Free AISC Shapes Database: Download and Use for Takeoffs
The AISC Shapes Database is a free Excel file from the American Institute of Steel Construction. It lists dimensions and section properties for every standard US structural shape: W, M, S, HP, C, MC, L, WT, HSS and pipe. For estimating, the column you care about is weight per foot (W), because weight per foot times length times quantity is your tonnage.
This guide covers where to find it, which columns matter for takeoff, how to wire it into a spreadsheet, and the traps that cause wrong weights.
Where do you download the AISC Shapes Database?
It's on AISC's website under their shapes database page (aisc.org, search "Shapes Database"). A few notes:
- It's an Excel workbook with one main sheet, and it's free to download.
- Each version matches an edition of the Steel Construction Manual. Check the version number at the top of the file against what your office uses.
- It includes both US customary and metric values, so you'll see a lot of columns.
- Terms and file layout can change between versions, so confirm on AISC's site rather than relying on this page for the current details.
If you'd rather not download and clean a 100+ column workbook, the same data is browsable one section at a time on our shapes reference, and 4,500+ sections across six standards are pre-loaded in our free takeoff template.
Which columns matter for a takeoff?
The database has well over a hundred columns. Estimators typically use four.
| Column | What it is | Use in takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| AISC_Manual_Label | The designation, like W12X26 | The lookup key you match against drawing callouts |
| Type | W, HSS, L, C, WT, etc. | Group the BOM by shape family |
| W | Nominal weight, lb/ft | Weight per foot, the number that drives tonnage |
| A | Cross-section area, in² | Cross-check: W should be about A × 3.4028 |
Depth (d), flange width (bf) and thickness (tf) are useful when you need to tell similar sizes apart or check a callout that looks wrong, but they don't change the weight math.
How do you use it to calculate weight?
The formula is straightforward:
Total weight (lb) = Quantity × Length (ft) × Weight per foot (lb/ft)
Worked example, eight W12X26 beams at 30 ft each:
- W12X26 weighs 26 lb/ft (it's in the name: the number after the X is the weight)
- 8 × 30 ft × 26 lb/ft = 6,240 lb
- 6,240 ÷ 2,000 = 3.12 tons
For members where the weight isn't in the name, the database does the work. HSS, angles and channels carry their weight in the W column, not the label.
Plates and bars aren't in the database. There's no row for PL 1/2X12. Calculate them from dimensions: steel plate weighs about 40.8 lb per square foot per inch of thickness, or 3.4028 lb/ft per square inch of cross-section. A 1/2" × 12" plate is 0.5 × 12 = 6 in², so 6 × 3.4028 ≈ 20.4 lb/ft. Our steel weight formulas and flat bar weight chart cover the rest.
How do you connect it to a takeoff spreadsheet?
- Copy the main sheet into your takeoff workbook as a tab named
Sections. Keep only the columns you need (label, type, W, A) so the file stays light. - Add a lookup column on your takeoff tab:
=VLOOKUP(B2, Sections!A:D, 3, FALSE)where B2 holds the designation you typed. - Compute total weight in the next column: Qty × Length × the looked-up weight.
- Make it fail loudly. Wrap the lookup in
IFERROR(..., "NOT FOUND")so a typo shows up as text, not a silent zero.
Our template already does all four steps. If you're building your own, the BOM structure guide shows which columns the rest of the shop will expect.
What goes wrong when you use the database?
These are the mistakes that most often produce a wrong weight with no error message.
- Label mismatch. The database writes
W12X26andHSS6X6X1/4. Drawings writeW12x26,W 12 X 26,HSS 6x6x1/4orHSS6X6X.250. Exact-match lookups return nothing. Normalize both sides (uppercase, strip spaces) before matching. - Fractions vs decimals. Angles and HSS are labeled with fractions (
L4X4X3/8). If your sheet converts3/8to0.375, the lookup misses. - Design wall vs nominal wall. HSS weights in the database are based on design wall thickness (about 93% of nominal), which is what mills actually roll to. Don't recompute HSS weight from nominal thickness and expect it to match.
- Wrong standard. The AISC database covers US shapes. UK (UB/UC), European (IPE/HEA), Australian and Indian sections aren't in it. A
UB 457x191x67will never match. For those, see takeoffs beyond AISC. - Old versions. A few sections are added or dropped between manual editions. If a callout won't match, check whether it's a legacy size before assuming it's a typo.
- Estimated weight for an unmatched row. Don't fill missing weights with an average. Flag the row and look it up.
What's the database not good for?
It's reference data, not a takeoff. It tells you what a W12X26 weighs. It doesn't tell you how many W12X26 are on sheet S-201, where they are, or whether a callout is a member or a detail note. Finding and counting members from the drawings is the slow part, and it's where most takeoff time goes.
If you want help with that part, SteelFlo's free plan runs 3 AI takeoffs on your own drawings and looks up weights from the same kind of section data automatically, with every member boxed on the drawing so you can check the count. For a broader look at free options, see free steel takeoff software compared and open-source steel takeoff software: what exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the AISC Shapes Database free?
Yes. AISC offers the Shapes Database as a free Excel download on aisc.org. Check the version against the edition of the Steel Construction Manual you work to.
What does the W column in the AISC Shapes Database mean?
It's the nominal weight in pounds per foot. For wide-flange shapes it matches the number in the designation: a W12X26 weighs 26 lb/ft. For HSS, angles and channels, the weight isn't in the name, so the W column is how you get it.
Does the AISC Shapes Database include plates and bars?
No. Plates, flat bars and round bars aren't listed because they're cut to any size. Calculate their weight from dimensions at about 3.4028 lb/ft per square inch of cross-section.
Why does my VLOOKUP return #N/A on a steel size?
Usually a formatting mismatch: lowercase x vs uppercase X, spaces in the callout, or fractions converted to decimals. Normalize the typed designation to match the database label exactly.
Does the AISC database cover UK, European or Australian sections?
No. It covers US shapes only. International sections use separate catalogs, such as the Blue Book for UK, ArcelorMittal for European and OneSteel/InfraBuild for Australian sections.