Flange-stiffener

A flange-stiffener is a built-up stiffener fabricated by welding a face plate (flange) to a plate web, forming a T-bar section, used where a rolled angle, T-bar, or bulb flat does not give enough section modulus. The welded flange moves material to the free edge to resist bending and tripping, the same role the rounded bulb plays on a bulb flat profile. Yards fabricate flange-stiffeners on the panel line where a heavier or non-standard stiffener is needed for primary supporting members, deck transverses, or web frames. The added fillet welds and fit-up make it more labor-intensive than a one-piece rolled bulb flat.