ABSTRACT
A variety of steel types are used to produce these structural shapes, plates and other components depending on the intended use and other factors such as the importance of cost, the weight of the structure and corrosion resistance. The properties of steel products result from a combination of the chemical composition, the manufacturing processes and the heat treatment. The properties most commonly used as a basis for specification and design are the specified minimum yield stress (yield point or yield strength) and the specified minimum tensile strength (or ultimate strength), both obtained from tensile tests on small representative specimens of the steel (see below). Other properties also required are ductility, weldability, and fracture toughness (or notch ductility) although these requirements are often not explicitly stated. The steels most commonly used are:
• carbon steels
• high-strength low-alloy steels
• corrosion resistant, high-strength low-alloy steels
• quenched and tempered alloy steels
The elastic modulus is virtually the same for each of these types of steel, but their yield stress and ultimate strength vary widely. The range of strengths for each of these types of steel is shown along with the typical products and uses in Table 44.1.
