Structural steel is a type of construction material that is made from specific grades of steel. It is manufactured in a range of industry standard cross-sectional shapes. Structural steel grades are manufactured with specific chemical compositions and mechanical properties to suit specific applications.
Structural steel’s size, strength, shape, composition, and storage are controlled in many industrialized countries. In Europe, the steels used have to comply with the European standard EN 10025. In the US, the steels used for building construction use standard alloys specified by ASTM International.
Structural Steel S500
Structural steel S500 is a high strength, low alloy steel and falls within the European EN 10149 PT2 standard. Some variations of S500 structural steel plate include S500MC, S550MC, S700MC, S500Q, S500QL, and S500QL1.
S500MC is a high strength hot rolled structural steel primarily used for cold formed components. It is a load bearing steel. The material has a variety of applications as it has good weldability. Heat treatment should be avoided as it could reduce the yield strength of the material.
US Equivalent Grades
Chemical Composition of S500 Structural Steel
The chemical composition of structural steel is very important and highly regulated. It is an essential factor which defines the mechanical properties of the steel material. In the following table, the chemical composition of S500 is displayed.
| Element |
Content (%) |
| Manganese, Mn |
1.70 max |
| Silicon, Si |
0.50 max |
| Carbon, C |
0.12 max |
| Phosphorous, P |
0.025 max |
| Sulphur, S |
0.015 max |
Mechanical Properties of S500 Structural Steel
The mechanical properties of structural steel are very important to its classification, and subsequently its application. Structural steel S500 has good tensile and yield strength and they are tabulated below.
| Property |
Definition |
Value |
| Tensile strength |
The point at which permanent deformation occurs when the material is pulled or stretched laterally along its length. |
550-700 MPa (at nominal thickness between 3 and 16mm) |
| Yield strength |
The yield strength of structural steel measures the minimum force required to create a permanent deformation in the steel. |
72.51 ksi (500 N/mm2) [at nominal thickness 16mm] |
Typical Structural Steel ‘Sections’ / Cross-Sectional Shapes
Structural steels are available in different grades; however many manufacturers sell them in a pre-formed state with a cross-sectional shape that is specifically applicable for certain applications. Structural steels are sold in Z-beams, I-beams, L-shaped, steel plate, box lintels, and hollow structural section.
Applications of Structural Steel S500
Structural steels have a variety of uses. They provide a unique combination of excellent welding properties with high strengths. Offshore steels, wear resistant grades, high strength steels, boiler and pressure vessel steels, and shipbuilding grades are some of the types of application-oriented structural steels that are available in the market today. These steels are very adaptable and can be used even in cases where maximize strength or structure is required while the weight is maintained at a minimum.
Typical applications of structural steel 500 are as follows:
- Mining and earth-moving equipment
- Power plants
- Load-handling equipment
- Structural beams
- Frames
- As cold rolled steel sections
Sources and Further Reading
- S500MC High Yield Steel- Masteel
- Structural Steels - Steelstrip
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