Structural Steel:
Material Properties
And Shapes
Chapter 2 from Kulak & Grondin, “Limits States Design in Structural Steel”
Structural Steel
• Steel is an alloy composed mostly of iron (Fe)
Carbon (C) : 0.2 – 0.25 % Strength
Manganese (Mn) : 1 % Toughness
Sulphur (S): < 0.05 % Impurity
Phosphorus (S): < 0.04 % Impurity
Silicon (Si): 0.1 – 0.4 % Deoxidizer
Copper (Cu) Chromium (Cr) : 0.1 –0.9 % for Hardenability
> 11 % for Stainless Steel
Nb, Ni, V, Mo, …
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
Classifications
Canada:
• Steels are typically classified according to two
material standards:
– CAN/CSA G40.20 – testing, inspection, marking
and delivery
– CAN/CSA G40.21 – chemical composition and
mechanical properties
• Alphanumeric code….. Example G40.21-350W
Yield Strength
Properties
Classifications
Type Comment
W* Weldable steel where notch toughness at low temperatures is
not a design requirement (e.g., most buildings). Grade 300W
and 350W are commonly encountered, but 350W has more
recently become the most steel for wide-flange shaped.
WT† Weldable notch-tough steel is commonly used for members
in bridges. The engineer must specify the temperature at which
the notch toughness is required. Similar grades to W.
R Atmospheric corrosion-resistant steel has about 4 times the
corrosion resistance of plain carbon steel. Grade 350R only and
is mostly used in thin sheets for outdoor cladding.
A Atmospheric corrosion-resistant weldable steel.
Sometimes called weathering steel.
AT† Atmospheric corrosion-resistant weldable notch tough
steel. Used commonly for members in bridges. Weathering
steel.
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
Classifications
United States:
• Steels are designated by ASTM.
• Common ones:
– ASTM A672 Grade 50 – 50 ksi (345 MPa) high-
strength low-alloy steel similar to Canadian 350W
• ASTM A992 is similar but with upper limit on strength
– ASTM A709 Grades 36 to 100 – common for
bridges
Material Properties
• Characterized mainly through tension coupon
tests for a stress-strain relationship.
Source: Kulak and Grondin (2010) “Limit States Design in Structural Steel”.
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
Effect of steel grade on stress-strain properties
Typical Material Properties
Property Typical value
Strength: Fy, Fu See Grade: Example of 350W
Fy = 350 MPa; Fu = 450 MPa
Modulus of Elasticity, E 200 000 MPa
Shear Modulus, G 77 000 MPa
Poisson’s ratio, ν 0.3
Coef. Of Thermal 11.7x10-6 /°C
Expansion, α
Density, µ 7850 kg/m3
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
Material Properties
• Ductility
– Measure of the ability of a material to undergo
large plastic deformations without fracture.
• Toughness
– Capacity to absorb energy.
– Used as a design criterion for structures that
are subjected to: earthquakes, impact
loading, cold temperature.
Steel Shapes
• Common shapes available:
– Rolled flat products: plate; flat bar; sheet;…
– Rolled shapes: I-shaped; channels; angles, …
– Rolled/welded products: pipes; boxes; welded wide
flange;…
• Can also use built-up sections through bolts,
welds, rivets,…
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
Wide Flange Shapes (I-Shape)
Wide flange shapes have a depth that is greater than
or equal to the flange width and flange thickness is
usually larger than that of the web.
Different types of I-Shapes:
• W-shapes
• M-shapes
• HP-shapes
• S-shapes
W-, M-, and S- shapes are mainly used for
beams/columns
HP- shapes are used for piles
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
Structural Angles and HSS
L125x90x13
d = 125 mm
b = 90 mm
t = 13 mm
Square HSS
HSS 203x203x8
Rectangular HSS
HSS 203x102x8
Circular HSS
HSS 168x9.5
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
Structural Shapes -- Designations
WWF900x347
≈ 900 347 kg/m
Example:
Welded Wide Flange
Standard Welded Shapes
Deepest WWF section is 2000 mm
Deepest W section is 1100 mm
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
BCEE 344 Anjan Bhowmick
