For a given nominal depth and flange width, HEA, HEB, and HEM differ only in flange and web thickness, and that single geometric difference drives a roughly 2.4× weight spread between HEA200 at 42.3 kg/m and HEM200 at 103 kg/m [S1][S4].
All three are hot-rolled wide-flange sections defined under EN 10365 (dimensions), EN 10034 (tolerances), and EN 10025 (steel grade), and share the same family geometry, so the comparison is genuinely apples-to-apples rather than a profile-versus-profile exercise [S1].
Sizing convention and dimensional identity across the three series
The "200" in HEA200, HEB200, and HEM200 is a nominal depth label, not an exact depth, and the flange width is fixed at 200 mm across all three series for that designation, so only the flange and web thicknesses change [S1][S4]. HEA200 is actually 190 mm deep, HEB200 and HEM200 are both 200 mm deep, with flange thicknesses stepping from 10 mm (HEA) to 15 mm (HEB) to 25 mm (HEM) and web thicknesses from 6.5 mm to 9 mm to 15 mm [S1]. The published H section range runs from 100 mm to roughly 1000 mm nominal depth depending on the series, and the same cross-section is sold in stainless as HE-A, HE-B, and HE-M (or legacy IPBl, IPB, IPBv) [S3][S7].
Weight per meter and section modulus step-up by series
The cleanest way to see the difference is mass and section modulus at a fixed nominal depth. At 200 mm: HEA200 = 42.3 kg/m, Wx = 389 cm³; HEB200 = 61.3 kg/m, Wx = 570 cm³; HEM200 = 103 kg/m, Wx = 1140 cm³ roughly [S1][S4]. At 300 mm: HEA300 = 88.3 kg/m, HEB300 = 117 kg/m, HEM300 = 238 kg/m, a 2.7× spread between light and heavy [S4]. At 400 mm: HEA400 = 125 kg/m, HEB400 = 155 kg/m, HEM400 = 256 kg/m, with the absolute mass gap widening as the section size grows [S4]. A working rule: stepping HEA to HEB at the same depth adds about 30 to 45% mass and roughly 40% section modulus, while stepping HEB to HEM at the same depth adds another 60 to 100% mass and a similar jump in Wx [S1][S4].
Material grades and the EN 10025 family in use
All three series roll from the same EN 10025 grade pool, so the material itself is not the differentiator; the series choice is geometric, not metallurgical [S1]. S235JR (235 MPa yield, 27J at +20°C) covers general construction; S275JR (275 MPa, 27J at +20°C) is the standard building frame grade; S355J2 (355 MPa, 27J at -20°C) is the workhorse for primary structure, bridges, and industrial work; S355K2 (355 MPa, 40J at -20°C) is specified for cold-climate and high-impact duty [S1]. S355J2 is the most commonly specified grade for industrial and infrastructure projects, with S275JR the cost-down option where spans are moderate [S1].
Selection criteria: which series to specify, and when
Start with the load and slenderness, not the name. For secondary framing, purlins, residential floor beams, and lightly loaded commercial members where self-weight matters, HEA gives the best material economy at a given depth [S1][S5]. For primary columns, main beams, and most building-frame work, HEB is the default choice and is described in the trade as the workhorse of European wide-flange design [S4][S5]. For heavy columns in multi-storey buildings, foundations under vibrating machinery, piers, and crane girders, HEM is specified for its axial capacity and buckling resistance [S2][S5]. A practical escalation rule: design in HEA first, step to HEB when the utilization ratio exceeds roughly 0.85, and step to HEM only when HEB at that depth is still inadequate, since growing depth is usually cheaper than jumping straight to HEM at the same depth [S1]. For comparison with the AISC world, HEA200 sits near W8X28 in weight, HEB300 sits between W12X53 and W12X79, and HEM300 near W12X106, useful when reading drawings from US-EPC joint projects [S4].
Real use cases mapped to the three series
Petrochemical pipe racks and tall columns, large bridges, wind-turbine towers, and shipbuilding consume the full H family, but the picked series depends on the member's role [S2]. Roof purlins, cladding rails, and secondary floor beams in commercial buildings are almost universally HEA because self-weight directly competes with the live load capacity [S1][S5]. Primary building-frame columns, transfer beams, and crane runway girders below about 10 t typically step up to HEB [S1][S4][S5]. Heavy industry, long-span trusses, machine foundations, and bridge piers run HEM, where the wider, thicker flanges also resist lateral-torsional buckling that would otherwise govern [S2][S5]. For projects where lead time and structural tonnage intersect, see how this plays out in data-center steel-structure lead time 2026 when hyperscale builds pull from the same HEB and HEM stock as European industrial work. For very light duty, the IPE family (22.4 kg/m for IPE200) often beats HEA on simple-span bending efficiency, but IPE flanges are narrower relative to depth, so it is less suitable where biaxial bending matters [S4].
Limitations, failure modes, and what the series choice cannot fix
The H shape has high moment of inertia in both axes but relatively low torsional resistance, so none of the three series is a good choice where torsion governs; a box section or a paired channel arrangement is the correct fix [S2]. EN 10034 sets shape and dimensional tolerances (straightness, depth, flange width, web thickness), so specify it explicitly when camber or sweep matters for fit-up of long trusses and transfer beams [S1]. Going to HEM at the same depth rather than growing the depth is rarely the most efficient answer, because depth scales section modulus roughly as the square while flange mass scales roughly linearly; an HEB400 at 155 kg/m will often outperform an HEM300 at 238 kg/m for the same unbraced length, so check both before locking the series [S1][S4]. For stainless procurement, the HEA, HEB, and HEM designation carries over, but the mass table shifts and the standard grade pool narrows to austenitic and duplex per ASTM/EN stainless sheet, not the EN 10025 carbon-steel grades used for the carbon equivalent [S3].
Standards, sourcing, and engineering traceability
Three EN standards govern every carbon-steel HEA, HEB, and HEM you will receive: EN 10365 for the dimension and mass tables, EN 10034 for shape and dimensional tolerances, and EN 10025 for the steel grade chemical and mechanical properties [S1]. Material certificates should reference the EN 10025 grade by full designation (for example S355J2), the heat number, and the impact-test temperature, since the J0, J2, and K2 suffixes are not interchangeable at low temperatures [S1]. On drawings, size designation alone is not enough: always pair the series (HEA/HEB/HEM) with the grade and the length, and confirm the mill test certificate against EN 10034 tolerances, especially for camber on long members used in trusses and transfer beams. For background on how structural steel fits into broader construction machinery and equipment supply chains and how primary framing interacts with steel-driven cost stacks in adjacent sectors like electric motor pricing in 2026, the HEA/HEB/HEM choice is the baseline call that drives the rest of the BOM.
Trackable signal to watch: confirm whether your mill's next rolling campaign covers HEM300 and HEM400 in S355J2/K2 to your project's heat-treatment and impact-test requirements, since HEM stock is the first to stretch in heavy-industrial booms. A second signal: when EN 10365 dimension tables are next revised, cross-check whether nominal-depth versus exact-depth labels in your detail drawings will need to be updated, because that gap already shows up as a 10 mm error on every HEA200 callout today.
Spec-level background on the components involved: checking and testing apparatus, and lamps and light fittings.