IPE 550 vs HEA 550
- IPE 550 is 37 % lighter than HEA 550 (105.5 vs 166.2 kg/m).
- HEA 550 has 67 % higher strong-axis stiffness Iy.
- HEA 550 has 4.1× higher weak-axis stiffness Iz, which governs columns and lateral stability.
- HEA 550 has 66 % higher plastic bending resistance (Wpl,y).
- Per kilogram of steel, HEA 550 is the more efficient bending section (Iy/G: 673 vs 636 cm⁴ per kg/m).
| Property | IPE 550 | HEA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Height h [mm] | 550 | 540 |
| Flange width b [mm] | 210 | 300 |
| Web thickness tw [mm] | 11.1 | 12.5 |
| Flange thickness tf [mm] | 17.2 | 24.0 |
| Area A [cm²] | 134.4 | 211.8 |
| Mass G [kg/m] | 105.5 | 166.2 |
| Moment of inertia Iy [cm⁴] | 67 120 | 111 900 |
| Elastic modulus Wel,y [cm³] | 2 441 | 4 146 |
| Plastic modulus Wpl,y [cm³] | 2 787 | 4 622 |
| Moment of inertia Iz [cm⁴] | 2 668 | 10 820 |
| Radius of gyration iy [mm] | 223.5 | 229.9 |
| Radius of gyration iz [mm] | 44.5 | 71.5 |
| Torsion constant It [cm⁴] | 121.7 | 360.6 |
| Warping constant Iw [×10³ cm⁶] | 1 861.5 | 7 103.1 |
Highlighted value = the favourable one (higher stiffness/modulus, lower mass). Full property sets on the profile pages.