In multi-story buildings, the forces carried by structural steelwork generally increase toward the base as loads from successive floors accumulate through the frame. Section selection must account for this changing load profile without adding unnecessary steel weight or occupying more of the available floor depth. HEA, HEB, and HEM wide-flange beams offer progressively different section geometries, with variations in flange and web thickness, cross-sectional area, and mass influencing their structural performance. Although all three belong to the European HE section family covered by EN 10365, their differences in section geometry influence how each profile performs under varying structural loads and design constraints across different levels of a multi-story building.
HEA, HEB, and HEM Wide-Flange Beams Explained
The differences between HE profiles extend beyond overall section depth. Changes in flange thickness, web thickness, cross-sectional area, and mass per metre affect structural behaviour and determine where a section can perform efficiently. HEA, HEB, and HEM cover progressively heavier section configurations, ensuring engineers have the scope to match section weight and structural capacity to different applications.
HEA: Light-Series Wide-Flange Beams
HEA sections have comparatively thin webs and flanges, making them the lightest of the three principal HE series at comparable nominal sizes. This geometry provides strong major-axis bending performance relative to section weight, particularly where loads are moderate and lower structural mass is beneficial.
As vertical loads generally decrease towards the upper levels of a multi-story structure, HEA beams can suit office roof framing with lightweight roofing systems, intermediate floor joists beneath standard commercial floor assemblies, and secondary beams spanning between primary girders. Their lower mass per metre can also reduce overall steel tonnage, transport requirements, erection loads, and the forces transferred into columns and foundations, which can reduce material use and associated project costs.
HEB: Standard-Series Wide-Flange Beams
HEB profiles provide thicker webs and flanges than their HEA counterparts, producing a balanced combination of section weight, stiffness, and load resistance. An increased cross-sectional area also enables strong performance under combined axial compression and bending moments.
The middle stories of multi-level buildings often place greater demands on structural members because columns and primary framing must transfer loads from several levels above. HEB sections consequently suit primary floor girders carrying secondary beams, columns within multi-story residential developments, and load-bearing members in commercial office frames.
Positioned between the lighter HEA and heavier HEM series, HEB sections offer flexibility for load-bearing members across multi-story frames. The moderate section weight delivers increased structural capacity than HEA with less steel mass than HEM, ensuring engineers can accommodate higher loads without moving directly to the heaviest HE series. This balance can reduce unnecessary steel tonnage throughout multi-story structural frames.
HEM: Heavy-Series Wide-Flange Beams
HEM sections have substantially thicker webs and flanges than HEA and HEB profiles, meaning they have a larger cross-sectional area and the highest mass per metre of the three series. Substantial compressive forces, bending moments, and concentrated loads can be applied to this heavier section, an important characteristic in parts of the frame exposed to high load concentrations. These load conditions are common toward the base of high-rise structures, where forces accumulate from the floors above.
Typical applications of HEM wide-flange beams extend beyond lower-level columns. HEM profiles can form transfer girders beneath discontinuous column arrangements, foundation beams, distributing concentrated reactions, and plant-room framing carrying heavy mechanical equipment. The additional steel can also be valuable when structural depth is restricted, allowing for higher capacity without increasing section dimensions to the same extent and preserving space for ceilings and building services.
Key Decision Factors for Multi-Story Applications
Several design variables shape the final steelwork specification across a multi-story building frame:
- Load distribution- Accumulated loads typically increase toward the base of a multi-story frame. HEA may suit lighter upper levels, HEB higher-loaded intermediate stories, and HEM areas of greater axial compression. Calculated forces, member length, restraint, and structural configuration determine the final profile.
- Available space- Moving between HEA, HEB, and HEM can increase structural resistance without a proportionate increase in section depth. Similar external dimensions across multiple floors can simplify coordination with façades, partitions, connections, and service zones.
- Serviceability and stability- Adequate strength does not guarantee acceptable deflection, vibration, stiffness, or buckling behaviour. These criteria can influence section size before strength becomes the limiting factor.
- Steel grade- S275, S355, S460 can be used with HE sections under Eurocode 3 design. Higher yield strength can increase resistance, but stiffness and serviceability are governed by other section and material properties.
HE Sections for Multi-Story Steelwork
When used together within a multi-story steel frame, HEA, HEB, and HEM sections deliver a practical range of structural capacities, section weights, and dimensions for different parts of the building. Masteel UK stocks European HE sections alongside IPE and UPN profiles, as well as UK UB, UC, and PFC sections, in structural steel grades including S275 and S355. Stock lengths from 6m to 20m are complemented by accurate cutting, in-house profiling, and low-temperature Charpy V-notch impact testing for projects with specific processing or toughness criteria. Speak with Masteel UK’s specialists now to find out more about our available steel grades or to receive a quotation.