PART 2 MATERIALS

2.1 Range of Structural Steel Grades and Sections

Where applicable, these tables cover the full range of Australian produced structural steel hollow
sections, manufactured in accordance with AS 1163, which are generally available and commonly
used in Australia.

The section sizes and their respective grades listed in the Tables include:

• Grade C250 and Grade C350 Circular Hollow Sections (CHS)

• Grade C350 and Grade C450 Rectangular Hollow Sections (RHS)

• Grade C350 and Grade C450 Square Hollow Sections (SHS)

The grade designation (e.g. C250) is based on the nominal minimum yield strength of the steel (in
MPa). The prefix ‘C’ is used before the value of the nominal yield strength of the steel to indicate
that the section is cold-formed. It should be noted that AS 1163 only considers cold-formed struc-
tural steel hollow sections. The suffix ‘L0’ denotes impact properties at 0°C as specified in AS
1163.

In these Tables:
• Grade “C250” refers to both C250 and C250L0

• Grade “C350” refers to both C350 and C350L0

• Grade “C450” refers to both C450 and C450L0

2.1.1 Specifications
Hollow sections produced in Australia are manufactured by cold-forming and high-frequency
Electric Resistance Welding (ERW). The ERW process allows cold-formed hollow sections to be
welded at ambient temperatures without subsequent stress relieving.

However, the Tables only apply to those hollow sections manufactured in accordance with
AS 1163.

Specifiers should also note that hollow sections not complying with AS 1163 may be required
to be down-graded in yield stress, tensile strength and other mechanical properties when
designing to AS 4100 and welding to AS/NZS 1554.1.

To ensure the assumptions, product benefits and quality of structural steel hollow sections
assumed in these Tables, designers should specifically nominate AS 1163 complying product in
their specifications and general notes. Such wording may be:

Unless Noted Otherwise (U.N.O.) all CHS/RHS/SHS to be complying with AS 1163.

Further information on appropriate specifications for AS 1163 compliant product may be found in
Steel Construction, Vol. 29, No. 3 [2.1] or by contacting AISC.

ASI: DESIGN CAPACITY TABLES FOR STRUCTURAL STEEL

2-2 VOLUME 2: HOLLOW SECTIONS DCT/V2/02-2004
 2.2 Yield Stress and Tensile Strength
Table T2.1 lists the minimum yield stresses and tensile strengths for the structural steel hollow sec-
tion grades covered by this publication and used for calculating the design capacities.
TABLE T2.1: Yield Stress and Tensile Strength based on Steel Grade
Yield Stress Tensile Strength
Australian Steel
fy fu
Standard Grade
MPa MPa

AS 1163 C250 and C250L0 250 320

MATERIALS
C350 and C350L0 350 430
C450 and C450L0 450 500
More detailed information on the strengths and other mechanical properties of these steels can be
found in Table 2.1 of AS 4100, AS 1163 or technical literature from the marketing departments of
the manufacturers listed in Section 2.8.

2.3 Properties of Steel

The properties of steel adopted in this publication are shown in Table T2.2. Properties such as
Poisson’s Ratio and Coefficient of Thermal Expansion for structural steel are also listed in Table T2.2.

TABLE T2.2: Properties of Steel

Property Symbol Value
3
Elastic Modulus E 200 x 10 MPa
3
Shear Modulus G 80 x 10 MPa
3
Density ρ 7850 kg/m
Poisson’s Ratio ν 0.25
-6
Coefficient of Thermal αT 11.7 x 10 per °C
Expansion

ASI: DESIGN CAPACITY TABLES FOR STRUCTURAL STEEL

DCT/V2/02-2004
VOLUME 2: HOLLOW SECTIONS 2-3
 AUSTRALIAN STEEL INSTITUTE
(ABN) / ACN (94) 000 973 839

design capacity
tables for
structural steel

Volume 2: Hollow Sections

second edition
CHS - Grade C250/C350 (to AS 1163)
RHS - Grade C350/C450 (to AS 1163)
SHS - Grade C350/C450 (to AS 1163)
φR -19 O S
*≤ 0 T E
S 10 ON AT

98
4 I T
S IT S
A ED IT

u
M
LI
 Foreword (iv)
Acknowledgements (iv)
Preface (v)
Notation (vi)
design capacity tables

INTRODUCTION
for structural steel PART ONE
Introduction 1-1

Volume 2: Hollow Sections

MATERIALS
PART TWO
second edition Materials 2-1

PROPERTIES
SECTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS PART THREE
Section Properties 3-1

STRUCT. ANAL.
METHODS OF
PART FOUR
Methods of Structural Analysis 4-1

TO BENDING
MEMBERS
SUBJECT
PART FIVE
Members Subject to Bending 5-1

COMPRESSION
MEM. SUB.
TO AXIAL
PART SIX
Members Subject to Axial Compression 6-1

MEM. SUB.
TO AXIAL
TENSION
PART SEVEN
Members subject to Axial Tension 7-1
TO COMBINED
MEM. SUB.

ACTIONS

PART EIGHT
Members subject to Combined Actions 8-1
CONNECTIONS

PART NINE
Connections 9-1

ASI: DESIGN CAPACITY TABLES FOR STRUCTURAL STEEL

DCT/V2/02-2004
VOLUME 2: HOLLOW SECTIONS (iii)
 PART 2 MATERIALS
PAGE
2.1 Range of Structural Steel Grades and Sections ......................................2-2
2.1.1 Specifications ...........................................................................................................2-2
2.2 Yield Stress and Tensile Strength ..................................................................2-3
2.3 Properties of Steel ................................................................................................2-3

MATERIALS
2.3.1 Masses ........................................................................................................................2-4
2.4 Dual Grade ...............................................................................................................2-4
2.5 Coating Systems....................................................................................................2-4
2.6 Hollow Sections not compliant with AS 1163 ...........................................2-4
2.7 Availability.................................................................................................................2-5
2.8 Australian Hollow Section Manufacturers ..................................................2-6
2.9 References ...............................................................................................................2-6

NOTE: SEE SECTION 2.1 FOR THE SPECIFIC MATERAL

STANDARD (AS 1163) REFERRED TO BY THE SECTION TYPE AND
STEEL GRADE IN THIS PUBLICATION

ASI: DESIGN CAPACITY TABLES FOR STRUCTURAL STEEL

DCT/V2/02-2004
VOLUME 2: HOLLOW SECTIONS 2-1