| A | Cross sectional area |
| Ae | Effective cross sectional area |
| AISI | American Iron and Steel Institute |
| Area | Cross sectional area |
| ASCE | American Society of Civil Engineers |
| ASD | Allowable Strength Design |
| B | Required bimoment strength |
| Ba | Allowable bimoment strength |
| ϕBn | Design bimoment strength |
| b/t | Ratio of flange width to thickness |
| Cbx | Bending coefficient dependent on moment gradient for bending about the X axis |
| Cby | Bending coefficient dependent on moment gradient for bending about the Y axis |
| Cmx | Moment coefficient in interaction formula for bending about the X axis |
| Cmy | Moment coefficient in interaction formula for bending about the Y axis |
| Cw | Torsional warping constant |
| D/t | Ratio of outside diameter to thickness |
| D/w | Ratio of lip overall depth to flange flat width |
| d/t | Ratio of lip flat width to thickness |
| d₀/b₀ | Ratio of lip outside width to flange outside width |
| E | Modulus of elasticity (initial modulus for stainless steel) |
| ex | Axial load eccentricity in the X direction, measured from the origin with positive to the right |
| ey | Axial load eccentricity in the Y direction, measured from the origin with positive up |
| Fu | Longitudinal ultimate tensile strength |
| Fy | Yield strength |
| h | Height of the flat portion of a web |
| h/t | Ratio of web flat width to thickness |
| I₁ | Moment of inertia about the major axis |
| I₂ | Moment of inertia about the minor axis |
| Ic | Polar moment of inertia about the centroid |
| I₀ | Polar moment of inertia about the shear center |
| Ix | Moment of inertia about the X axis |
| Ixe | Effective moment of inertia about the X axis |
| Ixy | Product of inertia about the X and Y axes |
| Iy | Moment of inertia about the Y axis |
| Iye | Effective moment of inertia about the Y axis |
| J | St. Venant torsion constant |
| jx | Asymmetry property for lateral-torsional buckling:
(∫x³dA + ∫xy²dA)/2Iy - x₀ |
| jy | Asymmetry property for lateral-torsional buckling:
(∫y³dA + ∫yx²dA)/2Ix - y₀ |
| KL/r | Slenderness ratio of a compressive member |
| Kx | Effective length factor for buckling about the X axis ( in the Y direction) |
| Ky | Effective length factor for buckling about the Y axis ( in the X direction) |
| Kt | Effective length factor for torsional buckling |
| k | Plate buckling coefficient |
| kϕ | Rotational stiffness provided to a flange by attachment to deck or sheathing |
| LRFD | Load and Resistance Factor Design |
| LSD | Limit States Design |
| Lm | Distance between discrete distortional buckling restraints |
| Lx | Unbraced length for buckling about the X axis (in the Y direction) |
| Ly | Unbraced length for buckling about the Y axis (in the X direction) |
| Lt | Unbraced length for torsional buckling |
| Max | Allowable moment strength about the X axis |
| Maxo | Allowable moment strength about the X axis, based on yielding and local buckling (fully braced) |
| May | Allowable moment strength about the Y axis |
| Mayo | Allowable moment strength about the Y axis, based on yielding and local buckling (fully braced) |
| ϕMnx | Design moment strength about the X axis |
| ϕMnxo | Design moment strength about the X axis, based on yielding and local buckling (fully braced) |
| ϕMny | Design moment strength about the Y axis |
| ϕMnyo | Design moment strength about the Y axis, based on yielding and local buckling (fully braced) |
| Mx | Applied moment about the X axis, positive moment has compression above the X axis |
| My | Applied moment about the Y axis, positive moment has compression to the right of the Y axis |
| N | Bearing length for web crippling check |
| n | Modified Ramberg-Osgood Equation coefficient, indicating the linearity of the stress-strain curve. |
| P | Applied compressive force |
| Pa | Allowable compressive strength |
| Pa | Allowable web crippling strength for an element, perpendicular to the bearing flange |
| Pao | Allowable compressive strength, based on initiation of yielding (fully braced) |
| Pax | Allowable web crippling strength for an element, in the X direction |
| Pay | Allowable web crippling strength for an element, in the Y direction |
| ϕPn | Design axial compressive strength |
| ϕPn | Design web crippling strength for an element, perpendicular to the bearing flange |
| ϕPno | Design axial compressive strength, based on initiation of yielding (fully braced) |
| ϕPnx | Design web crippling strength for an element, in the X direction |
| ϕPny | Design web crippling strength for an element, in the Y direction |
| R | Moment reduction factor for beam with braced tension flange |
| R/t | Ratio of inside bend radius to thickness |
| r₁ | Radius of gyration about the major axis |
| r₂ | Radius of gyration about the minor axis |
| rc | Polar radius of gyration about the centroid |
| r₀ | Polar radius of gyration about the shear center |
| rx | Radius of gyration about the X axis |
| ry | Radius of gyration about the Y axis |
| Sx(b) | Section modulus about the X axis for the extreme bottom fiber |
| Sxe(b) | Effective section modulus about the X axis for the extreme bottom fiber |
| Sx(t) | Section modulus about the X axis for the extreme top fiber |
| Sxe(t) | Effective section modulus about the X axis for the extreme top fiber |
| Sy(l) | Section modulus about the Y axis for the extreme left fiber |
| Sye(l) | Effective section modulus about the Y axis for the extreme left fiber |
| Sy(r) | Section modulus about the Y axis for the extreme right fiber |
| Sye(r) | Effective section modulus about the Y axis for the extreme right fiber |
| t | Design thickness of the material |
| Ta | Allowable tensile strength |
| ϕTn | Design axial tensile strength |
| Tsv | Internal St. Venant (pure) torque |
| Tw | Internal warping torque |
| Vax | Allowable shear strength in the horizontal direction |
| Vay | Allowable shear strength in the vertical direction |
| ϕVnx | Design shear strength in the horizontal direction |
| ϕVny | Design shear strength in the vertical direction |
| Vx | Applied shear force in the horizontal direction |
| Vy | Applied shear force in the vertical direction |
| Wt. | Weight per unit length for a section |
| w | Width of the flat portion of an element |
| w/t | Width to thickness ratio for an element |
| X | Horizontal axis or dimension in the plane of the cross section, positive is to the right |
| x₀ | Horizontal coordinate of the shear center relative to the centroid |
| x(l) | Horizontal distance from the centroid of the section to the extreme left fiber |
| x(r) | Horizontal distance from the centroid of the section to the extreme right fiber |
| Y | Vertical axis or dimension in the plane of the cross section, positive is up |
| y₀ | Vertical coordinate of the shear center relative to the centroid |
| y(b) | Vertical distance from the centroid of the section to the extreme bottom fiber |
| y(t) | Vertical distance from the centroid of the section to the extreme top fiber |
| Zx | Plastic section modulus about the X axis |
| Zy | Plastic section modulus about the Y axis |
| α | Angle of the major axis with respect to the X axis, counter-clockwise is positive. |