EN 10219 S235JRH Steel Pipe: Properties, Composition & Applications

EN 10219 S235JRH steel pipe is a mainstream structural cold-formed welded steel pipe under European standards, widely used in construction, machinery manufacturing, and infrastructure. It is defined by two core parts: EN 10219 is the manufacturing standard for the pipe, and S235JRH is the steel grade. This page covers what S235JRH is, its material properties, composition, available sizes, and typical applications.

Standard and Material Explanation

● EN 10219

This is a technical specification developed by the European Union for welded cold-formed hollow profiles (such as square and rectangular tubes) of non-alloy and fine-grained structural steel. It strictly specifies the requirements for pipe manufacturing processes, dimensional tolerances, mechanical properties, chemical composition, and surface quality, ensuring high consistency and reliability, and is particularly suitable for projects with high structural safety requirements.

● S235JRH 

This is the steel material grade, with the following meanings:

Symbol	Meaning
S	Structural Steel
235	Minimum yield strength 235 MPa (for wall thickness ≤ 16 mm). This means it can withstand medium-strength loads and is suitable for general load-bearing structures.
JR	Impact energy ≥ 27 J at room temperature (+20°C). This demonstrates its good toughness and ability to resist impact loads.
H	Hollow section

Note: The "H" suffix is used in both EN 10219 and EN 10210 to denote hollow sections. The difference lies in the manufacturing process: EN 10219 covers cold-formed sections, while EN 10210 covers hot-formed sections.

Chemical Composition & Mechanical Properties

The following tables summarize the chemical composition and mechanical properties of S235JRH under EN 10219.

Chemical Composition of S235JRH (max, %)

Mechanical Properties of S235JRH

Property	Value
Yield Strength (ReH), Thk ≤ 16 mm	≥ 235 MPa
Yield Strength (ReH), 16 < Thk ≤ 40 mm	≥ 225 MPa
Tensile Strength (Rm)	360 – 510 MPa
Elongation (A) min	≥26% (thin wall); ≥24% (thick wall, t > 63 mm)
Impact Energy (KV) at +20°C	≥ 27 J

S235 Impact Grade Comparison: JR vs J0 vs J2 vs K2

Within the S235 strength level, EN 10219 offers different impact toughness grades. The choice depends on the minimum service temperature and required impact energy:

Grade	Impact Test Temp.	Min. Impact Energy	Key Characteristics & Typical Use
S235JRH	+20°C	27 J	General structural applications, indoor use, normal temperature environments.
S235J0H	0°C	27 J	Outdoor structures in temperate regions, general construction.
S235J2H	-20°C	27 J	Cold regions, winter construction, low-temperature environments.
S235K2H	—	—	Not specified in EN 10219 for S235. K2 grade is only available for S355 under this standard.

Selection Guide: S235J2H should be selected for projects located in cold regions or involving winter construction; for ambient-temperature applications, S235JRH is sufficient to meet requirements and is more cost-effective.

Advantages of S235JRH Steel Pipe

1. High strength and good toughness

S235JRH possesses excellent comprehensive mechanical properties: yield strength ≥ 235 MPa, tensile strength 360-510 MPa, and elongation ≥ 24%. This material exhibits stable impact toughness (≥ 27 J) at room temperature (+20°C), meeting the safety standards of most building and mechanical structures.

If your project involves low-temperature environments (e.g., -20°C), please consult us to select the S235J2H grade. We can provide you with matching low-temperature impact performance data and material certification.

2. Excellent Welding and Machining Performance

Due to its low carbon content (carbon ≤ 0.17%) and reasonable chemical composition control, S235JRH steel has excellent weldability. Welds are less prone to cracking, making it suitable for various conventional welding processes without the need for complex preheating and post-weld heat treatment. It is also easy to perform secondary processing such as cutting, drilling, stamping, and cold bending, flexibly adapting to various design requirements.

3. High Dimensional Accuracy
As a cold-formed pipe, it has a regular shape (e.g., square, rectangular), uniform wall thickness, good surface quality, and strict dimensional tolerance control, facilitating installation and assembly.

Common Specification Range

EN 10219 S235JRH steel pipes are available in three forms: round tube (CHS), square tube (SHS), and rectangular tube (RHS), covering a very wide range of sizes to meet different engineering needs.

