What Different Builders Beams Can you Buy Online?

Types of Steel Beams

Using steel, builders can create all sorts of structures in unique shapes, sizes and dimensions. Structural steel, in particular, has become an increasingly popular choice of material for construction due to its aesthetic appeal and physical strength. Constructing with steel requires significantly less time and ends up being far more productive, hence why structural steel fabricators are in high demand these days.

With this in mind, steel fabrication companies don’t just manufacture steel sections for general use and supply. They require specially-trained steel welders and fabricators to use specialist, high-quality machinery to create bespoke structures and products. That being said, Buy A Beam is a place where you, as a customer, can buy steel online directly. But we do partner with numerous steel suppliers and fabrication companies across the UK, acting as their online shop for supplying steel for customers that need it. 

With Buy A Beam, you can order various types of builders beams, which we have outlined below for you. We’ve also outlined some of the benefits of using structural steel beams and an example of where you might find each one.

PFC (Parallel Flange Channel)

Structural C channels have a C-shaped cross-section, with top and bottom flanges (horizontal plates), with a vertical web connecting them at one end. C channel beams are ideal for short-to-medium span structures but are also used in bridges or marine applications.

Universal Beam / Universal Column

Steel beams are commonly known as I beams, and consist of two flanges with a web going down the middle. Universal steel columns are very similar but stand vertical as opposed to the horizontally-aligned universal beams. The web resists shear forces, while the flanges resist the beam’s bending movements. Steel beams and columns are often welded together to create bespoke steel frame buildings and come in a wide range of sizes and grades.

HSS (Hollow Steel Section)

Steel hollow sections are rounded metal profiles that have open, tubular cross-sections. HSS steel can either be circular, rectangular or square-shaped (commonly known as steel box section) and are often used in welded steel frames, columns, posts and other mechanical applications with multi-axis loading processes. Read more on circular hollow section (CHS), rectangular hollow section (RHS) and square hollow section (SHS) steel.

Steel Flat Bar

These versatile steel bars are often attached to the top, bottom or side of another steel section. They are attached to give the product some additional strength, in most cases, but sometimes the addition is purely for aesthetic reasons. These are also known as steel plates.

Tapered Flange Beam

Steel flange beams are often used as cross-sections for girders. These beams come in a unique I shape, similar to a universal beam or column, though they are not resistant to torsion.

Angle Section Steel (Equal / Unequal)

Steel angle sections can come with equal or unequal sides in a unique L shape. Both beams are right-angled, with unequal angle steel sizes different on one side. These products are used in domestic jobs mainly and have uses across the transport, industrial and mining industries.

Bespoke Steel Shapes

Modern steel fabrication companies don’t restrict themselves to work with the commonly-used builders’ beams; custom steel fabrication opens the door to thousands of potential structural steel shapes for any domestic or commercial project. Many structural steel fabricators can create a plethora of shapes for specific purposes.

Buy Steel Online

If you’d like to buy steel from local steel fabricators using a simple, convenient and hassle-free ordering tool, look no further than Buy A Beam. Our online shop gives you the platform to order thousands of steel products, with a built-in, free steel beam calculator to provide you with instant prices based on your requirements. As in, you can trigger a button to add web or flange holes, and the price will update automatically. 

If you’d like to buy steel now, visit our shop. If you’d like to find out more, speak to Buy A Beam directly.