A500 Steel Properties Full Analysis- A500 Steel Grade B/C Properties

Why is A500 Steel Important in Construction and Engineering?

A500 structural steel is a cold-formed carbon steel certified by ASTM international standards. It is widely used in various industries due to its excellent performance and high cost-effectiveness, such as building frames, bridge construction, etc. According to statistics, about 60% of steel structures in the world use A500 Grade B and above steel, and the side surface A500 has been highly recognized by the market. For engineers and purchasers, a deep understanding of the chemical composition, mechanical properties and grade differences of A500 structural steel is critical for optimizing design and controlling costs.

Chemical Composition and Process of A500 Steel

Chemical composition analysis

According to the ASTM A500 standard, the main element ratio of A500 steel is (taking Grade B as an example)
Carbon (C): ≤0.26%
In order to ensure welding performance, the carbon content is controlled below 0.26%. The more carbon content, the more brittle the material.
Manganese (Mn): ≤1.35%
Manganese is mainly used to improve the hardenability and strength of steel.
Phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S): ≤0.04%
In order to reduce the cold brittleness during welding, it must be controlled below 0.04%.

Influence of manufacturing process

Cold forming process: Forming by rolling or bending, etc., retaining higher precision, this method can also improve the strength of the material.
Hot rolling process: Improve the ductility of steel, more conducive to processing and forming, but may reduce the yield strength by 5%-10%.

A500 Steel Tensile Strength and Yield Strength

Ductility and weldability

Elongation: After experimental measurement, the elongation of Grade B within a 2-inch gauge length is ≥23%, which is significantly better than A36 steel (≥21%).
‌Welding process: It is recommended to use low-hydrogen electrodes, such as E7018 electrodes. And the temperature must be at least 150 degrees to avoid the risk of cold cracks.

A500 vs A36 Steel

Conclusion: The strength of A500 has increased by 15%, while the cost has only increased by 8%, making it suitable for load-bearing structures.

A500 vs 304 stainless steel

Corrosion resistance: In terms of corrosion resistance, 304 performs very well and is far ahead. In a humid environment, its life is 3-5 times that of A500, but the purchase cost is 220% higher.
Economic choice: If in a dry environment, A500 is galvanized, although the corrosion resistance is sacrificed to a certain extent, the overall cost can be reduced by 65%

Building Structure

30 Hudson Yards, New York‌: A diagrid exoskeleton constructed with A500 Grade C reduces steel usage by 15%.
Seismic design advantage‌: The yield strength ratio (yield strength/tensile strength) of Grade B is ≤0.8, which meets the seismic energy dissipation requirements of the IBC specification.

Transportation Infrastructure

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge‌: A500 Grade D is used for truss nodes, withstanding 200 km/h wind loads.