1. Round Tube
Outer Diameter Range: Typically from 21.3 mm to 2500 mm or even larger. Common small sizes include 33.7mm, 48.3mm, 60.3mm, and 88.9mm, while larger sizes are used for structural columns or pipe piles.

2. Square and Rectangular Tubes
This is the most commonly used form, with dimensions determined by side length and wall thickness.

● Common side lengths for square tubes: 
From smaller sizes like 20×20 mm, 25×25 mm, and 40×40 mm, to medium sizes like 50×50 mm, 60×60 mm, 80×80 mm, and 100×100 mm, and then to large sizes like 150×150 mm, 200×200 mm, and 250×250 mm, even reaching 400×400 mm.

● Common side lengths of rectangular tubes:
For example, 50×30 mm, 60×40 mm, 80×40 mm, 100×50 mm, 100×60 mm, 120×80 mm, 150×100 mm, 200×100 mm, 300×200 mm, etc.

Wall thickness range: Generally between 1.5 mm and 40 mm. Common wall thicknesses include 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.0 mm, 4.0 mm, 5.0 mm, 6.0 mm, 8.0 mm, 10.0 mm, etc.

Length: Standard supply lengths are usually 6 meters or 12 meters, but other lengths can be customized according to customer requirements.

▶ For detailed S235JRH square hollow section sizes and weight chart, see: [EN 10219 S235JRH Square Hollow Section Specification].

Applications

S235JRH steel pipes, due to their excellent performance and diverse specifications, are widely used in various structural engineering projects:

1. Building Structures: Used for constructing beams, columns, and trusses in steel structure buildings; steel structure workshops; bridge supports; and frames and support systems for high-rise buildings.
2. Machinery Manufacturing: Suitable for structural frames and load-bearing supports in machinery and equipment, agricultural machinery, vehicle chassis, crane booms, and conveyor systems.
3. Energy and Transportation: Used in power transmission towers, transport vehicles, and offshore wind power foundation piles.
4. Renewable Energy: Also widely used in projects such as solar photovoltaic supports and the internal structures of wind turbine towers.
5. Municipal and Infrastructure: Such as bridge structures, temporary supports, fences, and light poles.

What are the differences between S235JRH and S355J2H? How to choose?

The main differences between the two lie in their strength grades and low-temperature performance:

Aspect	S235JRH	S355J2H
Yield Strength (≤16 mm)	235 MPa	355 MPa
Impact Temperature	+20°C	-20°C
Typical Application	General structures, normal temperature	High-load, cold regions, dynamic loads
Cost	Lower	15–20% higher

Selection recommendation: S235JRH is sufficient for general construction; S355J2H is recommended for important load-bearing applications, large spans, and low-temperature environments. ▶ For a full comparison, see: [S235JRH vs. S355J2H Structural Steel].

Inspection & Testing

EN 10219-1 specifies the following tests for S235JRH hollow sections:

● Tensile test
● Charpy V-notch impact test (at +20°C for JR)
● Flattening test
● Flaring test
● Non-destructive testing (NDT) of welds, if required

We provide EN 10204 3.1 material certificates for each batch. Third-party inspection (SGS, BV) is available on request.

FAQs

Q1: What is the difference between S235JRH and S235J2H?
A: S235JRH guarantees impact energy ≥27 J at +20°C. S235J2H guarantees the same at -20°C. For cold regions or winter construction, choose S235J2H.

Q2: Is S235JRH weldable? Does it require preheating?
A: Yes. With carbon content ≤0.17%, S235JRH has excellent weldability. Preheating is generally not required for thin to medium walls. For thick walls or low-temperature welding, follow the relevant welding procedure.

Q3: Can S235JRH be used at low temperatures?
A: S235JRH is only guaranteed for +20°C impact. For service temperatures down to -20°C, choose S235J2H.

Related Resources
●  EN 10219 vs EN 10210 
●  S235JRH and S355J2H Structural Steel

●  Square Tube Weight Calculation Formula

●  EN 10219 S355J2H SHS & RHS Tube Sizes & Weight

●  EN 10219 S355JRH Structural Pipe: Grade Selection & Comparison