Structural Steel 101: Shapes, Properties, and Applications

For reliable longevity and to bear extreme weight, structural steel must be of the right composition. Iron and carbon are two of the most vital components used by steel mills when making structural steel. The carbon lends strength to the iron ore, which is the source for the iron in steel and is quite soft on its own. To achieve load-bearing capacity, structural steel must have a higher carbon content by weight, and manufacturers can increase the amount of carbon according to the level of strength and ductility its application requires. Most construction purposes only have the need for low-carbon, or mild, structural steel, which contains between 0.04 and 0.30% carbon by weight. Medium- and high-carbon structural steel requires from 0.31 to 1.50% carbon by weight, making this steel suitable for mechanical engineering applications.

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Structural steel can also contain levels of manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, and silicone, among other materials. While manufacturers can add additional metals such as chromium, titanium, and molybdenum to their steel compositions to achieve greater strength, this is typically best for non-structural steel as it can result in a brittle end-product.

Whatever the composition, manufacturers must test their structural steel for acceptable yield and tensile strengths. Part of what makes structural steel strong is its ability to yield under weight pressure without permanently changing shape. The point at which structural steel does irrevocably change shape is called its yield strength. Additional weight pressure will eventually bring the steel to its tensile strength limit, the point at which the steel actually breaks. Yield and tensile strength are measured in pounds per square inch (psi) and kilopounds per square inch (ksi).

For evaluating impact or energy absorption within structural steel, the Charpy impact test has standardized the process. Operators utilize a weighty hammer pendulum and a structural steel material sample to calculate how much energy that particular steel can absorb when the pendulum strikes it before the material reaches yield and tensile strength limits. The Charpy test can also incorporate temperature testing to mimic environmental temperature fluctuations.

Steel is one of the most widely used materials in the world due to the innumerable properties that make it useful in various industries: from construction, to art and decoration, to home furnishings and architecture. Today at ULMA, we’ll tell you about the characteristics of steel, its properties and its different uses in industry and in everyday life.

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What is steel?

Steel is a kind of alloy of iron and carbon. Depending on the treatment it undergoes, it can vary in its hardness, elasticity, strength and ductility. It is a very important material in several industries, being especially valued, for instance, in all types of construction, tool manufacturing, and machine parts.

During the steel-making process, it is necessary to eliminate most of the oxygen, along with other impurities present in the iron ore. After this, the iron ore is mixed with other materials to produce steel. Steel is made up of less than 2% carbon, 1% manganese and small proportions of oxygen, sulfur, silicon and phosphorus.

What are its main characteristics?

Steel has a multitude of characteristics that make it stand out from other metals. Some of the most outstanding ones are:

• It has an average density of about 7,850 kg m-3.
• Its melting point depends on the type of alloy. For example, the melting point of iron is °C, but that of steel is usually around °C.
• Its boiling point is around °C.
• It is ductile and malleable. These properties allow it to be produced in thin sheets, for example.
• There are certain types of steel that have a greater shape memory and can be deformed more easily.
• It is easy to weld.
• If magnetized, steel does not lose this property unless subjected to extremely high temperatures.

The properties of steel

The properties of steel can be divided into two different types: mechanical and physical. It is important to remember that these can vary depending on their exact composition.

Mechanical properties of steel

• Resistance: The ability to withstand great forces without being damaged
• Malleability: The ability to be shaped and deformed without breaking. This property comes from its carbon content.
• Hardness: Not being scratched or damaged by strong shocks. Steel’s malleability and hardness are inversely proportional. This means that the greater the hardness, the less the malleability, and vice versa.
• Toughness: Having a strong capacity to resist tension and possible fractures
• Plasticity: Moldability into a multitude of shapes, making it ideal for manufacturing a large number of objects and structures, and for use in the construction of bridges or buildings, for example

Physical properties of steel

• Optical properties: Steel has very high reflectivity, being bright and shiny. It can also become transparent to ultraviolet rays, for example.
• Electrical properties: Steel is a great electrical conductor, which is why it is often used for wiring and electrical installations.
• Thermal properties: Steel can withstand high temperatures without melting, up to °C. Thus, it is used in materials that need to be exposed to very high temperatures without being damaged.
• Magnetic properties: As mentioned above, steel can be magnetized.

Steel and its uses

Steel’s numerous beneficial properties bring it into many areas of our lives in various forms. We can find it from decorative elements, to bridge and building structures, to handrails. Some of its most common uses are:

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• Machinery: for vehicles and means of transportation: cars, trucks, trains, airplanes, etc.; for agricultural machines; and for different kinds of technology and engineering work
• Tools: for screws, nuts, welding, plates, springs, valves, wrenches, screwdrivers, hammers, rivets…
• Kitchen utensils: pots, pans, cutlery, cooking and food cutting surfaces, etc.
• Construction components: composite columns, box girders or square beams, lattice girders, slabs, hollow core beams or bracing, and much more
• Decorative parts and elements: especially in interior design, prominent in bathrooms and kitchens. For example, for countertops, faucets, drink shakers and towel racks.