UPN and UPE are the two European hot-rolled channel families. UPN has tapered inner flanges and is the older, more common section. UPE has parallel flanges, slightly wider flanges, and a thinner web, which makes it roughly 8 to 10% lighter than a UPN of the same depth through the 80 to 240 mm range. In both families the number is the depth in millimetres: a UPN 200 is 200 mm deep and weighs 25.3 kg/m (17.0 lb/ft).
The UK equivalent is the PFC (parallel flange channel), which carries its weight in the name. If you price channels by the tonne, confusing the three families is an easy way to be 10% or more off on a channel line.
UPN vs UPE vs PFC at a glance
| Property | UPN | UPE | PFC (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner flange | Tapered | Parallel | Parallel |
| Designation | Depth only: UPN 200 | Depth only: UPE 200 | Depth x flange x weight: PFC 200 x 90 x 30 |
| Where you see it | Continental Europe, older UK work, Middle East, much of Asia | Continental Europe, especially where bolting through the flange matters | UK and Ireland |
| Size range in our library | UPN 50 to UPN 400 (18 sizes) | UPE 80 to UPE 400 (14 sizes) | PFC 100 x 50 to PFC 430 x 100 (16 sizes) |
| Weight in the name? | No, look it up | No, look it up | Yes, the third number |
The practical difference for the shop is the taper. A tapered flange needs tapered washers under bolts through the flange, and it is harder to weld a plate flush against. Parallel flanges avoid both, which is why UPE and PFC have taken over a lot of the work UPN used to do. For the estimator it mostly comes down to weight. Same depth, different kg/m.
UPN channel sizes chart
Dimensions and weights from the ArcelorMittal sections catalogue (V2024-1), the same data our section library uses. Depth equals the nominal size. lb/ft = kg/m x 0.67197.
| Section | Depth h (mm) | Flange b (mm) | Web tw (mm) | Flange tf (mm) | kg/m | lb/ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPN 50 | 50 | 38 | 5 | 7 | 5.6 | 3.76 |
| UPN 65 | 65 | 42 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 4.77 |
| UPN 80 | 80 | 45 | 6 | 8 | 8.6 | 5.78 |
| UPN 100 | 100 | 50 | 6 | 8.5 | 10.6 | 7.12 |
| UPN 120 | 120 | 55 | 7 | 9 | 13.4 | 9.00 |
| UPN 140 | 140 | 60 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 10.8 |
| UPN 160 | 160 | 65 | 7.5 | 10.5 | 18.8 | 12.6 |
| UPN 180 | 180 | 70 | 8 | 11 | 22 | 14.8 |
| UPN 200 | 200 | 75 | 8.5 | 11.5 | 25.3 | 17.0 |
| UPN 220 | 220 | 80 | 9 | 12.5 | 29.4 | 19.8 |
| UPN 240 | 240 | 85 | 9.5 | 13 | 33.2 | 22.3 |
| UPN 260 | 260 | 90 | 10 | 14 | 37.9 | 25.5 |
| UPN 280 | 280 | 95 | 10 | 15 | 41.8 | 28.1 |
| UPN 300 | 300 | 100 | 10 | 16 | 46.2 | 31.0 |
| UPN 320 | 320 | 100 | 14 | 17.5 | 59.5 | 40.0 |
| UPN 350 | 350 | 100 | 14 | 16 | 60.6 | 40.7 |
| UPN 380 | 380 | 102 | 13.5 | 16 | 63.1 | 42.4 |
| UPN 400 | 400 | 110 | 14 | 18 | 71.8 | 48.2 |
Look at UPN 300 against UPN 320. Both have a 100 mm flange, but the UPN 320 web jumps from 10 to 14 mm and the weight goes from 46.2 to 59.5 kg/m, a 29% step for 20 mm of extra depth. UPN 320 is within about 2% of UPN 350 by weight. If a drawing says UPN 320 and your takeoff sheet autocompletes to UPN 300, you have lost 13.3 kg on every metre.
