Engineering properties of structural steel The engineering, or mechanical, properties of structural steel are important for engineers and

architectural engineers to understand, especially when the structural steel is used in building construction. Structural steels are commonly subject to loads, temperature changes and other conditions that can deform the material; thus, engineers must know the mechanical properties and at what point the material is no longer functional.

Yield Strength Tensile Strength Elasticity

 The yield strength measures the minimum force that creates permanent deformation in the structural steel. Since this measurement is fairly easy to take, yield strength is a common parameter seen in structural steel specifications. Yield strength is tested by determining the offset of the curve of the deformation from a straight reference line. When the permanent deformation occurs, this means the structural steel's atomic and crystalline structure has changed. The measurement can be plotted on a Stress-Strain Diagram that shows the intersection of the stressstrain curve and the straight-line reference. A typical offset for structural steel is 0.2 percent.

 Tensile strength measures the value of how much stretching, or pulling lengthwise, a piece of structural steel can manage before it breaks or is permanently deformed. This permanent deformation is called its fracture point. This value is determined by dividing the area or cross section of the structural steel by the amount of stress applied to the material. The unit of measurement is expressed in pounds per square inch. Structural steel has a high tensile strength when compared to other materials such as concrete, so it makes an excellent construction material. The tensile strength of structural steel is also one of the most common properties measured.

 Elasticity measures the maximum limit that the structural material can deform before being destroyed beyond practical use and then recovers or returns to a functional position. This limit is measured at the point of deformation. In order for the structural material to pass an elasticity test, any permanent deformation resulting from the outside stress must render the material still functional for its intended use. If a piece of structural steel is damaged beyond its elastic limit, even if it shows no signs of destruction, it still may have hidden permanent damage that compromises the integrity of the material. The unit of measurement for this mechanical property is called Young's modulus of elasticity, named after Thomas Young, a 19th century scientist from Britain, and is expressed in pounds per square inch.

Behavior of steel in different level of load:

Behavior of High Strength Structural Steel at Elevated Temperatures The yield strength and elastic modulus of the high strength steel and mild steel test results at elevated temperatures have been compared. It is shown that the reduction factors of yield strength and elastic modulus of high strength steel and mild steel are quite similar for the temperatures ranging from 22 to 540C, but this is not the case for temperatures greater than 540C.

 STRUCTURAL STEEL TO RESIST BLAST AND PROGRESSIVE COLLAPSE Explosive loading incidents have become a serious problem that must be addressed quite frequently. M any buildings that could be loaded by explosive incidents are moment resistant steel frame structures, and their behavior under blast loads is of great interest. Besides the immediate and localized blast effects, one must consider the serious consequences associated with progressive collapse that could affect people and property in an entire building.

Progressive collapse occurs when a structure has its loading pattern, or boundary conditions, changed such that structural elements are loaded beyond their capacity and fail.The residual structure is forced to seek alternative load paths to redistribute the load applied to it. As a result, other elements may fail, causing further load redistribution. The process will continue until the structure can find equilibrium either by shedding load, as a by-product of other elements failing, or by finding stable alternative load paths. In the past, structures designed to withstand normal load conditions were over designed, and have usually been capable of tolerating some abnormal loads.