The 152 x 152 UC37 universal column is the heaviest section in the 152 x 152 range, and the last stop before stepping up to a 203 x 203. At 37kg per metre with an 11.5mm flange and 8mm web, it carries substantially more load than the UC30 while keeping the same compact footprint — which is exactly why it gets specified. Rolled to S355J0 and supplied cut free to any length from 1m to 12m in mill finish or red oxide primer, with free UK mainland delivery included in the price.
Steel grade — S355J0 to BS EN 10025-2
This column is rolled in S355J0: a 355 N/mm² minimum yield structural steel with impact toughness certified at 0°C. S355 is the grade UK structural engineers design to by default, carrying roughly 29% more yield strength than the older S275 material some merchants still stock. If your engineer has calculated to S275, an S355 section of the same size will always satisfy that design — but never substitute in the opposite direction without going back to them first.
For a fuller comparison see our guide to S275 vs S355 steel, or the steel grades & standards reference for the full specification we supply against.
The last section before 203 x 203
Across the 152 x 152 range the nominal size stays the same but the steel thickens considerably. From the UC23 to the UC37 the flange goes 6.8mm → 9.4mm → 11.5mm, and minor-axis stiffness climbs from 399.9 cm⁴ to 560.4 cm⁴ to 706.2 cm⁴. The UC37 carries 77% more weak-axis stiffness than the UC23 for 61% more weight, so it is the most efficient of the three in pure buckling terms.
The practical decision point is usually footprint. A 203 x 203 UC46 is only 9kg per metre heavier but 50mm wider and deeper — which is often the difference between a column that disappears into a stud wall and one that has to be boxed out into the room. Where the load can be carried at 152 x 152, it usually should be.
Note the section does grow with weight: 161.8mm deep and 154.4mm wide here, against 152.4 x 152.2 for the UC23. Check the finished dimension before ordering if it is being clad. See UB vs UC, what UK builders actually specify, and the UK steel beam size chart for every size with weights.
Where the UC37 is typically used
Where a single post carries the ends of two or more beams, in load-bearing wall removals across two storeys, and in mezzanine and garden-room frames where the column stands unrestrained over its full height. It is also the usual choice where a column supports a beam that itself carries another storey above.
Available finishes
Mill finish is the column exactly as it leaves the rolling mill: bare structural steel carrying the usual blue-grey mill scale. It suits any job where the column will be encased, boxed in, fire-protected or painted on site — see our guide to boxing in steelwork, or whether structural steel needs painting at all.
Red oxide primer is a factory-applied anti-corrosive coating, shot blasted and painted, that protects the steel while it stands on site before the building is closed in. Columns often go in early in a build programme and stand exposed longer than beams do, which makes primer worth considering. It is a primer rather than a topcoat — designed to be overpainted, and not a substitute for intumescent fire protection or galvanising outdoors. More in what red oxide primer actually means.
Cut to size — free, to the millimetre
Tell us the length you need and we cut it. There is no charge for cutting and no minimum order beyond a single metre. Enter your dimensions in the calculator above — you can specify several cut lengths on one order and the tool works out what you need. Steel is supplied and billed in whole metres, so a 2.7m requirement is charged as 3m; where you order more than one cut in the same finish, the total is rounded once rather than cut by cut, which keeps the cost down when you need a pair of posts.
Cut tolerance is ±3mm on length. Tell us if your head detail is critical, and confirm the base plate and padstone arrangement with your engineer before ordering. More on what lengths structural steel comes in.
Section dimensions
| Depth of section (h) | 161.8 mm |
| Width of section (b) | 154.4 mm |
| Web thickness (s) | 8.0 mm |
| Flange thickness (t) | 11.5 mm |
| Root radius (r) | 8.0 mm |
| Depth between fillets (d) | 122.8 mm |
| Mass per metre | 37.0 kg/m |
| Cross-sectional area | 47.1 cm² |
| Surface area per metre | 0.911 m²/m |
Section properties
| Second moment of area, y-y (Iy) | 2,212 cm⁴ |
| Second moment of area, z-z (Iz) | 706.2 cm⁴ |
| Elastic modulus, y-y (Wel,y) | 273.5 cm³ |
| Elastic modulus, z-z (Wel,z) | 91.48 cm³ |
| Plastic modulus, y-y (Wpl,y) | 309.1 cm³ |
| Plastic modulus, z-z (Wpl,z) | 139.6 cm³ |
| Radius of gyration, y-y (iy) | 6.8 cm |
| Radius of gyration, z-z (iz) | 3.8 cm |
Nominal dimensions and properties to BS EN 10365. Figures are published for reference only.
Structural engineer notice
Column sizing cannot be taken from a table. Capacity depends on the axial load, the effective length between restraints, the end fixity, any bending applied at the connections, and the base and head details — all of which must be calculated by a qualified structural engineer, and in most cases will form part of your building control submission. Base plates, padstones and holding-down bolts are part of that design. We supply steel to the specification you give us; we do not provide structural design.
Delivery
Cut-to-size steel is dispatched on a 5–10 working day lead time, with free delivery to UK mainland addresses included in the price — no carriage is added at checkout. A 152 x 152 UC37 weighs 37kg per metre, so a 3m post is 111kg — at the upper end of what two people should be handling. Deliveries are kerbside and offloading assistance is required.
See how structural steel is delivered for what to expect on the day, or our delivery & lead times page. Ordering columns and beams together for one project? Trade discounts are available.
Related sections
- 152 x 152 UC30 steel column — lighter section in the same serial size
- 152 x 152 UC23 steel column — lightest in the same serial size
- 203 x 203 UC46 steel column — next serial size up for higher loads
- All universal columns (UC)
- All RSJ steel beams & columns