UPE channel sizes chart
Same source. UPE depths also equal the nominal size. Note that UPE skips some depths UPN has (260, 280, 320, 350, 380) and adds others (270, 330, 360).
| Section | Depth h (mm) | Flange b (mm) | Web tw (mm) | Flange tf (mm) | kg/m | lb/ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPE 80 | 80 | 50 | 4 | 7 | 7.9 | 5.31 |
| UPE 100 | 100 | 55 | 4.5 | 7.5 | 9.8 | 6.59 |
| UPE 120 | 120 | 60 | 5 | 8 | 12.1 | 8.13 |
| UPE 140 | 140 | 65 | 5 | 9 | 14.5 | 9.74 |
| UPE 160 | 160 | 70 | 5.5 | 9.5 | 17 | 11.4 |
| UPE 180 | 180 | 75 | 5.5 | 10.5 | 19.7 | 13.2 |
| UPE 200 | 200 | 80 | 6 | 11 | 22.8 | 15.3 |
| UPE 220 | 220 | 85 | 6.5 | 12 | 26.6 | 17.9 |
| UPE 240 | 240 | 90 | 7 | 12.5 | 30.2 | 20.3 |
| UPE 270 | 270 | 95 | 7.5 | 13.5 | 35.2 | 23.7 |
| UPE 300 | 300 | 100 | 9.5 | 15 | 44.4 | 29.8 |
| UPE 330 | 330 | 105 | 11 | 16 | 53.2 | 35.7 |
| UPE 360 | 360 | 110 | 12 | 17 | 61.2 | 41.1 |
| UPE 400 | 400 | 115 | 13.5 | 18 | 72.2 | 48.5 |
UPN vs UPE side by side
For the depths both families share:
| Depth (mm) | UPN kg/m | UPE kg/m | UPE vs UPN | UPN flange b | UPE flange b |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 8.6 | 7.9 | -8% | 45 | 50 |
| 100 | 10.6 | 9.8 | -8% | 50 | 55 |
| 120 | 13.4 | 12.1 | -10% | 55 | 60 |
| 140 | 16 | 14.5 | -9% | 60 | 65 |
| 160 | 18.8 | 17 | -10% | 65 | 70 |
| 180 | 22 | 19.7 | -10% | 70 | 75 |
| 200 | 25.3 | 22.8 | -10% | 75 | 80 |
| 220 | 29.4 | 26.6 | -10% | 80 | 85 |
| 240 | 33.2 | 30.2 | -9% | 85 | 90 |
| 300 | 46.2 | 44.4 | -4% | 100 | 100 |
| 400 | 71.8 | 72.2 | +1% | 110 | 115 |
Through the common sizes (80 to 240 mm) UPE is lighter by 8 to 10% despite the wider flange, because the web is thinner and the flange is parallel rather than thick at the root. At 300 mm the gap closes to 4%, and at 400 mm the UPE is slightly heavier. So "UPE is always lighter" is only true for the small and mid sizes. Look up the actual section.
On a job with 400 m of UPN 200 edge channel, reading UPE 200 by mistake takes 1 tonne off the bid (2.5 kg/m x 400 m). That is the scale of error to expect from a one-letter misread.
UK PFC channel sizes chart
UK drawings use PFC, designated depth x flange width x mass. Because the weight is in the name you can often take off without a table, but the flange and thickness still matter for connections and coping. Same catalogue source; depth equals the first number.
| Section | Flange b (mm) | Web tw (mm) | Flange tf (mm) | kg/m | lb/ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFC 100 x 50 x 10 | 50 | 5 | 8.5 | 10.2 | 6.85 |
| PFC 125 x 65 x 15 | 65 | 5.5 | 9.5 | 14.8 | 9.95 |
| PFC 150 x 75 x 18 | 75 | 5.5 | 10 | 17.9 | 12.0 |
| PFC 150 x 90 x 24 | 90 | 6.5 | 12 | 23.9 | 16.1 |
| PFC 180 x 75 x 20 | 75 | 6 | 10.5 | 20.3 | 13.6 |
| PFC 180 x 90 x 26 | 90 | 6.5 | 12.5 | 26.1 | 17.5 |
| PFC 200 x 75 x 23 | 75 | 6 | 12.5 | 23.4 | 15.7 |
| PFC 200 x 90 x 30 | 90 | 7 | 14 | 29.7 | 20.0 |
| PFC 230 x 75 x 26 | 75 | 6.5 | 12.5 | 25.7 | 17.3 |
| PFC 230 x 90 x 32 | 90 | 7.5 | 14 | 32.2 | 21.6 |
| PFC 260 x 75 x 28 | 75 | 7 | 12 | 27.6 | 18.5 |
| PFC 260 x 90 x 35 | 90 | 8 | 14 | 34.8 | 23.4 |
| PFC 300 x 90 x 41 | 90 | 9 | 15.5 | 41.4 | 27.8 |
| PFC 300 x 100 x 46 | 100 | 9 | 16.5 | 45.5 | 30.6 |
| PFC 380 x 100 x 54 | 100 | 9.5 | 17.5 | 54 | 36.3 |
| PFC 430 x 100 x 64 | 100 | 11 | 19 | 64.4 | 43.3 |
At several depths there are two flange widths (75 and 90 mm at 150 to 260 mm deep). A PFC 230 x 75 x 26 and a PFC 230 x 90 x 32 read almost the same on a poor scan and differ by 25%. The UK UB and UC sizes chart covers the rest of the British family, and Australian PFCs, which use a different designation again, are in our PFC, EA and UA guide.
