Steel Angle & Channel Size Chart — Equal Angles (L) & C-Channels
AISC Shapes Database v15.0 tables: 22 equal-leg angles L2x2x1/8–L8x8x1 with area, weight and least radius of gyration, plus C3x4.1–C15x50 channels.
Updated August 18, 2026
An equal-leg angle designation reads L(leg)x(leg)x(thickness): an L3x3x1/4 has two 3 in legs, 1/4 in thick. The property that governs most single-angle work is rz, the radius of gyration about the weak principal z–z axis that runs diagonally through the corner — a compression strut buckles about that axis, so slenderness checks use L/rz, not the geometric-axis values. The table lists weight, area, geometric-axis Ix, and rz for the equal-leg sizes most commonly stocked, straight from the AISC Shapes Database.
American Standard channels read C(depth)x(weight): a C6x10.5 is exactly 6 in deep and weighs 10.5 lb/ft — unlike W-shapes, the depth in a channel name is the actual depth, so the family varies weight by thickening the web and widening the flange tips while d stays put. One caution for design: a channel’s shear center sits behind the web, so a load applied through the web plane twists the section; the Ix and Sx here are the strong-axis bending properties and say nothing about that torsion.
Every number on this page is transcribed from the AISC Shapes Database v15.0 and cross-checked against an independent mirror of the same database — nothing is taken from secondary charts. Use the tables for take-offs, weight estimates, and preliminary sizing; member selection still needs a code check for buckling mode, connection eccentricity, and lateral support.
Equal-Leg Angles L2x2 – L8x8 (AISC v15.0)
| Shape | Weight (lb/ft) | A (in²) | Ix (in⁴) | rz (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L2x2x1/8 | 1.65 | 0.491 | 0.189 | 0.391 |
| L2x2x3/16 | 2.44 | 0.722 | 0.271 | 0.389 |
| L2x2x1/4 | 3.19 | 0.944 | 0.346 | 0.387 |
| L2x2x3/8 | 4.7 | 1.37 | 0.476 | 0.386 |
| L2-1/2x2-1/2x1/4 | 4.1 | 1.19 | 0.692 | 0.482 |
| L2-1/2x2-1/2x3/8 | 5.9 | 1.73 | 0.972 | 0.481 |
| L3x3x1/4 | 4.9 | 1.44 | 1.23 | 0.585 |
| L3x3x3/8 | 7.2 | 2.11 | 1.75 | 0.581 |
| L3x3x1/2 | 9.4 | 2.76 | 2.2 | 0.58 |
| L3-1/2x3-1/2x1/4 | 5.8 | 1.7 | 2 | 0.688 |
| L3-1/2x3-1/2x3/8 | 8.5 | 2.5 | 2.86 | 0.683 |
| L4x4x1/4 | 6.6 | 1.93 | 3 | 0.783 |
| L4x4x3/8 | 9.8 | 2.86 | 4.32 | 0.779 |
| L4x4x1/2 | 12.8 | 3.75 | 5.52 | 0.776 |
| L5x5x3/8 | 12.3 | 3.65 | 8.76 | 0.986 |
| L5x5x1/2 | 16.2 | 4.79 | 11.3 | 0.98 |
| L6x6x3/8 | 14.9 | 4.38 | 15.4 | 1.19 |
| L6x6x1/2 | 19.6 | 5.77 | 19.9 | 1.18 |
| L6x6x5/8 | 24.2 | 7.13 | 24.1 | 1.17 |
| L8x8x1/2 | 26.4 | 7.84 | 48.8 | 1.59 |
| L8x8x3/4 | 38.9 | 11.5 | 69.9 | 1.57 |
| L8x8x1 | 51 | 15.1 | 89.1 | 1.56 |
Database values to 3 significant figures. Ix is about the geometric x–x axis (parallel to a leg); rz is the least radius of gyration about the principal z–z axis — use rz for compression slenderness of single angles. For equal legs, Iy = Ix by symmetry.
