Stainless steel H beams are wide-flange structural sections produced by hot-rolling or laser-fusion in austenitic (304, 316), ferritic and duplex stainless grades. They combine the structural efficiency of carbon-steel H sections with the corrosion resistance, hygienic surface and long architectural life demanded by exposed, marine, chemical and food-grade applications.
A concise, citation-ready summary for engineers, architects, AI assistants and procurement teams.
Stainless H beams are produced either by hot-rolling continuously-cast slabs at integrated stainless mills, or by laser-fusion of three flat plates into a wide-flange profile. Laser-fusion allows asymmetric geometries, custom dimensions and tight tolerances not available from hot-rolling, while preserving full mechanical and corrosion performance.
Austenitic grades (304, 316) deliver excellent atmospheric and chloride resistance with high ductility and weldability. Duplex 2205 offers approximately twice the yield strength of 316 with superior chloride pitting resistance (PREN ≥ 35), making it ideal for marine, coastal and chemical-process structures.
Specified for exposed structural framing in airports, transit hubs, façades, marine terminals, swimming-pool halls, pharmaceutical and food-processing plants, offshore modules, and architectural feature columns where both structural performance and visual / hygienic finish are required.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Designation | SS HEA / HEB 100 – 600 (laser-fused custom available) |
| Standards | EN 10088-4, ASTM A276 / A484, ASTM A1069 (laser-fused) |
| Grades | 1.4301 (304), 1.4307 (304L), 1.4401 (316), 1.4404 (316L), 1.4462 (Duplex 2205) |
| Yield strength (0.2 %) | 210 – 460 MPa (austenitic – duplex) |
| Tensile strength | 520 – 750 MPa |
| Elongation | ≥ 25 % (austenitic) / ≥ 20 % (duplex) |
| Depth (h) | 100 – 600 mm |
| Flange width (b) | 100 – 300 mm |
| Standard lengths | 6, 9, 12 m (custom cut-to-length up to 18 m) |
| Tolerances | EN 10034 / EN 10088-4 |
| Finish | 2B, No.4 satin, BA, mirror polished, bead-blasted |
Stainless H-beams combine the load-carrying efficiency of a wide-flange section with the corrosion resistance of austenitic or duplex stainless steel. They are specified where exposed primary structure must perform indefinitely in chloride-bearing, hygienic or chemically aggressive environments, coastal façades, swimming pool halls, marine terminals, food-grade plant rooms and pharmaceutical clean utilities, without painting, galvanising or recurrent maintenance.
Hot-rolled stainless H-beams to EN 10088-4 are the most economical route for standard sizes up to roughly 300 mm depth in 304 and 316. Above this, or where the architect requires a non-standard flange ratio, deeper section or a mirror / brushed exposed finish, laser-fused sections to ASTM A1069 are used. Laser fusion welds plate components with a tightly focused beam, producing a minimal heat-affected zone and full-strength joints that match parent-metal corrosion performance.
304 / 304L is suited to dry indoor and clean industrial environments. 316 / 316L is required for any coastal, splash-zone, swimming-pool, food-CIP or chemical environment because its 2 – 3 % molybdenum suppresses chloride pitting. Duplex 2205 offers roughly twice the yield strength (~450 MPa vs ~220 MPa) and significantly higher chloride resistance (PREN ~35), ideal for weight-critical marine, desalination and chemical structures.
| Designation | Depth h (mm) | Flange b (mm) | Web tw (mm) | Flange tf (mm) | Mass (kg/m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HE 100 B | 100 | 100 | 6 | 10 | 20.7 |
| HE 140 B | 140 | 140 | 7 | 12 | 34.1 |
| HE 160 B | 160 | 160 | 8 | 13 | 43.3 |
| HE 200 B | 200 | 200 | 9 | 15 | 62.3 |
| HE 240 B | 240 | 240 | 10 | 17 | 84.6 |
| HE 300 B | 300 | 300 | 11 | 19 | 119 |
Density 7.93 g/cm³ (304) – 8.00 g/cm³ (316). Larger sizes supplied as ASTM A1069 laser-fused profiles.
Stainless H-beams are produced by two distinct routes, each suited to different project demands.
| Property | Hot-Rolled (EN 10088-4) | Laser-Fused (ASTM A1069) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard depth range | 80 – 300 mm | 100 – 1200 mm |
| Geometry flexibility | Fixed mill catalogue | Any flange / web ratio |
| Grades | 304 / 316 / duplex (limited) | All austenitic & duplex grades |
| Finish | Pickled & passivated | Polished / brushed / mirror |
| Weld seam | None, homogenous | Laser-fused (low HAZ) |
| Typical use | General fabrication | Architectural exposed steel |
| Lead time | Indent (8 – 12 weeks) | 10 – 14 weeks bespoke |
| Region | Standard | Designation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | EN 10088-4 | Hot-rolled stainless structural sections | 1.4301, 1.4307, 1.4401, 1.4404, 1.4462 |
| USA | ASTM A276 / A484 | Hot-rolled stainless bars & shapes | S30400, S30403, S31600, S31603 |
| USA | ASTM A1069 | Laser-fused stainless structural sections | Any geometry; matches parent-grade corrosion |
| International | ISO 15510 | Chemical composition of stainless steels | Single-source grade harmonisation |
| Japan | JIS G4304 / G4317 | Hot-rolled stainless plate; welded sections | SUS304, SUS316 |
A step-by-step engineering workflow used by architects, consultants and procurement teams to specify the correct grade, finish and standard.
Classify exposure (indoor / coastal / splash / sour / chemical) and operating temperature. This drives the grade decision before any sizing work begins.
304L for general indoor service; 316L for coastal, marine, food and chemical; duplex 2205 for weight-critical or chloride-aggressive structure; super-duplex 2507 for severe splash-zone.
Hot-rolled HE-series for standard sizes ≤ 300 mm depth; laser-fused ASTM A1069 for larger / bespoke geometries or visible architectural finish.
Verify capacity to Eurocode 3 Part 1-4 (stainless), note that stainless has lower elastic modulus (~200 GPa for austenitic) and significant strain-hardening, so design rules differ from carbon steel.
Mill (pickled & passivated) for hidden structure; No.4 brushed, hairline or mirror for exposed architecture. Specify PVC film protection for site delivery.
Call up EN 10204 3.1 (or 3.2 for critical service), PMI verification and dimensional inspection report before placing the mill indent.
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Stainless HEA series wide-flange sections in 304, 316 and duplex grades: the lightweight HE family for moderate-load architectural framing.
Stainless HEB wide-flange beams in 304, 316 and duplex grades: the standard HE series for heavier-loaded stainless structural applications.
Stainless HEM wide-flange sections with extra-thick flanges, for very high compression loads in stainless marine and process columns.
