Reference Tables Directory

Directory of reference tables (sections, grades, bolt holes, weld notes) with data provenance and usage cautions.

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What you’ll find here

Core reference tables

Regional standards

Reference pages organized by design code jurisdiction. Each region has its own standard design codes, material grades, and design practices.

Australian Standards (AS 4100)

Steel Materials

Beams and Columns

Bolted Connections

Welded Connections

Connection Design

Lateral Systems

Other Design Resources

Canadian Standards (CSA S16)

Steel Materials

Beams and Columns

Bolted Connections

Welded Connections

Connection Design

Lateral Systems

Other Design Resources

European Standards (EN 1993 / Eurocode 3)

Steel Materials

Beams and Columns

Bolted Connections

Welded Connections

Connection Design

Lateral Systems

Other Design Resources

UK Standards (BS 5950 / EN 1993-UK NA)

Steel Materials

Beams and Columns

Bolted Connections

Welded Connections

Connection Design

Lateral Systems

Other Design Resources

Design guides

Data provenance and QA

Reference table descriptions and usage

Each reference category serves a specific purpose in the steel design process. Understanding what data each table provides and how to use it ensures accurate calculator inputs and reliable results.

Core section property data

The Section Properties Database is the foundational reference for the entire site. It contains dimensions, areas, moments of inertia, section moduli, radii of gyration, and torsional properties for over 500 standard steel sections including American W-shapes, European IPE and HEA/HEB, British UB and UC, Australian UB and UC, Canadian W-shapes, and various channel, angle, HSS, and pipe sections. The data is sourced from the respective standard publications and is suitable for preliminary design. Always verify critical dimensions against supplier mill certificates for final design.

Material and grade specifications

The Steel Grades reference covers common structural steel grades across multiple standards: ASTM A36, A572 Grade 50, A992 for the US; Grade 300 and Grade 350 for Australia; S235, S275, S355 for Europe; and 350W for Canada. Each grade listing includes minimum yield strength (Fy), minimum tensile strength (Fu), and typical applications. This data is essential for entering correct material properties into the calculators.

The ASTM A36 Steel reference provides detailed information about the most widely used structural carbon steel grade, including its mechanical properties, chemical composition, weldability characteristics, and typical applications in building and bridge construction.

Connection design references

Bolt Holes (AISC bolt hole sizes) provides standard hole dimensions for bolts from 1/2-inch to 1-1/2-inch diameter including standard holes, oversize holes, short slots, and long slots per AISC 360 Table J3.3. This affects bolt bearing and slip-critical connection design.

Minimum Weld Size (fillet weld size chart) gives the minimum fillet weld size based on the thicker part joined, per AWS D1.1 Table 7.1 and AISC 360 Table J2.4. Proper weld sizing is critical for connection strength and ductility.

Anchor Bolts reference covers headed anchor bolt dimensions, embedment lengths, and edge distance requirements. It provides capacity values for common bolt diameters and material grades used in column base plate and equipment anchorage design.

Bolt Capacity Table presents design shear and tension strengths for A325 and A490 bolts in various connection types, including bearing-type (threads included and excluded) and slip-critical connections.

Member design references

Steel Beam Sizes (I-beam sizes) provides a quick-lookup table of common beam sections with their depth, flange width, web thickness, weight, and key section properties. Use this when you need to identify or compare beam sections without opening the full section properties database.

K-Factor (effective length factor) reference provides K-factors for six standard end conditions per AISC 360 Table C-A-7.1, from fixed-fixed to pinned-pinned to cantilever conditions. Correct K-factor selection is essential for column buckling capacity calculations.

Deflection Limits reference summarizes common serviceability deflection limits from various standards including L/360 for roof live load, L/240 for roof dead plus live, L/600 for crane loads, and L/120 for wind drift. Use this to set appropriate serviceability criteria for your design.

Beam Formulas provides standard beam bending moment, shear, and deflection formulas for common loading and support conditions. This is useful for verifying calculator outputs with hand calculations.