American Standard C-Channels C3 – C15 (AISC v15.0)
| Shape | Weight (lb/ft) | d (in) | bf (in) | tw (in) | A (in²) | Ix (in⁴) | Sx (in³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C3x4.1 | 4.1 | 3 | 1.41 | 0.17 | 1.2 | 1.65 | 1.1 |
| C3x5 | 5 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.258 | 1.47 | 1.85 | 1.23 |
| C4x5.4 | 5.4 | 4 | 1.58 | 0.184 | 1.58 | 3.85 | 1.92 |
| C4x7.25 | 7.25 | 4 | 1.72 | 0.321 | 2.13 | 4.58 | 2.29 |
| C5x6.7 | 6.7 | 5 | 1.75 | 0.19 | 1.97 | 7.48 | 2.99 |
| C5x9 | 9 | 5 | 1.89 | 0.325 | 2.64 | 8.89 | 3.56 |
| C6x8.2 | 8.2 | 6 | 1.92 | 0.2 | 2.39 | 13.1 | 4.35 |
| C6x10.5 | 10.5 | 6 | 2.03 | 0.314 | 3.07 | 15.1 | 5.04 |
| C6x13 | 13 | 6 | 2.16 | 0.437 | 3.82 | 17.3 | 5.78 |
| C7x9.8 | 9.8 | 7 | 2.09 | 0.21 | 2.87 | 21.2 | 6.07 |
| C8x11.5 | 11.5 | 8 | 2.26 | 0.22 | 3.37 | 32.5 | 8.14 |
| C8x13.75 | 13.75 | 8 | 2.34 | 0.303 | 4.03 | 36.1 | 9.02 |
| C9x15 | 15 | 9 | 2.49 | 0.285 | 4.4 | 51 | 11.3 |
| C10x15.3 | 15.3 | 10 | 2.6 | 0.24 | 4.48 | 67.3 | 13.5 |
| C10x20 | 20 | 10 | 2.74 | 0.379 | 5.87 | 78.9 | 15.8 |
| C12x20.7 | 20.7 | 12 | 2.94 | 0.282 | 6.08 | 129 | 21.5 |
| C12x25 | 25 | 12 | 3.05 | 0.387 | 7.34 | 144 | 24 |
| C15x33.9 | 33.9 | 15 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 10 | 315 | 42 |
| C15x40 | 40 | 15 | 3.52 | 0.52 | 11.8 | 348 | 46.5 |
| C15x50 | 50 | 15 | 3.72 | 0.716 | 14.7 | 404 | 53.8 |
American Standard (C) channel depths are exact — every C15 is 15.00 in deep. bf is measured to the flange toe; flanges have a ~16.7% inner slope. The section is symmetric about the x–x axis, so Sx = Ix/(d/2) exactly (the cross-check test verifies this against the tabulated values). Shear center is outside the web — check torsion when the load is not applied through it.
Sources & Further Reading
- AISC Shapes Database v15.0, American Institute of Steel Construction (Steel Construction Manual, 15th Ed.) — all angle and channel dimensions and properties, transcribed from the database CSV
- Independent v15.0 mirror (AISCSteel.jl shape tables) used for adjudication — exact agreement on every probed weight, area, dimension and property cell
Frequently Asked Questions
What is rz and why does it matter more than Ix for angles?
rz is the radius of gyration about the weak principal axis, which for an equal-leg angle runs diagonally through the corner. An unbraced angle in compression buckles about that axis first, so its slenderness is L/rz. Using the geometric-axis rx instead overstates capacity — for an L3x3x1/4, rz is 0.585 in while rx is about 0.93 in, a 60% error in slenderness.
Does the number in a channel designation give the real depth?
Yes — unlike W-shapes, American Standard channels are exact: a C10x20 is 10.00 in deep. Within a depth family the weight changes by thickening the web (and slightly widening the flange), so C10x15.3, C10x20 and C10x25 all fit the same 10 in opening.
Can I double the table values for a back-to-back double angle or double channel?
Area and weight double, and so does Ix about the shared x-axis. But the compound section’s weak-axis properties depend on the gap between the parts and the stitch spacing, and built-up buckling has its own modified slenderness rules — take double-member capacities from the AISC double-angle tables or compute them, never by doubling single-section values.
Why does a channel twist when I load it through the web?
The shear center of a channel lies behind the back of the web, outside the section. A load applied through the web plane therefore acts at an eccentricity from the shear center and adds torsion to bending. Either apply the load through the shear center, restrain the twist, or account for the torsional stresses explicitly.
Try the Calculators
Steel Angle & Channel Size Chart — Equal Angles (L) & C-Channels — reuven.tools/reference/steel-angles-channels — verified against: AISC Shapes Database v15.0, American Institute of Steel Construction (Steel Construction Manual, 15th Ed.) — all angle and channel dimensions and properties, transcribed from the database CSV; Independent v15.0 mirror (AISCSteel.jl shape tables) used for adjudication — exact agreement on every probed weight, area, dimension and property cell