Articles

by Jeffrey A. Packer Bahen/Tanenbaum Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Tubular steel sections are commonly used as cantilevered structural members to support electricity distribution lines, cellular phone equipment, road and highway signs, lighting and luminaires, traffic signals, advertising boards, and in a host of similar monopole applications (Figure 1). The structural Read more…

Mustafa Mahamid, PhD, SE, PE, P.Eng, F.ASCE, F.SEI FORSE Consulting Technical Consultant to the Steel Tube Institute Hollow Structural Sections (HSS) can be utilized as beam, column, brace and truss members within a structure. As with any steel member, the design of the connections is critical to the performance of the member and the entire Read more…

Mike Manor, PE, MLSE FORSE Consulting Technical Consultant to the Steel Tube Institute Introduction Hollow structural sections (HSS) are commonly used in buildings as columns to support compression forces from floor and roof loads. HSS members start as a hot-rolled steel plate which is then cold-formed into round, square or rectangular tube shapes with the Read more…

by Jeffrey A. Packer Bahen/Tanenbaum Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Single-story frames can be fabricated by welding round or square/rectangular HSS together, typically with a pitched roof, forming so-called Knee connections as illustrated in Figure 1. Such frames are used in light construction, such as with greenhouses, and as portal frames Read more…

Cathleen Jacinto, PE, SE FORSE Consulting, Technical Consultants to the Steel Tube Institute Last month’s article (AESS e-news) started a conversation on how to effectively use hollow structural sections (HSS) as architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS). This month we wanted to expand on a few topics we received questions on through our Contact Us page. Read more…

Cathleen Jacinto, PE, SE FORSE Consulting, Technical Consultants to the Steel Tube Institute Architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) is steel used for its strength and load-resisting function in a structure and remains exposed to view. Since this steel can be highly visible, special requirements and treatment for this metalwork is needed to meet the intent Read more…