W10x30 — Dimensions, Weight & Section Properties
American wide-flange (W) beam per ASTM A6 / AISC Steel Construction Manual
W10x30 is an American wide-flange beam 10.5 inches (266.7 mm) deep with a 5.81 in (147.6 mm) flange, weighing 30 pounds per foot (44.6 kg/m) — that is what the "30" in the designation means. All values below are the standard AISC published section properties used in US structural design, with metric equivalents alongside.
Typical uses: floor and roof framing, columns, headers, and general steel construction. For a quick stiffness check, see the deflection example below or open the beam calculator with your own span and load.
W10x30: cross-section drawn to scale from the AISC dimensions (d 10.5, bf 5.81, tw 0.3, tf 0.51 in)Dimensions
| Depth d | 10.5 in (266.7 mm) |
| Flange width bf | 5.81 in (147.6 mm) |
| Web thickness tw | 0.3 in (7.6 mm) |
| Flange thickness tf | 0.51 in (13 mm) |
Weight & Cross-Section
| Weight per foot | 30 lb/ft (44.6 kg/m) |
| 20 ft bar | 600 lb |
| 40 ft bar | 1,200 lb |
| Area A | 8.84 in² (57 cm²) |
Section Properties (strong / weak axis)
| Moment of inertia Ix | 170 in⁴ (7,076 cm⁴) |
| Section modulus Sx | 32.4 in³ (531 cm³) |
| Radius of gyration rx | 4.38 in |
| Moment of inertia Iy | 16.7 in⁴ (695 cm⁴) |
| Section modulus Sy | 5.75 in³ (94 cm³) |
| Radius of gyration ry | 1.37 in |
Compared with the neighbouring sizes
| Shape | d × bf (in) | lb/ft | Ix (in⁴) | Sx (in³) | Δ weight | Δ Ix |
|---|
| W10x26 | 10.3 × 5.77 | 26 | 144 | 27.9 | −13 % | −15 % |
| W10x30 (this page) | 10.5 × 5.81 | 30 | 170 | 32.4 | — | — |
| W10x33 | 9.73 × 7.96 | 33 | 171 | 35 | +10 % | +1 % |
Deflection example
A simply supported W10x30 spanning 17 ft with a 10 kip point load at midspan deflects 0.36 in (E = 29,000 ksi, Ix = 170 in⁴). The L/360 serviceability limit for this span is 0.57 in — the shape passes this quick check.
Calculate with your own span and load →
Frequently asked questions
How much does a W10x30 beam weigh?
W10x30 weighs 30 pounds per foot (44.6 kg/m). The number after the "x" in the designation is always the weight in lb/ft. A 20 ft bar weighs 600 lb and a 40 ft bar 1,200 lb.
What are the dimensions of a W10x30?
W10x30 is 10.5 in (266.7 mm) deep with a 5.81 in (147.6 mm) wide flange. The web is 0.3 in thick and the flanges are 0.51 in thick. Note the actual depth differs from the nominal W10 label — always design with the actual value.
What are the dimensions of a W10x30 in mm?
W10x30 is 266.7 mm deep with a 147.6 mm wide flange; the web is 7.6 mm and the flange 13 mm thick. In metric section properties: Ix = 7,076 cm⁴, Sx = 531 cm³.
How much does a W10x30 weigh in kg?
44.6 kg per meter. A 6 m bar weighs 268 kg and a 12 m bar 536 kg — handy when ordering US shapes from metric suppliers.
What is the moment of inertia of a W10x30?
About the strong axis, Ix = 170 in⁴ (7,076 cm⁴) with section modulus Sx = 32.4 in³. About the weak axis, Iy = 16.7 in⁴ and Sy = 5.75 in³. Use the beam deflection calculator to turn these into deflection and stress for your span and load.
W10x30 or W10x33 — what does one size up change?
W10x33 is about 10% heavier (33 vs 30 lb/ft) but about 1% stiffer (Ix 171 vs 170 in⁴). Going one step up within the same depth group is usually the cheapest way to cut deflection.
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