Why to use hollow sections in construction projects

In practical applications, round steel pipe and square steel pipe are often seen as one of important building materials in the construction trade. When it comes to construction projects, steel tubes are used in many building types from small storage units to skyscrapers in big cities. For example, they are used to create the foundation of large buildings as well as other framework. In addition, rectangular steel pipe is one popular member of hollow section pipes which are metal profiles with square or rectangular tube section. Rectangular hollow sections are cold formed and welded from either hot rolled, cold rolled, pre-galvanized or stainless steel.

In the steel pipe market, hot dipped galvanized steel pipe is often the top choice for scaffolding pipe in structural applications because of its good anti-corrosion in service over time. With the layer of protection, pipes can be used in outdoor areas, and can withstand the harm from some of the environmental effects. Testing and studies have revealed that the average life expectancy for galvanized steel used as a typical structure material is well beyond 50 years in a rural environment and 20-25 years or more in an extreme urban or coastal setting. Furthermore, unlike other structural steel materials, galvanized steel is immediately ready for use when it is delivered. No additional preparation of the surface is required, no time-consuming inspections, additional painting or coatings are needed. Once the structure is assembled, contractors can immediately begin the next stage of construction without having to worry about the galvanized steel materials.

So far, China hollow section tubes play an active role in the current steel pipe market. Every year, lots of customers from different countries come to Tianjin to seek for their desired steel pipes. Generally speaking, structural steel pipe is considered an environment friendly building material in construction industry, which has been widely used for frame scaffolding often seen on construction sites worldwide. Although the steel pipe price is not so stable in the market, this is still comparatively lower than the ready-mix concrete prices in the same period. Also, some structural steel members, such as I-beams, have high second moments of area, which allow them to be very stiff in respect to their cross-sectional area. In addition, hollow structural sections offer advantages of corrosion protection in applications. Some hollow sections have rounded corners resulting in a better protection than that with sharp corners. This is especially true for the joints in circular hollow sections where there is a smooth transition from one section to another. Meanwhile, this better protection increases the protection period of coatings against corrosion.