What is meaning of UC and UB in steel section codes?

Answer 1

Universal Columns (UC) and Universal Beams (UB) are refered to as "I Sections" or "H Sections". The differenciation in UB and UC lies in their Depth to With ratio. The depth of UB is greater than its width and difference is quite big, making it easy to spot. Unlike a universal beam, the UC's width is roughly equal to their depth.

The increased depth in case of UB results in higher loading capabilities than UCs, however there is not always enough space to use a UB. An example is a 203 x 133 UB 30. The first number is the depth of the beam, the second is the width and the last number is the weight (in this case 30) per metre in kilograms. Again, by multiplying the total beam length in metres by the weight per metre we can quickly work out what is the total weight of the beam.

Universal columns are the most often used section for structural steel purposes. A 152 UC 23 is 152 mm wide and 152 mm deep. The last number (23 in this example) is the weight per metre in kilograms. Universal columns are mainly used for columns, however their small depth compared to universal beams make them ideal load bearing members when height is limited (which is quite often the case in residential projects).