STEEL

Steel: uses of steel in building construction

types –market forms
 STEEL
• Metals are widely used in construction field.
• Out of the various metals iron is the most popular one
• Based on the carbon content in iron, it can be classified into 3 as
Carbon Content in Iron
Wrought iron Does not exceed 0.15%
Steel Below 0.25% to 1.50% maxi
Cast-iron (pig iron) 2 to 4%

• Based on the carbon content in steel, it can be classified into 3 as

Name of steel Carbon Content in Steel
Very low carbon steel(dead steel) < 0.1%
Mild steel Up to 0.25 %
Medium carbon Steel 0.25 – 0.7 %
High carbon Steel (hard steel) 0.7 – 1.5%
 NOTE 1
• Dividing line of cast-iron & steel is the presence of free graphite
• If carbon content > 1.5%, it does not combine with iron & it is present
as free graphite
• If there is no free graphite in the composition of a material, it is said to
be steel
• On the other hand, the presence of free graphite indicate that the
material is cast-iron

NOTE 2
• If a drop of nitric acid is placed on steel, it will produce a dark grey
strain due to the presence of higher carbon content
• If the same procedure is carried out on wrought-iron, the strain will
not be appreciable
• Thus a mild steel & wrought iron can be easily distinguished
 Uses of Steel
• Cast iron is granular and can take up only compressive stress and
hence it is use is compressive members.
• Wrought iron is fibrous in nature and it is suitable to resist tensile
stresses.
• Steel is strong in compression and tension hence it is suitable for all
construction works
• Steels are highly elastic, ductile , malleable and weldable
• They can be hardened and tempered and are fusible at a low
temperature than wrought iron
• They retain magnetic properties as iron
Fractured
Cast Iron

Fractured
Wrought Iron
 Types of Steel Properties Uses
Mild Steel Soft and malleable steel is For making motor
used for rolling into thin body, sheet metal,
sheets boiler plates, tin plates,
structural steel etc
Medium Carbon Very soft and ductile steel For making springs,
Steel used for drawing into tyres, stamping and
wires pressing dies, rails

High Carbon Very hard and brittle steel For making chisels,
Steel used for making tools hammers, saw, smithy
tools, stone mason’s
tool, axes, drills,
knives
 Properties of mild steel & hard steel
Mild Steel Hard Steel
Tougher & elastic than wrought Tougher & elastic than mild steel
iron
Can be readily forged & welded Cannot be readily forged & welded
Cannot be easily hardened & Can be easily hardened &
tempered tempered
It has fibrous structure It has granular structure
Melting point 1400 C Melting point 1300 C
Specific gravity 7.80 Specific gravity 7.90
Can be magnetised permanently
Not easily attacked by salt water
It rusts easily and rapidly
 Market forms of steel
• Following are the standard shapes in which the steel sections are
available in the market:
(1) Angle sections
(2) Channel sections
(3) I- sections
(4) T- sections
(5) Round bars
(6) Square bars
(7) Corrugated sheets
(8) Expanded metal
(9) Flat bars
(10) Plates
(11) Ribbed tor steel bars
1. Angle sections :
• Angle sections have two legs
• If two legs are of equal length then they are known as equal angle section
and otherwise called as unequal angle section

• The equal angle sections are available in sizes varying from

20 mm x 20 mm x 3 mm to 200 mm x 200 mm x 25 mm.
• The unequal angle sections are available in sizes varying from
30 mm x 20 mm x 3 mm to 200 mm x 150 mm x 18 mm.

• Extensively used in the structural steelwork especially in the construction of

steel roof trusses and filler joist floors

100 mm x 100 mm x 90 mm x 60 mm x
10 mm 10 mm
(weight 149 N/m) (weight 110 N/m)
 bxaxc

Angle Sections
2. Channel Sections:
• The channel sections consist of a web with equal flanges
• Channel section is designated by the height of web and width of flange.
• These sections are available in sizes varying from
100 mm x 45 mm to 400 mm x 100 mm.
• The Bureau of Indian Standards has classified channel sections as
– ISJC - Indian Standard Junior Channel
– ISLC - Indian Standard Light Channel
– ISMC - Indian Standard Medium Channel
– ISSC - Indian Standard Special Channel

• The channel sections are widely used as the

structural members in steel - framed structures,
crane girders, beams & steel bridges

300 mm x 100 mm
(weight 331 N/m)
Channel Sections
3. I-Sections
• Commonly known as Rolled Steel Joist (RSJ) or beams.
• An I section consist of two flanges and a connecting web
• It is designated by
– overall depth
– width of flange and
– weigth per meter length.
• They are available in various sizes from 75mm x 50mmx at 61 N/m
to 600mm x 210mm at 995N/m.

