The W12 is the widest-ranging mid-depth family in the AISC catalog: 29 sections from the W12x14 at 14 lb/ft (20.8 kg/m) to the W12x336 at 336 lb/ft (500 kg/m). The light end is a 12-inch-deep beam with a 4-inch flange. The heavy end is a 16.82-inch-deep column with a 13.385-inch flange. The heavy end mostly shows up on industrial and higher-load work, but the whole family is in the chart below.
Each size links to its own page in the steel shapes reference with a weight calculator. After the chart: the five flange families, where W12s land on drawings, and how to price and take them off.
W12 Beam Sizes Chart (All 29 AISC Sections)
Weights are from the AISC shape database. Metric weight is lb/ft × 1.488. Depth (d) and flange width (bf) are actual dimensions.
| Section | Weight (lb/ft) | Weight (kg/m) | Depth d (in) | Flange width bf (in) | Area (in²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W12x14 | 14 | 20.8 | 11.91 | 3.97 | 4.16 |
| W12x16 | 16 | 23.8 | 11.99 | 3.99 | 4.71 |
| W12x19 | 19 | 28.3 | 12.16 | 4.005 | 5.57 |
| W12x22 | 22 | 32.7 | 12.31 | 4.03 | 6.48 |
| W12x26 | 26 | 38.7 | 12.22 | 6.49 | 7.65 |
| W12x30 | 30 | 44.6 | 12.34 | 6.52 | 8.79 |
| W12x35 | 35 | 52.1 | 12.50 | 6.56 | 10.3 |
| W12x40 | 40 | 59.5 | 11.94 | 8.005 | 11.8 |
| W12x45 | 45 | 67 | 12.06 | 8.045 | 13.2 |
| W12x50 | 50 | 74.4 | 12.19 | 8.08 | 14.7 |
| W12x53 | 53 | 78.9 | 12.06 | 9.995 | 15.6 |
| W12x58 | 58 | 86.3 | 12.19 | 10.01 | 17 |
| W12x65 | 65 | 96.7 | 12.12 | 12 | 19.1 |
| W12x72 | 72 | 107.1 | 12.25 | 12.04 | 21.1 |
| W12x79 | 79 | 117.6 | 12.38 | 12.08 | 23.2 |
| W12x87 | 87 | 129.5 | 12.53 | 12.125 | 25.6 |
| W12x96 | 96 | 142.9 | 12.71 | 12.16 | 28.2 |
| W12x106 | 106 | 157.7 | 12.89 | 12.22 | 31.2 |
| W12x120 | 120 | 178.6 | 13.12 | 12.32 | 35.3 |
| W12x136 | 136 | 202.4 | 13.41 | 12.4 | 39.9 |
| W12x152 | 152 | 226.2 | 13.71 | 12.48 | 44.7 |
| W12x170 | 170 | 253 | 14.03 | 12.57 | 50 |
| W12x190 | 190 | 282.8 | 14.38 | 12.67 | 55.8 |
| W12x210 | 210 | 312.5 | 14.71 | 12.775 | 61.8 |
| W12x230 | 230 | 342.3 | 15.05 | 12.895 | 67.7 |
| W12x252 | 252 | 375 | 15.41 | 13.005 | 74.1 |
| W12x279 | 279 | 415.2 | 15.85 | 13.14 | 82 |
| W12x305 | 305 | 453.9 | 16.32 | 13.235 | 89.6 |
| W12x336 | 336 | 500 | 16.82 | 13.385 | 98.8 |
To check any row, multiply area by 3.4028. A W12x26 has 7.65 in² of area, and 7.65 × 3.4028 = 26.03 lb/ft. A W12x65 has 19.1 in², and 19.1 × 3.4028 = 65.0 lb/ft.
How to Read a W12 Designation
W12x26 is a wide flange, nominal 12 inches deep, 26 lb per linear foot. The weight is exact. The depth is nominal and spans almost five inches across the family: 11.91" for a W12x14 up to 16.82" for a W12x336. On metric drawings the W12x26 becomes a W310x38.7; the W-shape metric equivalents guide has the crosswalk for the rest.
The Five W12 Flange Families
| Family | Sections | Flange width | Typical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrow | W12x14, W12x16, W12x19, W12x22 | about 4" | Roof infill, light secondary beams |
| Beam | W12x26, W12x30, W12x35 | about 6.5" | Floor and roof beams |
| Medium | W12x40, W12x45, W12x50 | about 8" | Beams, light columns |
| Transitional | W12x53, W12x58 | about 10" | Columns and heavy beams |
| Column | W12x65 through W12x336 | about 12" to 13.4" | Columns |
Depth resets when the family changes. The W12x40 is 11.94" deep, shallower than the lighter W12x35 at 12.50". The W12x65 is 12.12" deep, shallower than the W12x58 at 12.19". Within the column family, depth climbs steadily from 12.12" to 16.82" as the flanges get thicker.
