ASTM A6 / AISC Steel Construction Manual dimensions and section properties
American Standard channels are designated by exact depth and weight: a C10x15.3 is exactly 10 inches deep and weighs 15.3 pounds per foot. This chart covers all 29 standard sizes from C3x4.1 to C15x50, grouped by depth. Every size links to a full datasheet with metric conversions, bar weights, and a worked deflection example.
Channels put all their flange on one side of the web, which makes them ideal wherever a flat back matters — stair stringers, frames, rails, and bolted-up built-up sections. The taper on C-channel flanges (about 16.7%) is why the listed flange thickness is an average. For European projects, the closest metric relatives are the UPN channels — our UPN table lets you compare directly.
What do C-channel designations like C10x15.3 mean?
The first number is the exact depth in inches, the second is the weight in pounds per foot: a C10x15.3 is 10.00 in deep and weighs 15.3 lb/ft. Unlike W-shapes, channel depths within a family are all identical — heavier sizes grow in flange width and web thickness, never in depth.
What is the difference between C and MC channels?
C-channels (American Standard) follow the classic dimension series listed here. MC (miscellaneous) channels are everything else — typically deeper webs, wider flanges, or heavier weights for the same depth. C-channels are the stock item at every service center; MC sizes are less commonly held in inventory.
How do American C-channels compare to European UPN profiles?
They serve the same role and look nearly identical — both have tapered flanges. Dimensions differ: UPN is a metric series (UPN 100 = 100 mm deep), C is imperial (C4 ≈ 102 mm). The sections are not interchangeable in a design, but our UPN table lets you find the closest metric equivalent quickly.
Why is the flange thickness an average value?
C-channel flanges taper at a slope of about 1:6 — thick at the web, thinner at the tip. The AISC tables (and this chart) list the average thickness, which is what the section properties are computed with. Parallel-flange channels (like European UPE) do not have this quirk.
Values are entered from the governing standard’s published tables and cross-checked programmatically against its mass and section formulas before publication. Spotted an error? Write to advertising@metalabout.net — verified corrections ship within days. About
