How Many Types of Structural Steel Are There?

Every week in the United States over 1.5 million tons of steel reach the market.

Steel is an important part of construction and manufacturing, but each field uses a different type and grade of steel. For construction, let’s take a look at the different types of structural steel. Structural steel is strong and designed to hold up tens of thousand of pounds of pressure.

Types of Structural Steel

The types of structural steel that you will see come from carbon steel. Carbon steel has ratings by the amount of carbon that is within the metal. Sometimes you’ll hear this type of steel referred to as mild steel, and it is a good structural steel material due to the lack of brittleness that it has.

While carbon steel is common, it is also a catch all term. There are other types of steel in structural work, but they are also carbon steel.

HSLA Steel

High strength low alloy steel is a carbon steel that has low amounts of carbon. The carbon only makes the steel harder and nothing else. You will see this used often in various types of steel structures.

Corrosion Resistant

There is a corrosion resistant version of the HSLA. Useful in environments and applications where corrosion is a serious threat. This can be helpful in situations where the steel is going to have to deal with the elements or near salt water or other corrosive materials.

Certain environments also need corrosion resistant building materials.

Quenched and Tempered

Quenching and tempering is the process by which a piece of steel or iron is heated up and cooled to strengthen it. This is a common practice with several grades of quenched and tempered steel used for structural applications. The steel cools when exposed to air or another non-reactive gas like nitrogen.

This happens in a controlled environment with precise measurements being taken.

Forged Steel

Forged steel occurs when iron and steel become alloyed at high pressures. The steel, when hot enough becomes malleable, so that it can be shaped into whatever form the customer wants. There are several types of forged steel that meet structural steel specifications.

Steel Structure Design

When you build a steel structure or frame, you need to understand what you’re working with. Steel structure design places a lot of weight on certain joints and load bearers. Using strengthened steel to absorb these stresses enables these structures to grow quite large.

Whether you’re building a skyscraper or just a shed, knowing what kind of steel to get is important. You should also take special care to purchase yours from a reputable source like https://www.intselsteelwest.com/. The steel you use will represent your work, possibly for decades

Many Types of Structural Steel to Choose From

Structural steel is used all around you, all the time. All the types of structural steel are used for their specific strengths and weaknesses. Always use the right steel for the job and you will be successful.

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