of inertia, in.4
t Thickness, in.
IpY - Iy Moment of Inertia about the y-y axis for bearing piles, in.4
SpY - Sy Section Modulus about the y-y axis for bearing piles, in.3
rpY- ry Radius of Gyration about the y-y axis for bearing piles, in.
sched - ASA Schedule Number
Anet36 - Theoretical Net Area for ASTM A36 Material, in.2
d1A36 - Theoretical Depth of Tee for ASTM A36 Material, in.
IxA36 - Theoretical Moment of Inertia for ASTM A36 Material, in.4
SxA36 - Elastic Section Modulus about the x-x axis, in.3
rxA36 - Theoretical Radius of Gyration for ASTM A36 Material, in.

AISC Shapes Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H Readme.pdf File, January 31, 2003
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

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Column BO
Column BP
Column BQ
Column BR
Column BS
Column BT
Column BU
Column BV
Column BW
Column BX
Column BY
Column BZ
Column CA
Column CB
Column CC
Column CD
Column CE
Column CF
Column CG
Column CH
Column CI
Column CJ
Column CK

y1A36 - Theoretical Distance from the neutral axis to the centroid of a section
about the x-x axis for ASTM A36 Material, in.
ryA36 - Theoretical Radius of Gyration for ASTM A36 Material, in.
AnetASTM - Theoretical Net Area for ASTM A242, A440 and A441
Materials, in.
d1ASTM - Theoretical Depth of Tee for ASTM A242, A440 and A441
Materials, in.
IxASTM - Theoretical Moment of Inertia about the x-x axis for ASTM A242,
A440 and A441 Materials, in.
SASTM - Theoretical Section Modulus about the x-x axis for ASTM A242,
A440 and A441 Materials, in.
rASTM - Theoretical Radius of Gyration about the x-x axis for ASTM A242,
A440 and A441 Materials, in.
y1ASTM - Theoretical Distance from the neutral axis to the centroid of a section
about the x-x axis for ASTM A242, A440 and A441 Materials, in.
ryASTM - Theoretical Radius of Gyration for ASTM A242, A440 and A441
Materials, in.
d_t - Depth to thickness slenderness ratio
ry0 - Polar Radius of Gyration, in.
ry1_4 - Radius of Gyration about the y-y axis for angles separated by in., in.
ry3_8 - Radius of Gyration about the y-y axis for angles separated by 3/8 in., in.
ry1_2 - Radius of Gyration about the y-y axis for angles separated by in., in.
ry5_8 - Radius of Gyration about the y-y axis for angles separated by 5/8 in., in.
ry3_4 - Radius of Gyration about the y-y axis for angles separated by in., in.
d_Af - Depth divided by flange area, in.
rT - Radius of gyration of a section comprising the compression flange plus onethird of the compression web area, taken about an axis in the plane of the web, in.
Fy2p Fy The theoretical maximum yield stress (ksi) based on the widththickness ratio of the web, beyond which a particular shape is not compact
Cw - Warping Constant for a section, in.6
Fyp Fy The theoretical maximum yield stress (ksi) based on the widththickness ratio of one-half the unstiffened compression flange, beyond which a
particular shape is not compact.
Ccp50 Cc - Column slenderness ratio dividing elastic and inelastic buckling,
modified to account for effective width of wide compression elements for 50 ksi
material.
Ccp36 Cc - Column slenderness ratio dividing elastic and inelastic buckling,
modified to account for effective width of wide compression elements for A36
material.

1 ECw

2 GJ

Column CL

a torsion property, in.; a =

Column CM
Column CN
Column CO
Column CP
Column CQ
Column CR
Column CS
Column CT
Column CU
Column CV
Column CW

Wno - Normalized Warping Constant, in.2

Sw - Warping statical moment, in.4
Qf - Statical moment at point in flange, in.3
Qw - Statical moment at mid-depth of the section, in.3
b - Overall width of member (shorter leg for angles), in.
h_t - H/t slenderness ratio
Ht - Depth of a Hollow Structural Section, in.
tnom HSS nominal wall thickness, in.
tdes - HSS design wall thickness, in.
b_t B/t slenderness ratio for HSS
C - HSS torsional constant, in.3

AISC Shapes Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H Readme.pdf File, January 31, 2003
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

8
Column CX
ro - Polar radius of gyration about the shear center, in.
Column CY
H - Flexural constant
EDI Naming Convention
EDI Naming Convention.pdf is a naming convention that standardizes the electronic descriptions used
to identify structural steel shapes and other steel products. The intent is to facilitate the electronic
exchange of information in structural steel design and construction. The sole purpose of this naming
convention is to enable a communication standard for software applications. The naming convention
contained therein is not an official naming convention of the AISC and should not be used in connection
with any other materials including, but not limited to, specifications or design drawings.
These programs and files were created for the benefit of the American Institute of Steel Construction
(AISC) and the steel design and construction industry in general.
The authors make no warranty regarding the usability of their products nor regarding the accuracy of the
data provided by the AISC.
Acknowledgements
AISC would like to acknowledge the contributions of:
David Homes, who designed the AISC Shapes Database v.3.1 interface and developed the AISC Search
Utility 3.1,
Jim Barr and Tom Chmielenski of Bently Systems, who compiled the XML version of the Shapes
Database.
Brian Dekker, Student at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, who compiled the properties
found in the Historic Database.

AISC Shapes Database Versions 3.1 and 3.1H Readme.pdf File, January 31, 2003
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION