July 2003
Availability Status of Algoma’s Exclusive W-Shapes
Currently structural steel is widely available and as such makes an excellent choice as a structural material. While there are thousands of sections listed at any one time, the availability of a specific section in a particular region of the country for a specific project and time frame may result in the fabricator requesting a substitution.
Some sections are almost always available due to a constant demand for them. It is important to remember that the least-cost solution is not always the least-weight alternative.
When Algoma Steel stopped rolling structural shapes in 2000, the availability of those W-shapes that were exclusively rolled by Algoma (listed below), was thrown into question. Since then several mills that regularly supplied to the Canadian market started to produce these sections. Until recently, there were at least two mills that indicated they would produce one or more of these Algoma sections.
At the end of June 2003, one mill, TXI Chaparral Steel, announced that it has elected to suspend production of the following sections:
Metric Designations Imperial Designations
W200 x 21 W8 x 14
W250 x 24 W10 x 16
W310 x 31 W12 x 21
W460 x 61 & 67 W18 x 41 & 45
W530 x 72 & 82 W21 x 48 & 55
W610 x 84 & 91 W24 x 56 & 61