An introduction

Steel is a popular multipurpose metal that rules our world. We can find steel everywhere. From the utensils in the kitchen to the truck repairs workshops we can find steel. The use of steel has become popular over the years because it is just the right material. Steel is rust and corrosion resistant and can endure the wear and tear easily. It is for this popularity that now steel is used in huge projects too including construction.

What does structural steel mean?

Structural steel is a commercial form of steel that is used in bigger commercial projects like construction. The structural steel is meant to handle the commercial projects without fear of damages and wearing tearing. Defining the structural steel as something meant for special structures would not define the steel of this category completely. It is just an apparent description of the structural steel. It is very important to learn about the different important aspects of this category of steel especially when you intend to carry out structural steel painting.

What makes the structural steel unique?

In contrast to the fabricated steel the structural steel has its own recognition. It stands out due to its two prominent traits being the composition and the shape. To get to know about these unique attributes here is some detail of each of these:

 

• Composition

 

Structural steel is known by the name carbon steel, due to the rich carbon content of 2:1. Iron also makes an essential ingredient in the overall construction of the Structural steel. The strength of the carbon steel can increase many times if the carbon content is increased in the steel. It is this carbon rich characteristic that reduces the ductility making it a perfect constructional element. It is the carbon level in the steel that determines the utility of the steel. Depending on this carbon composition the user gets a chance to get a low ductile option for the perfect usage. It is the carbon level that determines the utility of the structural steel. Depending on this it can be seen working in the trucks repair projects too.

Mild steel also known as Low-carbon steel is among the most used carbon steel options. It is the most used choice for the construction sites. Therefore it makes the best choice as the structural steel. This carbon steel has 0.04 to 0.03 percent carbon content. It is for this composition that it becomes a strong yet more ductile choice as compared to other forms of carbon steel. The medium and high carbon steels have varying carbon content between 0.31 and 1.5 percent. They serve as structural steel too but most significantly they work mechanical engineering accessory.

• Shape

If you are planning a project that uses the structural steel or you have structural steel painting project, make sure that you are aware of the other characteristics and that is shape. The structural steel gets the right shape with the cross sections. The basic shapes of the structural steel are:

I-beam has an I-shaped cross section added with flanges on both sides.

Z-shape structural steel includes half flanges that look like the alphabet “Z”

Angle is known for having an L-shaped cross section

Tee as the name suggests looks distinct because of T-shaped cross section

Bar is rectangular in shape and has a long cross section.

 Rod is either square or round.