Structural steel in construction and the role it plays

The supply of structural steel sections to the worldwide construction marketplace has never been more effective, with numerous high quality products available including steel sections, bars and shapes. The range of shapes (steel sections as known in the UK or steel profiles as known across Europe) is very wide including universal beams and universal columns.

Hollow Steel Sections

Hollow sections (RHS, SHS, and CHS) are available in metric sizes which are common both in the United Kingdom and across the continent.  RHS stands for rectangular sections, SHS refers to square sections and CHS means circular sections.

Hollow sections can either be hot finished or cold formed. Hot finished hollow sections are supplied in accordance with the euro norm standard EN10210 whilst cold formed hollow sections are supplied to EN10219. Although dimensions of hot finished and cold formed sections may be identical, the capacities are not, so the procurer should take great care to ensure the ordering of the correct grade.

Open Steel Sections

Open sections (for example, universal beams, universal columns and H sections) are also widely available in the construction industry.  The grades for open sections are standardized across Europe but it should be noted that the sizes are not.  In the UK, sections are produced according to BS 4-1:1993 which converts imperial measurements to metric (for example 36" becomes 914mm). However, only continental dimensions can be considered to be truly metric.

Terminology is different too.  In Europe, continental beams are known as I sections and columns are known as H sections.  In the UK, terms used include Universal Beams (UB) and Universal Columns (UC).

Most common are grades S235, S275 and S355 and this designation reflects the nominal yield strength (S) for structural steel.  Different testing can be available depending on the intended purpose of the steel.  For example, low temperature impact testing can be performed to establish that steel required for use in very low operating temperature (as low as -50º C) is suitable.