W-Beam Guardrail Specifications

Short answer: a standard W-beam guardrail panel is a 310 mm wide, 83 mm deep corrugated steel section, rolled in 2.67 mm or 3.0 mm thickness, in 3810 mm or 4130 mm lengths, from Q235B or S355JR steel, hot-dip galvanized to a minimum 550 g/m² coating weight under AASHTO M180. A 3810 mm panel weighs approximately 49 kg. Every value below is verifiable against the mill certificate and coating test report that ship with each batch.

This page collects the W-beam guardrail specifications a procurement or engineering team needs in one place, with the standard reference behind each value — so the numbers can go straight into a tender or a comparison against another supplier’s data sheet.

Section dimensions

Parameter	Value	Reference
Profile	W-beam (double-wave corrugation)	AASHTO M180
Section width	310 mm	AASHTO M180
Section depth	83 mm	AASHTO M180
Steel thickness	2.67 mm or 3.0 mm	Per project specification
Standard panel lengths	3810 mm or 4130 mm	Common export lengths
Hole punching	Slotted holes to post spacing; custom drilling to drawing	Per layout drawing

Material and coating

Parameter	Value	Verification document
Base metal	Q235B or S355JR	Mill certificate per batch
Coating	Hot-dip galvanized, 550 g/m² minimum	Coating-weight test report
Standard reference	AASHTO M180	Certificate of conformity
Weight	Approx. 49 kg per 3810 mm panel (2.67 mm)	Per weighing / calculation

How the coating classes differ between the American and European systems — and what to write into a specification — is compared on our galvanized guardrail standards page.

Weight per metre and per kilometre

At approximately 49 kg per 3810 mm panel, a 2.67 mm W-beam line weighs in the region of 12.9 kg per metre of rail, before posts, blocks and fixings. For freight planning: a full 20GP container carries roughly 25 tonnes, which is on the order of 500 panels or about 1.9 km of single-sided rail. Project BOQs usually add 12–15% for posts, blocks and terminals to the rail tonnage.

Posts, blocks and fixings that complete the system

The panel is one third of the system. A complete run needs:

• Posts — I-beam, C-channel, sigma, round or U sections; drilled and punched to match the panel. The options are on the guardrail posts page.
• Offset blocks and spacers — box, C, U, H, F and trapezoidal profiles that hold the beam off the post and add deflection travel.
• Fixings — M20 bolts, nuts and washers galvanized to match the panels.
• End treatments — flared, buffer, fishtail and bullnose terminals; the selection logic is on our end terminal types page.

How these values are verified

Every production batch ships with three documents: the mill certificate for the base metal, the coating-weight test report for the galvanizing, and a certificate of conformity to AASHTO M180. For a tender, all three are available up front with the quotation — ask for them before you compare prices, because a W-beam that cannot produce its coating report is not the same product regardless of its price.

See the W-beam guardrail page

FAQ

What thickness is standard W-beam guardrail?

The two standard thicknesses are 2.67 mm and 3.0 mm. The heavier gauge is specified for higher-containment applications and heavier post spacing; both are rolled from the same 310 mm × 83 mm corrugation profile and both carry the AASHTO M180 coating requirement.

What is the galvanizing coating weight on W-beam guardrail?

The highway-standard class is a minimum 550 g/m² hot-dip galvanized coating, verified by coating-weight test report per batch. Coastal and high-corrosion sites may specify a heavier class — the standard reference is AASHTO M180.

What lengths does W-beam guardrail come in?

Standard export lengths are 3810 mm and 4130 mm. Custom lengths and hole patterns are produced to drawing — send the layout and the panels arrive punched to match the post spacing on your project.

How much does a W-beam panel weigh?

Approximately 49 kg for a 3810 mm panel at 2.67 mm thickness. That works out to roughly 12.9 kg per metre of rail, and about 25 tonnes of mixed rail, posts and fixings fill a 20GP container.