UPN compared with AISC C channels
There is no exact interchange, but if you work on US-designed jobs as well, this gives a sense of where UPN sits against the AISC C and MC channels of similar depth (AISC weights from our AISC shapes data):
| UPN | Depth (mm) | UPN lb/ft | Nearest AISC C depth | AISC C weights available (lb/ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPN 100 | 100 | 7.1 | C4 (102 mm) | 4.5, 5.4, 6.25, 7.25 |
| UPN 160 | 160 | 12.6 | C6 (152 mm) | 8.2, 10.5, 13 |
| UPN 200 | 200 | 17.0 | C8 (203 mm) | 11.5, 13.75, 18.75 |
| UPN 260 | 260 | 25.5 | C10 (254 mm) | 15.3, 20, 25, 30 |
| UPN 300 | 300 | 31.0 | C12 (305 mm) | 20.7, 25, 30 |
| UPN 380 | 380 | 42.4 | C15 (381 mm) | 33.9, 40, 50 |
A UPN is usually at the heavy end of the AISC range for its depth, or a little beyond it. UPN 200 at 17.0 lb/ft sits between a C8x13.75 and a C8x18.75. Substituting one for the other is an engineering call, not an estimating one. The broader cross-reference for beams and columns is in W-shape metric equivalents.
Takeoff traps with European channels
These are the ones that cost money:
- "U" with no suffix. German and Central European drawings often write "U 200" or "U200" and mean UPN. Some drawings use the channel symbol "[" followed by the depth. If the general notes do not say which family, check the schedule or send an RFI. At 200 mm the UPN/UPE gap is 2.5 kg/m.
- UPN vs UPE on the same set. Mixed sets happen, typically UPN for older details reused from a library and UPE for new ones. Count them as separate lines.
- Back-to-back pairs. "2 UPN 200" or "2[200" is two channels. Double the weight, and check whether the pair is battened or laced, which adds plate you also need to take off.
- Nominal depth vs PFC name. PFC 200 x 90 x 30 is not a UPN 200. It weighs 29.7 kg/m against 25.3 for the UPN.
- Lintels. Channels show up as lintels and trimmers on architectural sheets rather than the structural set. Our lintel takeoff guide covers where to look.
For the wider European family (IPE, HEA/HEB/HEM, IPN), see the European steel sections guide and the IPE beam weight chart.
Steelflo reads UPN, UPE and PFC callouts off your PDFs, puts a box on each one for you to check, and fills in the catalogue weight when it builds the takeoff. If you only need weights, the free steel calculator covers the same sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between UPN and UPE?
UPN channels have tapered inner flanges and UPE channels have parallel flanges. UPE flanges are slightly wider and the web is thinner, so UPE is about 8 to 10% lighter than UPN at the same depth from 80 to 240 mm. The number in both designations is the depth in millimetres.
How much does a UPN 200 weigh?
A UPN 200 weighs 25.3 kg/m, which is about 17.0 lb/ft. It is 200 mm deep with a 75 mm flange, an 8.5 mm web and an 11.5 mm flange thickness.
Is PFC the same as UPE?
No. Both have parallel flanges, but PFC is the UK series with its own sizes, designated depth x flange x mass (for example PFC 200 x 90 x 30). UPE is the continental series designated by depth only. The sections are not interchangeable without engineering approval.
How do I convert channel weight from kg/m to lb/ft?
Multiply kg/m by 0.672. A UPE 200 at 22.8 kg/m is about 15.3 lb/ft.
What does "U 200" mean on a European drawing?
On most German and Central European drawings it means UPN 200, the standard tapered-flange channel. Check the general notes or member schedule to confirm, because the weight changes by about 10% if the drawing actually means UPE.