All You Need to Know about S235 Grade Steel
23 February 2022
As anyone who has previously looked to buy steel online can tell you, there are a wide variety of different steel grades available to choose from, all of which possess qualities that could benefit your project. One of the most commonly chosen hot-rolled or cold-formed steel grades is S235, which is often used for a wide range of industrial and construction projects.
The steel fabricators that you can order from via Buy A Beam commonly use S235 steel, so if you’re interested in purchasing fabricated steel products manufactured from this grade, continue reading this blog post from our steel fabrication experts.
What is S235 Steel?
Unless you regularly work with steel, you probably won’t know exactly what this definition means. If you choose to order products crafted from S235 steel, you’ll be reaping the benefits of using a low carbon manganese steel grade. The substances that S235 steel is made from make it particularly suitable for welding, as it reacts well to being worked with and has excellent impact resistance.
If you’re curious why this steel grade is referred to as S235, it’s because the code summarises the properties of the material, making it easily identifiable. The letter “S” indicates that this is a structural steel, and “235” refers to the material's yield stress when at its nominal thickness of 16mm.
How Strong is S235 Steel?
One of the most notable traits of steel is its excellent strength-to-weight ratio, so it’s essential to know how strong a steel grade is before you buy items that it's used to manufacture, especially if you’re working on a construction project.
When trying to understand the strength of a structural steel grade, you need to measure two things: the yield strength and tensile strength of the steel. If you’re not sure what these terms mean or how to measure them, here is all of the information you need:
Yield Strength
Yield Strength measures the minimum force needed to create a permanent deformation on the material's surface. Unless the steel meets the minimum yield strength indicated by the European Standard EN10025, it can’t be classified as S235 steel.
| Structural Steel at 16mm | ksi | N/mm² (MPa) |
|---|---|---|
| S235 | 33000 ksi | 235 N/mm² |
Tensile Strength
Tensile Strength measures the amount of force required to permanently deform steel when it’s stretched or pulled along its length.
| Structural Steel Grade | Tensile Strength MPa at Nominal thickness between 3mm and 16mm |
|---|---|
| S235 | 360 - 510 MPa |
When requesting steel fabrication services from one of the highly skilled online steel suppliers available through Buy A Beam, you can rest assured that their S235 steel has been thoroughly tested to match these requirements.
The Chemical Composition of S235 Steel
This steel grade is made from a combination of substances. These substances define the exact trait of any item that it is used to manufacture, so the chemical composition of the metal must be highly regulated. The following percentages are the maximum amount of each substance that can be present in S235 grade steel:
| EU Grade | Carbon % | Magnesium % | Potassium % | Sulphur % | Silicon % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S235 | 0.22 max | 1.60 max | 0.05 max | 0.05 max | 0.05 max |
Popular Uses for S235 Steel
Structural steel is widely used in construction projects across the UK, thanks to its reliability and strength when put under pressure by heavy loads. If you decide that S235 is the grade of structural steel that you require for your project, you can rest assured knowing that the structural steel fabricators and suppliers available through Buy A Beam can provide what you’re looking for.
The fabricated S235 steel sections you can order from our professional suppliers include:
- Box Sections
- Steel Plates
- Rectangular Box Sections
- Steel Tubes
- Universal Beams
Buying S235 Grade Steel Products Online
If you’re satisfied that S235 steel is a suitable grade for your project (complete with UKCA or CE marking), find your nearest steel fabrication companies by visiting the Buy A Beam online shop today.
Use our built-in, free steel beam calculator to understand what you need to purchase before ordering steel online at any time of day or night.
If you have any queries or want help navigating our online store, contact Buy A Beam today for more information.