What is C channel steel used for?
A steel channel is a hot-rolled section with a web and two flanges on one side — a C or U in cross-section. Because one face is flat it bolts and welds against walls, plates and other members, which makes it the standard for frames and rails: machine and equipment bases, truck and trailer chassis rails, stair stringers, purlins and girts in hot-rolled buildings, lintels and door and window frames, bracing, crane rail supports, pipe supports and cable-ladder rails. Two rolled types exist: UPN (tapered inner flange faces, the DIN profile still called NPU in Turkey and U in Gulf specs) and UPE (parallel flanges, thinner web, 5–10% lighter, bolts without tapered washers). Light galvanized cold-formed C channels for cladding and ceilings are a different product — see purlins and light-gauge profiles.
UPN or UPE — the two channel series
UPN channels are the tapered-flange DIN 1026-1 sections stocked by every Turkish mill (NPU); UPE channels are the parallel-flange DIN 1026-2 sections used in Eurocode designs — lighter per depth and bolted without taper washers. Each page carries the full size and weight table.
UPN channel sizes and weight chart
| Size | h × b (mm) | Web tw | Flange tf | kg/m | Ix (cm⁴) | Wx (cm³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPN 50 | 50 × 38 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 5.6 | 26.4 | 10.6 |
| UPN 65 | 65 × 42 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 57.5 | 17.7 |
| UPN 80 | 80 × 45 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 106 | 26.5 |
| UPN 100 | 100 × 50 | 6.0 | 8.5 | 10.6 | 206 | 41.2 |
| UPN 120 | 120 × 55 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 13.4 | 364 | 60.7 |
| UPN 140 | 140 × 60 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 605 | 86.4 |
| UPN 160 | 160 × 65 | 7.5 | 10.5 | 18.8 | 925 | 116 |
| UPN 180 | 180 × 70 | 8.0 | 11.0 | 22.0 | 1 350 | 150 |
| UPN 200 | 200 × 75 | 8.5 | 11.5 | 25.3 | 1 910 | 191 |
| UPN 220 | 220 × 80 | 9.0 | 12.5 | 29.4 | 2 690 | 245 |
| UPN 240 | 240 × 85 | 9.5 | 13.0 | 33.2 | 3 600 | 300 |
| UPN 260 | 260 × 90 | 10.0 | 14.0 | 37.9 | 4 820 | 371 |
| UPN 280 | 280 × 95 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 41.8 | 6 280 | 448 |
| UPN 300 | 300 × 100 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 46.2 | 8 030 | 535 |
| UPN 320 | 320 × 100 | 14.0 | 17.5 | 59.5 | 10 870 | 679 |
| UPN 350 | 350 × 100 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 60.6 | 12 840 | 734 |
| UPN 400 | 400 × 110 | 14.0 | 18.0 | 71.8 | 20 350 | 1 020 |
UPE channel sizes and weight chart
| Size | h × b (mm) | Web tw | Flange tf | kg/m | Ix (cm⁴) | Wx (cm³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPE 80 | 80 × 50 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 7.9 | 107 | 26.8 |
| UPE 100 | 100 × 55 | 4.5 | 7.5 | 9.8 | 207 | 41.4 |
| UPE 120 | 120 × 60 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 12.1 | 364 | 60.6 |
| UPE 140 | 140 × 65 | 5.0 | 9.0 | 14.5 | 600 | 85.6 |
| UPE 160 | 160 × 70 | 5.5 | 9.5 | 17.0 | 911 | 114 |
| UPE 180 | 180 × 75 | 5.5 | 10.5 | 19.7 | 1 350 | 150 |
| UPE 200 | 200 × 80 | 6.0 | 11.0 | 22.8 | 1 910 | 191 |
| UPE 220 | 220 × 85 | 6.5 | 12.0 | 26.6 | 2 680 | 244 |
| UPE 240 | 240 × 90 | 7.0 | 12.5 | 30.2 | 3 600 | 300 |
| UPE 270 | 270 × 95 | 7.5 | 13.5 | 35.2 | 5 250 | 389 |
| UPE 300 | 300 × 100 | 9.5 | 15.0 | 44.4 | 7 820 | 522 |
| UPE 330 | 330 × 105 | 11.0 | 16.0 | 53.2 | 10 690 | 648 |
| UPE 360 | 360 × 110 | 12.0 | 17.0 | 61.2 | 14 830 | 824 |
| UPE 400 | 400 × 115 | 13.5 | 18.0 | 72.2 | 20 980 | 1 049 |
UPN vs UPE vs cold-formed C
| UPN (hot-rolled, tapered) | UPE (hot-rolled, parallel) | Cold-formed C (galvanized) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flanges | Tapered 8%, thick | Parallel, thinner | Parallel, lipped, thin (1.5–3 mm) |
| Weight for same depth | 1.00 | 0.90–0.95 | 0.35–0.50 |
| Bolting | Tapered washers | Flat | Flat, punched |
| Availability | 50–400, wide stock | 80–400 | 100–350 |
| Use | Frames, chassis, bases, bracing | Same, where flat bolting matters | Purlins, girts, cladding rails |
| Grades | S235–S355 | S235–S355 | S280GD–S450GD |
Load and span — quick guide
As a simply supported beam, S235, L/250: UPN 100 carries about 3 kN/m over 3 m; UPN 140 6 kN/m over 4 m; UPN 200 10 kN/m over 5 m; UPN 260 15 kN/m over 6 m. Channels are weak about the minor axis and twist under eccentric load — pair them back-to-back or box them for columns and long beams. Full method in our load-capacity guide.
