California Structural Steel Contractor (C-51 License) Practice Exam

What does the number 22 in W10 x 22 denote?

Depth in inches Nominal weight per foot in pounds Flange width Section modulus

Correct Answer:

Nominal weight per foot in pounds

Explanation:

In the wide-flange (W) shape designation, the two numbers after the W encode size information. The first number is the approximate depth of the section in inches, and the second number is the nominal weight per unit length in pounds per foot. So a W10 x 22 beam is about 10 inches deep and weighs roughly 22 pounds for every foot of length. The weight per foot is a practical measure used in design and construction to estimate self-weight and material quantities, and the value is nominal because actual weight varies slightly with manufacturing tolerances. The flange width or exact section modulus aren’t given by these two numbers alone; those require looking up the specific shape in a steel-table and may vary between manufacturers.

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