The EA 40×40×5 is a steel section with a mass of 2.95 kg/m, an overall depth of 40 mm and width of 40 mm. It has a cross-sectional area of 3.8 cm², a second moment of area Iᵧ of 5.48 cm⁴, an elastic modulus Wₑₗ,ᵧ of 1.94 cm³, tabulated by CivilAxis from EN 10056 · Continental Steel.
Mass
2.95 kg/m
Depth
40 mm
Width
40 mm
Area
3.8 cm²
Ask about capacity, buckling or detailing for EA 40×40×5.
Dimension symbols for Equal Angle sections. Not to scale.
EA 40×40×5 section properties to EN 10056 · Continental Steel.
Geometry
Depth of section
h
40
Width of section
b
40
Web thickness
tw
5
Flange thickness
tf
5
Root fillet radius
r
6
Toe radius
r2
2.4
Mass and area
Mass per metre
mass
2.95
Cross-sectional area
A
3.8
Bending about the major axis (y-y)
Area moment of inertia about y-axis
Iy
5.48
Elastic section modulus about y-axis
Wel,y
1.94
Radius of gyration about y-axis
iy
1.2
Bending about the minor axis (z-z)
Area moment of inertia about z-axis
Iz
5.48
Elastic section modulus about z-axis
Wel,z
1.94
Radius of gyration about z-axis
iz
1.2
Principal axes
Area moment of inertia about u-u (major principal) axis
Iu
8.68
Area moment of inertia about v-v (minor principal) axis
Iv
2.29
Radius of gyration about u-u axis
iu
1.51
Radius of gyration about v-v axis
iv
0.776
Elastic section modulus about u-u axis
Wel,u
1.94
Elastic section modulus about v-v axis
Wel,v
1.94
Detailing dimensions
Centroid distance from back of leg (y)
cy
1.17
Centroid distance from back of leg (z)
cz
1.17
Common questions about EA 40×40×5
EA 40×40×5 has a mass of 2.95 kg/m, tabulated to EN 10056. A 12 m length therefore weighs about 35 kg, which is the figure to use for a steel take-off or when checking a lift.
EA 40×40×5 has a depth of 40 mm, a width of 40 mm, a web thickness of 5 mm, a flange thickness of 5 mm, with a cross-sectional area of 3.8 cm². These are the nominal dimensions from EN 10056; rolling tolerances apply to the delivered section.
The elastic section modulus about the major axis, Wel,y, is 1.94 cm³. Angles are tabulated about their principal (u-u and v-v) axes rather than a plastic major-axis modulus, so the elastic value is the one to design from unless you are working from the principal-axis properties directly.
The second moment of area about the major axis, Iy, is 5.48 cm⁴, and about the minor axis Iz is 5.48 cm⁴. Iy is the value deflection depends on - for a simply supported beam under a uniform load, the midspan deflection is 5wL⁴/384EIy - so on spans where a deflection limit governs rather than strength, this is the number that decides the section.
iy is 1.2 cm about the major axis and iz is 1.2 cm about the minor axis. Column buckling is governed by the SMALLER value: the slenderness is lambda = L_cr / i, so with iz = 1.2 cm a 0.1 m effective length already gives lambda = 100. Minor-axis buckling almost always controls unless the weak axis is restrained.