Cutting, drilling and fabrication
Cut to length ±2 mm, mitred, drilled and slotted on the CNC line, welded into frames, ladders and back-to-back or boxed sections; shot-blast Sa 2½ and shop primer, hot-dip galvanizing via partner. Channel kits for machine bases and stair stringers ship labelled to drawing.
C channel price per ton
Indicative FOB Istanbul band from our weekly export list, UPN 50–300 S235JR, 6/12 m, full-truck quantities; UPE and S355J2 sit at the top of the band, large sizes (320–400) and small (50–65) slightly above.
Bands from our weekly export list (September 2026), FOB Istanbul, full-container quantities, excluding freight and certificates. Firm price per project on RFQ within one working day.
Export and packing
Bundles of 200–1 500 kg (channels nested face-to-face), strapped; 6 m in 20', 12 m in 40' HC (24–25 t). HS code 7216.31 (U sections ≥ 80 mm) / 7216.10 (< 80 mm).
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| MOQ | 1 truck (24 t) or 1 × 40' HC; sizes mixed |
| Incoterms | FOB Istanbul · CIF / CFR Gulf, Africa · DAP EU, Balkans, Iraq, Caucasus · DAP Aktau |
| Lead time | Stock 5–10 working days; mill 3–5 weeks |
| Packing | Nested bundles 200–1 500 kg, strapped |
| Container / truck | 20' ≈ 20 t (6 m) · 40' HC ≈ 24–25 t (12 m) · truck 24 t |
| Documents | Invoice, packing list, EN 10204 3.1, CE, certificate of origin; SASO / SONCAP / COC / EAC on request |
| Payment | 30% advance, balance against B/L copy; L/C at sight via London office |
Certificates
EN 10204 3.1 per heat, CE per EN 10025, certificate of origin; SASO, SONCAP, COC, EAC on request.
How to order
Send size, type (UPN/UPE), grade, length or cutting list, tonnage and port; reply within one working day.
Standards
- EN 10365 (dimensions of channels)
- EN 10279 (tolerances for hot-rolled channels)
- EN 10025-2 (S235JR, S275JR, S355J2)
- DIN 1026-1 (UPN) / DIN 1026-2 (UPE) — superseded
- BS 4-1 PFC / ASTM A36 C-channels (on request)
Grades
Grade data sheets (chemistry, mechanicals, equivalents) are on our reference site: S235JR · S275JR · S355J2
Frequently asked questions
What is C channel steel called?
U channel, UPN (tapered flange, DIN), UPE (parallel flange), NPU in Turkey, PFC in the UK, MS channel in India and the Gulf; all are hot-rolled channels to EN 10365 or equivalent.
What is C channel steel used for?
Frames, machine bases, truck chassis rails, stair stringers, lintels, purlins and girts in hot-rolled buildings, bracing, pipe and cable supports, door and window frames.
What is the weight of a 100×50 C channel?
UPN 100 (100 × 50 mm) weighs 10.6 kg/m — 63.6 kg per 6 m bar; UPE 100 (100 × 55) 9.8 kg/m.
What is the weight of a 150×75 channel?
The nearest EN sizes are UPN 140 (140 × 60, 16.0 kg/m) and UPN 160 (160 × 65, 18.8 kg/m); a 150 × 75 PFC (BS) is 18 kg/m and can be supplied on request.
What is the difference between UPN and UPE?
UPN has tapered flanges and a thicker web; UPE has parallel flanges, is 5–10% lighter for the same depth and bolts without tapered washers. Same grades and price per ton.
What sizes are in stock?
UPN 50–300 and UPE 80–300 in 6 and 12 m, S235JR/S275JR; UPN 320–400 and S355J2 on order.
Can you supply channels cut and drilled?
Yes — cut, mitred, drilled, welded into frames or boxed sections, blasted and primed or galvanized, labelled to drawing.