Structural systems and detailing

The reference collection includes design guidance pages covering a wide range of structural systems and detailing topics. The Braced Frame reference explains concentric and eccentric bracing configurations, seismic design requirements, and connection detailing considerations. Structural Systems provides an overview of moment frames, braced frames, dual systems, and their relative stiffness and ductility characteristics.

Steel Detailing covers standard detailing practices including bolt placement, weld access holes, cope and block dimensions, and minimum edge distances. Fatigue Design references AISC 360 Appendix 3 and provides guidance on fatigue categories, stress ranges, and allowable cycle counts for cyclically loaded connections.

Seismic Design pages cover seismic design categories, response modification coefficients, overstrength factors, and detailing requirements per AISC 341 and the applicable building code. Floor Vibration references AISC Design Guide 11 methodology for evaluating floor vibration serviceability.

How to use reference tables with calculators

The reference tables and calculators are designed to work together. Follow this workflow:

  1. Identify the design standard and material requirements for your project.
  2. Look up section properties for the beam or column you are analyzing using the Section Properties Database.
  3. Determine material strengths from the Steel Grades reference for your selected standard.
  4. Enter these values into the appropriate calculator (beam capacity, column capacity, connection design, etc.).
  5. Verify bolt hole sizes, minimum weld sizes, or other connection parameters before running connection calculations.
  6. Check deflection limits and other serviceability criteria after obtaining calculator results.

Always cross-reference critical dimensions and capacities against the official standard publications and supplier data. The values provided are for preliminary design and educational use only.

Navigation guidance for this hub

The reference pages are organized into categories that align with the steel design process. Use the Core Reference Tables section for frequently needed lookup data such as section properties and steel grades. The Design Guides section contains longer-form reference articles on specific topics like composite construction, fire protection, and connection detailing. The Data Provenance and QA section links to documentation about where the reference data comes from and how to verify it.

To find information quickly, use your browser's find function (Ctrl+F) after navigating to the relevant category. The related pages section at the bottom of this page provides direct links to the most commonly used reference tables.

SEO and crawlability notes (implementation)

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Do not render the directory links only after JavaScript runs, or crawlers may treat the hub as thin content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not just show a navigation menu?
Menus are useful, but hub pages add unique explanatory text and organized link blocks. This reduces thin/duplicate signals and improves crawl paths.

Do these calculators follow every clause of every standard?
No. Standards are extensive and context-dependent. The calculators support educational workflows and screening checks; final design requires full code compliance verification.

Is this site a substitute for engineering software?
No. Treat it as a fast toolset for early iteration and learning. Use validated analysis/design software and professional review for real projects.

How should I link to results?
Link to the clean route (no query parameters). If you share inputs, do it in a controlled way that does not generate infinite indexable URL variants.

Where is the verification guide?
Use the verification guide for a QA workflow that applies to any calculator result.

What if a section or grade I need is not listed? The database covers the most common families. Use the feedback link to request additions.

How do I know which reference table to consult for my design task? For member design, start with the Section Properties Database and Steel Grades reference. For connection design, consult Bolt Holes, Min Weld Size, and Anchor Bolts references. For serviceability checks, use Deflection Limits. For structural analysis, refer to Beam Formulas and K-Factor tables.

Related pages

Disclaimer (educational use only)

This page is provided for general technical information and educational use only. It does not constitute professional engineering advice, a design service, or a substitute for an independent review by a qualified structural engineer. Any calculations, outputs, examples, and workflows discussed here are simplified descriptions intended to support understanding and preliminary estimation.

All real-world structural design depends on project-specific factors (loads, combinations, stability, detailing, fabrication, erection, tolerances, site conditions, and the governing standard and project specification). You are responsible for verifying inputs, validating results with an independent method, checking constructability and code compliance, and obtaining professional sign-off where required.

The site operator provides the content “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the operator disclaims liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, this page or any linked tools.