HSS Insider – Mar. 2025 – Steel Tube Specifications

March 2025 | Issue #33

Simplify your HSS design process with these essential resources. Check out Steel Tube Specifications: Side-by-Side Reference Table, HSS Capability Tool How-To Video, and the HSS Effective Weld Length Calculator – all in the latest issue of HSS Insider.

Steel Tube Specifications: Side-by-Side Reference Table

Easily access technical specifications for tubular members – both HSS and non-HSS material in this newly released table. This resource provides essential details, including dimensional properties, yield strengths, tolerances, and more. Designed to simplify the material selection process, it empowers fabricators and designers to choose the appropriate HSS material for structural projects confidently.

Find Your HSS Sizes in Minutes: HSS Capability Tool How-To Video

Watch this quick video to see how easy it is to search your HSS sizes using STI’s free HSS Capability Tool. Simply input your shape, dimensions and material to instantly find producers who regularly or on-demand provide the sizes you need. Sizes include:

• Squares 1″ to 50″
• Rectangles 1.5″x1″ to 60″x48″
• Rounds 0.84″ to 28″

HSS Effective Weld Length Calculator

Calculate the effective weld length for connections to HSS columns and chords, taking into account the nonuniform loading of the branch weld perimeter on the HSS chord face. Connections include transverse plate T- and cross-connections; rectangular and round HSS T-, Y- and cross-connections; and overlapped and gapped K-connections. This calculator is available with the HSS Professional Membership.

Webinar Series

Mastering HSS Connections: Understanding HSS Limit States

STI’s new webinar series, Mastering HSS Connections, launches the first installment with an in-depth exploration of the unique mechanics of HSS limit states. The April 23 webinar will cover the differences between wide flange and HSS failure behaviors, the role of yield-line theory in plastification check equations, and the limit states of local yielding, buckling and crippling. Engineers and fabricators will gain valuable insights to confidently design and verify HSS connections. Participants can earn 1.0 PDH upon completion.

Related Resources

Understanding HSS Material Specifications: Which ASTM Should I Specify for HSS?

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has more than 100 Specifications that apply to pipe and tubular products. This article and handy table will clarify the intent of several ASTM specifications, including A500, A513, A1065 and A1085 and how they do or do not apply to HSS.

ASTM Specification: An Interview With Kim Olson

Dive into STI’s interview with Kim Olson of Nucor, where she shares her expertise in HSS design and ASTM specifications. She provides valuable insights into ASTM A500, discussing grades, substitutions and tolerances of ASTM A500.