Steel section tables · 03 / 08
Parallel Flange Channel (PFC) Sizes
Parallel flange channels (PFC) are C-shaped sections with flanges of constant thickness. They are used for trimmers, lintels, edge beams and frames, often back to back. Sizes are written depth × width × mass per metre.
Symbols
Symbol key
- Mass
- Mass per metre
- kg/m
- h
- Depth of section
- mm
- b
- Width of section
- mm
- tw
- Web thickness
- mm
- tf
- Flange thickness
- mm
- r
- Root radius
- mm
- cy
- Back of web to centroid
- cm
- A
- Area of section
- cm²
- Ix
- Second moment of area, major axis x–x
- cm⁴
- Wel,x
- Elastic section modulus, major axis x–x
- cm³
Table
Parallel flange channels table
Select a column heading to sort. Every row links: add its ID to the address, for example #pfc-200x90x30.
Popular sizes
| Designationserial size | Masskg/m | hmm | bmm | twmm | tfmm | rmm | cycm | Acm² | Ixcm⁴ | Wel,xcm³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 430 × 100 × 64 | 64.4 | 430.0 | 100.0 | 11.0 | 19.0 | 15.0 | 2.62 | 82.1 | 21,939 | 1,020 |
| 380 × 100 × 54 | 54.0 | 380.0 | 100.0 | 9.5 | 17.5 | 15.0 | 2.79 | 68.7 | 15,034 | 791 |
| 300 × 100 × 46 | 45.5 | 300.0 | 100.0 | 9.0 | 16.5 | 15.0 | 3.05 | 58 | 8,229 | 549 |
| 300 × 90 × 41 | 41.4 | 300.0 | 90.0 | 9.0 | 15.5 | 12.0 | 2.6 | 52.7 | 7,218 | 481 |
| 260 × 90 × 35 | 34.8 | 260.0 | 90.0 | 8.0 | 14.0 | 12.0 | 2.74 | 44.4 | 4,728 | 364 |
| 260 × 75 × 28 | 27.6 | 260.0 | 75.0 | 7.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 2.1 | 35.1 | 3,619 | 278 |
| 230 × 90 × 32 | 32.2 | 230.0 | 90.0 | 7.5 | 14.0 | 12.0 | 2.92 | 41 | 3,518 | 306 |
| 230 × 75 × 26 | 25.7 | 230.0 | 75.0 | 6.5 | 12.5 | 12.0 | 2.3 | 32.7 | 2,748 | 239 |
| 200 × 90 × 30 | 29.7 | 200.0 | 90.0 | 7.0 | 14.0 | 12.0 | 3.12 | 37.9 | 2,523 | 252 |
| 200 × 75 × 23 | 23.4 | 200.0 | 75.0 | 6.0 | 12.5 | 12.0 | 2.48 | 29.9 | 1,963 | 196 |
| 180 × 90 × 26 | 26.1 | 180.0 | 90.0 | 6.5 | 12.5 | 12.0 | 3.17 | 33.2 | 1,817 | 202 |
| 180 × 75 × 20 | 20.3 | 180.0 | 75.0 | 6.0 | 10.5 | 12.0 | 2.41 | 25.9 | 1,370 | 152 |
| 150 × 90 × 24 | 23.9 | 150.0 | 90.0 | 6.5 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 3.3 | 30.4 | 1,162 | 155 |
| 150 × 75 × 18 | 17.9 | 150.0 | 75.0 | 5.5 | 10.0 | 12.0 | 2.58 | 22.8 | 861 | 115 |
| 125 × 65 × 15 | 14.8 | 125.0 | 65.0 | 5.5 | 9.5 | 12.0 | 2.25 | 18.8 | 483 | 77.3 |
| 100 × 50 × 10 | 10.2 | 100.0 | 50.0 | 5.0 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 1.73 | 13 | 208 | 41.5 |
Values are nominal. Reference only: check against current manufacturer data and a structural engineer before design use.
Calculator
Steel weight calculator
Pick a section and size, enter the length and quantity, and get the total weight. Plate and flat bar are worked out from their dimensions at 7,850 kg/m³.
- Section weight = mass per metre × length × quantity
- Plate or flat bar weight = length × width × thickness × 7,850 kg/m³ × quantity
A 305 × 165 × 40 UB is 40.3 kg/m, so four 6 m lengths weigh 40.3 × 6 × 4 = 967.2 kg. A 10 mm plate 1,000 × 500 mm weighs 1.0 × 0.5 × 0.01 × 7,850 = 39.25 kg. Weights are nominal and exclude coatings, plates and fittings.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does PFC stand for?
Parallel flange channel. The inside faces of the flanges are parallel, unlike the older rolled steel channel (RSC), whose flanges tapered. That makes PFCs easier to bolt and weld to.
What is cy in the table?
The distance from the back of the web to the centroid, in centimetres. A channel is not symmetrical about its vertical axis, so you need cy to locate its neutral axis.
Why are channels often used back to back?
A single channel tends to twist under load unless the load passes through its shear centre, which sits outside the web. Two channels back to back, or a channel restrained along its length, avoid this.
How do I work out the weight of a channel?
Multiply the mass per metre by the length. A 200 × 90 × 30 PFC at 4 m weighs 29.7 × 4 = 118.8 kg.
Standards
Standards referenced
- BS 4-1:2005 Structural steel sections. Specification for hot-rolled sections (UB, UC, PFC)
- BS EN 10365:2017 Hot rolled steel channels, I and H sections. Dimensions and masses
- BS EN 10056-1:2017 Structural steel equal and unequal leg angles. Dimensions
- BS EN 10210-2:2019 Hot finished steel structural hollow sections. Tolerances, dimensions and sectional properties
- BS EN 10219-2:2019 Cold formed welded steel structural hollow sections (not covered by these tables)
Reference only
Reference only. Values are nominal figures for the standard UK section ranges. Check them against current manufacturer data, and have a structural engineer confirm sizes before you use them in design. Koyda Ltd accepts no liability for decisions based on these tables.
Sizes and dimensions are compiled from the standard section ranges and checked against current manufacturer data (British Steel for beams, columns, channels and large angles; Tata Steel Celsius for hollow sections) and independent published tables. We recalculated area, second moment of area and elastic modulus from the nominal dimensions for every size, and show a value only where it matches a published figure. Diagrams and layout are our own.
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