Anchor Bolts for Base Plates: Hole Size and Edge Distance
How anchor bolts and base plates fit together: oversized plate holes, plate washers, edge distance in steel and concrete under CSA A23.3, spacing and projection.
Base Plate Size and Thickness Chart for Steel Columns
Base plate size and thickness chart for steel columns: the cantilever method, the Ontario minimum plate, standard thicknesses in mm and inches.
Base Plate vs End Plate vs Gusset Plate: Connection Plates
Base plates, end plates and gusset plates compared: where each goes, what it carries and how it is attached, plus cap plates, shear tabs, stiffeners and splices.
Base Plate vs Sole Plate vs Sill Plate: What Is the Difference?
Base plate, sole plate, sill plate and bearing plate explained: what each one is, steel or wood, where it sits in a building and what the Ontario code says about it.
Buying Structural Steel in Ontario: Suppliers, Quotes and Lead Times
How structural steel is bought in Ontario: mills, service centres and fabricators, what drives lead times, and how to get quotes that are complete and comparable.
C Channel vs MC Channel: What Is the Difference?
C channel vs MC channel explained: what miscellaneous channel is, how flange width, weight and stiffness compare at the same depth, and when to use each.
C Channel vs U Channel: Are They the Same?
C channel vs U channel: when the names mean the same hot-rolled shape, when U channel means a cold-formed or European section, and how to order the right one.
C-Channel Sizes in Canada: Metric C and MC Chart
Canadian steel C-channel sizes from C75 to C380 with depth, flange width, web thickness and kg/m, the imperial equivalents, MC channels and how to order.
C-Channel Steel Prices in Canada: What Drives the Cost per Metre
How steel C-channel is priced in Canada: weight per metre, size, grade, stock lengths, cutting, holes, finish and delivery, plus how to compare channel quotes.
C-Channel vs Angle Iron: Strength and When to Use Each
C-channel vs angle iron compared at the same weight: bending strength, stiffness, buckling and twist, plus the jobs where each shape is the better choice.
C-Channel vs I-Beam: Strength and Span Compared
C-channel vs I-beam (W-shape) compared on real Canadian section properties: bending, stiffness, twisting and spans, plus when a channel is the better choice.
C-Channel vs Purlins and Z-Channel: Hot-Rolled vs Cold-Formed
Is a C-channel the same as a C purlin? How hot-rolled channel differs from cold-formed C and Z purlins and girts, how Z sections lap, and which to use where.
C-Channel vs Square Tube: Which Is Stronger?
C-channel vs square and rectangular tube at the same weight: bending, twisting and column strength from real section properties, plus cost drivers and best uses.
C-Channel vs Unistrut: Structural Channel vs Strut
C-channel vs Unistrut: how hot-rolled structural channel differs from slotted strut channel in strength, connections and uses, and when to use each one.
C-Channel Weight per Metre: Chart and Formula
C-channel weight per metre and per foot for every standard Canadian size, the formula behind it, and how to work out the weight of a channel order.
Can a Steel Beam Span 30, 40 or 50 Feet?
Yes, steel beams can span 30, 40 or 50 feet. What the Ontario span tables allow, why long spans get deep and heavy fast, and the options engineers use instead.
Can an I-Beam Be Used as a Column?
Yes, I-shaped W-sections are standard steel columns, but not every beam section makes a good one. How beam and column shapes differ, and when HSS is better.
Can HSS Be Used as a Beam? Sizes and Limitations
Yes, HSS can work as a beam. Where a hollow structural section beats a W-beam, common rectangular HSS beam sizes in Canada, and the limits on connections and spans.