• The Bureau of Indian Standards has classified the I-sections into

junior beams, light beams, medium beams, wide-flange beams and
heavy beams and they are accordingly designated as I.S.J.B.,
I.S.L.B., I.S.M.B., I.S.W.B. and I.S.H.B. respectively.
• RSJ are economical in material and are suitable for beams, lintels,
columns, grillage foundations etc.
• Unequal I sections with heavy weight are used as rails
I-Sections
4. T-sections
• The shape of the section is like that of letter T
• it consists of flange and web
• It is designated by overall dimensions and thickness.
• These sections are available in sizes varying from
– 20 mm x 20 mm x 3 mm to 150 mm x 150 mm x 10 mm.
• These sections are widely used as members of the steel roof
trusses and to form built-up sections.
5. Round Bars
• These are available in circular cross-sections with diameters
varying from 5 mm to 25 mm.
• They are widely used as reinforcement in concrete structures,
construction of steel grillwork, etc.
• The commonly used cross sections have diameters varying
from 5 mm to 25 mm with the corresponding weights as 1.50
N/m and 38 N/m respectively.
6. Square Bars
• These are available in square cross-section with sides varying
from 5 mm to 25 mm.
• They are widely used in the construction of steel grillwork, for
windows, gates, etc.
• Commonly used cross-sections have sides varying from 5 mm
to 25 mm with corresponding weights per meter length as 2 N
and 49N.
7. Corrugated sheets
• These are formed by passing steel sheets through grooves.
• These grooves bend and press steel sheets and corrugations are
formed on the sheets.
• These corrugated sheets are usually galvanized and they are
referred to as the galvanized iron sheets or G.I sheets.
• These sheets are widely used for roof covering.
8. Expanded Metals
• Formed by cutting and expanding either plain sheets or ribbed
sheets of mild steel.
• A diamond mesh appearance is formed through out the area
• The manufactures sheets are thus known as diamond mesh or rib
mesh.
• Diamond mesh has sizes from 30 to 150mm across the shorter
length of the mesh and is available in length 1 to 3m and width
5m
• Expanded metal is used as roads, floors, bridges, reinforcing
concrete foundations etc. It is also used as lathing material and
for partitions
Expanded
Metals
9. Flat bars
• These are available in
– widths varying from 10 mm to 400 mm
– thickness varying from 5mm to 40 mm
• They are widely used in the construction of steel grillwork for
windows and gates.
10 Plates
• The plate sections of steel are available in different sizes with
thickness varying from 5 mm to 50 mm.

• They are used mainly for the following purposes in the

structural steelwork:

(i) to connect steel beams for extension of the length

(ii) to serve as tensional members of steel roof truss and

(iii) to form built-up sections of steel

Plates
 Types reinforcing bars

• The steel bars used in reinforced cement concrete are called

reinforcing bars or rebars. These are of two types.
1. Plane steel bars:
2. Tor steel bars:

Plane steel bars:

• Round sections, which are made up of mild steel, medium
tensile steel or high tensile steel are used in reinforced cement
concrete.
• But the present trend in India is to go for tor steel
bars.
• Plane steel bars are available from 5mm to
32 mm for reinforcing purpose.
 Ribbed-tor steel bars
• These bars are produced from the ribbed-tor steel which is a
deformed high strength steel.

• These bars have ribs or projections on their surface and they are
produced by controlled cold twisting of hot-rolled bars.

• Each bar is to be twisted individually and it is tested to confirm

the standard requirements.

• The ribbed-tor steel bars are available in sizes varying from 6

mm 50mm diameter, with the corresponding weights as 2.22 N/m
and 154.10 N/m.
Ribbed-tor steel bars
• These bars are widely used as reinforcement a concrete structures
such as buildings, bridges, docks and harbor structure, roads,
irrigation works, pile foundations, pre-cast concrete works, etc.
• Following are the advantages of the ribbed-tor steel bars
1. It is possible to bend these bars through 180 without formation
of any cracks or fractures on their outside surface.

2. It is possible to weld certain type of ribbed-tor steel bars by

electric flash, butt welding or arc welding.

3. There is overall reduction in reinforcement cost to the extent of

about 30 to 40% when these bars are used.

4. These bars are easily identified as they have got peculiar shape.
5. These bars possess better structural properties than ordinary plain
round bars. It is therefore possible to design with higher stresses.

6. These bars possess excellent bonding properties and hence the end
hooks are not required.

7. They can be used for all major types of reinforced concrete

structures.

8. They serve as efficient and economical concrete reinforcement.

9. When these bars are used, the processes of bending, fixing and
handling are simplified to a great extent. It results into less labour
charges.
 Type of steel Yield stress

Mild steel (Plain bars) 250 Mpa

High Yield Strength Steel 415 Mpa

(Cold twisted 500 Mpa

deformed bars)