Steel Sections
Steel Sections
This guide concentrates on the sections that we hold as standard stock items, although we can of course source many steel items and non-ferrous metals that are not mentioned below. In general we talk of two types of mild steel - bright and black. Bright as its name suggests is shiny to look at with a clean, slightly oiled finish, is available in both metric and imperial sizes and generally comes in a 3mtr (10/12’) standard length. Black mild steel has a rougher, scaled finish that is dry to the touch and generally comes in a 6mtr (20’) standard length in metric sizes only. Stronger steels known as alloys are also available – please see the relevant product pages or technical information for further details.
SECTION | INFORMATION |
ROUND BAR | Described by its diameter, e.g. 25mm or 1” dia., they are round in cross section and solid. Available in black, bright and alloy steel. |
FLAT BAR | Strips or bars of steel that are rectangular in cross section, e.g. 40 x 10 mm. Available in black and bright. The smaller/thinner black flats e.g. 10 x 3mm are only available in 4m lengths. |
SQUARES | Solid bars with equal dimensions, e.g. 30mm x 30mm. Available in black or bright. |
EQUAL ANGLES | Most angles are black mild steel although a few small sizes are available in bright mild steel. They look like a capital L shape in cross section and are described using height, width and thickness. e.g. 75 x 75 x 6mm. |
UNEQUAL ANGLES | Angles where one leg is longer than the other, e.g. 75 x 50 x 6 mm angle. Some of the larger sizes are available in bars up to 12mtr. Only available in black mild steel. |
TEES | A section that looks like a capital T with the size specified as width across top x height x weight per metre, e.g 25 x 25 x 3mm. Larger tees can be made by cutting down beams and columns. |
ROLLED HOLLOW SECTIONS (RHS) – Square and Rectangular | Commonly known as ‘box section’ these hollow sections have three dimensions – height, width and thickness of steel and the standard bar length is 7.5mtr. Some larger sizes are available in longer lengths. |
CIRCULAR HOLLOW SECTION (CHS) | Often known simply as tube, these are described using the external diameter (o/d) and the thickness of the wall, e.g. 33.7o/d x 3.2 mm. |
ERW – Electron Resistant Welded Tube | A semi bright tube that has a seam running down the inside. Thinner than the circular hollow section, ERW wall thickness ranges from 1mm – 3mm and are available in round, square and rectangular sizes. |
SEAMLESS TUBE | A mechanical tube with no inside seam, available in Hot Finish (HFS) or Cold Drawn (CDS). |
HALF ROUND | Quite literally, half of a round bar in black mild steel, semi circle in cross section. This type of section is often used for handrails. We keep a ‘Square Edge’ that has a small upright before curving, or a ‘Feather Edge’ which is curved from one side to the other. |
UNIVERSAL BEAMS & COLUMNS | Commonly known as girders, RSJ's, steels, I Beam and H Beam, they look like a capital H and are used for support work in buildings. Both are described using their height, width and weight per metre, e.g. 178 x 102 x 19 kg/mtr. The height of a beam is larger than the width, whereas the height and width of a column is the same e.g. 203 x 203 x 46 kg/mtr. Standard lengths vary from 6mtr up to 18.2mtr but are usually sold cut to length as required. |
CHANNELS/ PFC’s | Often known as C Section or U Section due to their shape, channels are described using width and height. e.g. 150 x 75 mm. We keep 6mtr standard lengths although varying lengths up to 18 metres are available. |