I-beams, whether ordinary or lightweight, have relatively high and narrow cross-sectional dimensions, resulting in significant differences in the moment of inertia between the two main sleeves of the cross-section. Therefore, it can only be directly used for components that bend within their web plane or form lattice load-bearing components. It is not suitable to use axial compression members or members bent perpendicular to the plane of the web plate, which greatly limits their application range. H-shaped steel belongs to economical cutting profiles.

Due to their reasonable cross-sectional shape, they can improve the efficiency of steel and enhance its cutting ability. Unlike ordinary I-beams, H-beams have widened flanges and their inner and outer surfaces are usually parallel, making it easier to connect with strength bolts and other components. Its size composition is reasonable, the models are complete, and it is easy to design and choose. The inner and outer sides of the H-shaped steel flange are parallel or almost parallel, and the end of the flange forms a right angle, hence it is called a parallel flange I-beam. The thickness of the H-beam belly plate is less than that of a regular I-beam with the same height as the belly plate, and the width of the flange is greater than that of a regular I-beam with the same height as the belly plate, hence it is also known as a wide edge I-beam.

Due to its shape, the section modulus, moment of inertia, and corresponding strength of H-beams are significantly better than those of ordinary I-beams of the same weight. Used for metal structures with different requirements, it exhibits excellent performance in withstanding bending moments, pressure loads, and eccentric loads. Compared with ordinary I-beams, it can greatly improve the bearing capacity and save 10% to 40% of metal.