HEA vs HEB Beams: Which One Should You Choose?
Same nominal height, different web: section geometry, weight per metre and practical selection criteria for HEA and HEB profiles.
One question comes up in almost every steel structure project: "HEA or HEB?" Both families have a wide-flange H section and are produced to the same standards (EN 10365 dimensions, EN 10025 grades). Yet the geometric difference between them directly affects load capacity, storey height and tonnage cost.
The basic difference in section geometry
In the HEB series, nominal height equals real height: an HEB 200 is exactly 200 mm deep. In the HEA series, the web and flanges are thinner, so the real height falls below the nominal size; an HEA 200 is 190 mm deep. This reduction makes the profile lighter but also lowers its moment of inertia.
A third family, HEM, has the thickest web and flanges at the same nominal size and is used for heavy industrial columns and points with high axial load.
Weight per metre comparison
| Nominal size | HEA (kg/m) | HEB (kg/m) | Weight difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 16.7 | 20.4 | 18% |
| 160 | 30.4 | 42.6 | 29% |
| 200 | 42.3 | 61.3 | 31% |
| 300 | 88.3 | 117.0 | 25% |
| 400 | 125.0 | 155.0 | 19% |
| 500 | 155.0 | 187.0 | 17% |
As the table shows, HEA is 17–31% lighter in the same height class. In tonnage-based purchasing this becomes a real cost advantage — but lighter does not always mean cheaper. A weaker section sometimes forces you one size up, and the advantage disappears.
Which one, and when?
- Choose HEA: when load levels are moderate; when weight and cost optimisation is the priority; when storey height is restricted (a lower real height helps); when beam spans are reasonable.
- Choose HEB: when columns carry high axial force; when buckling lengths are long; when seismic loads govern; when moment connections require thicker flanges; when strength is needed about both the strong and the weak axis.
Do not skip the steel grade
Choosing the profile family is only half the job. The other half is the steel grade: S235JR, S275JR and S355JR are the most common. The "JR" suffix indicates a minimum impact energy of 27 J at 20 °C; for structures working at low temperatures, J0 or J2 grades are specified.
S355JR offers roughly 50% higher yield strength than S235JR, which in many projects allows one size smaller profile and reduces total tonnage. The decision must always come from the structural calculation.
Pre-order checklist
- Profile family and size: HEA / HEB / HEM and nominal height.
- Steel grade: S235JR, S275JR or S355JR; J0 / J2 where required.
- Length: standard 12 m or project-specific cutting?
- Quantity: by piece or by tonne, and in how many shipments?
- Documentation: is an EN 10204 3.1 test certificate required?
No table replaces the structural calculation
This comparison offers a general framework; the final section is always selected according to the project’s structural analysis. The table is intended for preliminary assessment and tonnage estimation only.
How connection details change the cost
Choosing a profile is not only about section weight; it is also about connection labour. End-plate moment connections on thick-flanged HEB sections usually need less reinforcement, whereas transferring the same moment with HEA may require flange backing plates or continuity plates inside the column. Every extra plate in a beam-to-column joint increases cutting, drilling, welding, non-destructive testing and painting together.
That is why a comparison based on tonnage alone is misleading. Evaluate the "kilogram difference" and the "fabrication hour difference" in the same table; in most projects workshop hours weigh more heavily than the steel price.
Stock, lengths and waste
HEA and HEB profiles are mostly available in 12 m standard lengths. If the project length is 4.2 m, one bar yields two pieces and leaves 3.6 m of waste; at 6 m the waste falls to zero. Preparing the cutting plan before ordering sometimes saves more than changing the section size.
Less common sizes are not always in stock. If the project uses intermediate sizes such as HEA 180 or HEB 260, asking early protects the schedule; where necessary, the cost of moving one size up should be compared with the cost of waiting.
Surface preparation and delivery form
Profiles are usually shipped black, that is untreated. If they will be painted, the blasting grade (for example Sa 2½) and primer type should be agreed before fabrication, and the time the blasted part waits in the open should be kept short. For members going to hot-dip galvanizing, drainage and venting holes must be considered at the design stage; otherwise the galvanizer will not accept the part.
The delivery form also affects planning directly. Full-length shipment has the lowest unit price, but where site cutting capacity is limited, cut-to-length delivery can reduce total cost once transport and labour are included.
Review the section tables on our HEA and HEB beams and IPE beams pages, and see your tonnage instantly by selecting the series and size in our weight calculator.