Material Analysis of Steel Structure Products​

Material selection plays a key role in designing and manufacturing steel structures. It affects performance, cost, and application. Different steels differ in mechanical properties, environmental adaptability, and processing difficulty. Accurately matching materials to scenarios ensures a balance between safety and economy.

Weathering steel

The emergence of weathering steel provides a new choice for outdoor steel structures. This steel forms a dense oxide layer with alloying elements like chromium, nickel, and copper. Its corrosion resistance is 5-8 times greater than ordinary steel. For example, 09CuPCrNi-A weathering steel can cut coating maintenance costs by over 50% in open-air settings like bridges and containers. It is ideal for highly corrosive environments, such as high-humidity and coastal areas. However, its high material cost makes it more suitable for projects that are used for a long time and are difficult to maintain.​

In recent years, the research and development of high-performance steel have been promoting the lightweight process of steel structures. Ultra-high-strength steels like Q690D have a yield strength above 690MPa. They can reduce material consumption by over 30% under the same load and significantly lower structural weight. By combining with the cold bending forming process, light steel materials enable factory prefabrication and on-site rapid assembly in prefabricated buildings, increasing construction efficiency by more than 50%. However, high-strength steel requires more demanding welding processes, necessitating the use of low-hydrogen electrodes and strict control of the preheating temperature to avoid welding cracks.

When selecting materials, one needs to comprehensively consider multiple factors: for structures with dynamic loads, such as bridges, the focus should be on fatigue strength, and one can select Q345qC for its excellent welding performance; In corrosive environments, such as chemical workshops, one prefers weathering steel or galvanized Q235; for temporary buildings, one can choose ordinary carbon steel due to its lower cost. With the development of material technology, steel structure products are evolving towards high strength, corrosion resistance, and easy processing, providing more innovative possibilities for modern engineering structures.