An I-beam is a bridge beam with an I-shaped cross-section. The horizontal elements of the “I” are flanges, while the vertical element is the web. The web resists shear forces while the flanges resist most of the bending moment experienced by the beam. Beam theory shows that the I-shaped section is a very efficient from for carrying both bending and shear loads in the plane of the web. I beams used in Structural Engineering and bridge design projects.