Where W12s Show Up on Drawings
- Columns on low- and mid-rise buildings. W12x40 through W12x87 are everyday column sizes on two- to five-story commercial buildings, and on warehouses where the columns carry crane or mezzanine loads. W12x53 and W12x65 are two of the most common.
- Floor beams on short bays. W12x26 and W12x30 carry floor framing on bays too short for a W16 or W18, and on mezzanines.
- Roof framing. W12x14 through W12x22 as infill and secondary roof beams, especially where joists aren't used.
- Moment frame and braced frame columns. W12 columns show up in lateral frames on low-rise buildings. Those columns carry heavier connections; the moment frame vs braced frame cost guide explains why they cost more per ton than gravity columns.
- Heavy industrial columns. W12x96 and up on mill buildings, crane runways, and transfer levels.
This chart is for estimating and budgeting. The engineer of record sizes the members; nothing here is a design recommendation.
How Estimators Price W12s
The W12 family splits cleanly into beams and columns, and you should price them that way.
Beams (W12x14 to W12x35). Mostly simple shear connections. The main cost drivers are piece count and connection type. A W12x26 floor beam with two clip angles is a quick piece; the same beam with a moment connection at one end is not.
Columns (W12x40 and up). Base plates, anchor rods, cap plates or beam seats, stiffeners at moment connections, and splices on taller buildings. Doubler plates and stiffeners at frame columns are easy to miss and add real shop hours.
A worked example. A three-story building has 30 gravity columns in one tier, W12x53 at 40'-0", and 120 W12x26 floor beams averaging 22'-0".
- Columns: 30 × 40 ft × 53 lb/ft = 63,600 lb
- Beams: 120 × 22 ft × 26 lb/ft = 68,640 lb
- Total: 132,240 lb, or about 66.1 tons before connections, plates, and waste
At an assumed $0.60/lb for material, used here only as an illustration, the main members come to about $79,344. The beams outweigh the columns slightly but have four times the piece count, so they'll take more shop and erection hours. For current market ranges, see structural steel cost per ton.
Nesting. A 40-foot column is one per 40-foot stick with no drop, which is why column tiers are often laid out around stock lengths. The 22-foot beams nest two to a 60 with a 16-foot drop, or one to a 40 with an 18-foot drop. Mixing beam lengths on the same stick is where the savings are; the stock lengths and nesting guide walks through it.
Takeoff Mistakes With W12s
Mixing up W12x53 and W12x58. They share a 10" flange and are only 0.13" apart in depth. The weight difference is about 9%. On a column schedule with both, check each line.
Missing the tier change. A column that's W12x87 at the base and W12x53 above the splice is two line items with two weights. If you only read the base callout, you overprice the top tier.
Beams hiding in schedules. Framing plans often label beams with marks (B1, B2) that resolve to W12s in a schedule. If you count the plan and never open the schedule, you have a count with no sizes. The member schedule guide covers how to tie the two together.
W12 vs W14 misreads. On a low-resolution scan a W12x26 can read as W14x26. Both are real sections at the same weight, so the error won't show up in your tonnage. It will show up at fit-up.
SteelFlo reads W12 callouts from plans, schedules, and details across the whole drawing set and builds the takeoff with catalog weights filled in. Try it on your next bid.
For lighter W shapes, see the W10 sizes chart and the W8 sizes chart, or the full wide flange chart for every depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a W12x26 weigh?
A W12x26 weighs 26 lb/ft (38.7 kg/m). It is 12.22" deep with a 6.49" flange and 7.65 in² of area. A 20-foot W12x26 weighs 520 lb.
What is the lightest W12 beam?
The W12x14 is the lightest W12 at 14 lb/ft (20.8 kg/m). It is 11.91" deep with a 3.97" flange, and it's used mostly for roof infill and light secondary framing.
What is the heaviest W12 section?
The W12x336 is the heaviest W12 at 336 lb/ft (500 kg/m). It is 16.82" deep with a 13.385" flange and 98.8 in² of area. Sections this heavy are used as columns on industrial and high-load work.
How many W12 sizes are there?
The AISC catalog lists 29 W12 sections, from W12x14 to W12x336. They fall into five flange-width families: about 4", 6.5", 8", 10", and 12" to 13.4".
Is a W12x65 a beam or a column?
A W12x65 is usually a column. It has a 12.0" flange on a 12.12"-deep section, which makes it nearly square and efficient under axial load. Beams in the W12 family are usually the narrower W12x14 through W12x35.