Classification of Steels for Structures

During the past two decades, the steel industry has emphasized the development and application of higher strength steels for structures. As new metal alloys were being developed, the Column Research Council was concerned with the effect of the properties of these alloys on the stability of compression members. Because the Council could not consider the numerous higher strength steels that were being introduced, Task Group 5 was formed to suggest a classification of steels for structures that would identify the major types of steel and analyze trends of future development. As the group was collecting the necessary data, the grouping of steels according to metallurgical characteristics became simpler because the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) developed and published specifications for types of steel that had only been available as trade-marked products from individual producers. However, the Task Group shared the feeling of a number of designers, that their problem, as well as the problem of selecting steels for broad areas of structural research, would be simplified if steels could be grouped according to broad strength bands. These strength ranges are not intended to replace ASTM and similar specifications, but are suggested as a general guide for the Council and, in general, the structural engineering profession.