Structural Steel 500 - Chemical Composition, Mechanical Properties and Common Applications

Structural Steel 500 - Chemical

Composition, Mechanical Properties and
Common Applications
By G.P. Thomas Jan 31 2013

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

EU US
S500MC 070XLK

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.

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Structural Steel 500 - Chemical Composition, Mechanical Properties and Common Applications

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

The point at which permanent deformation occurs 550-700 MPa (at nominal
Tensile
when the material is pulled or stretched laterally along thickness between 3 and
strength
its length. 16mm)
The yield strength of structural steel measures the
Yield 72.51 ksi (500 N/mm2) [at
minimum force required to create a permanent
strength nominal thickness 16mm]
deformation in the steel.

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

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Structural Steel 500 - Chemical Composition, Mechanical Properties and Common Applications

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

Written by

G.P. Thomas
Gary graduated from the University of Manchester with a first-class honours degree in
Geochemistry and a Masters in Earth Sciences. After working in the Australian mining industry,
Gary decided to hang up his geology boots and turn his hand to writing. When he isn't developing
topical and informative content, Gary can usually be found playing his beloved guitar, or watching
Aston Villa FC snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

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