AS1163 Cold-formed Structural Steel Hollow Sections

AS1163 Australia Standard for Cold-formed Structural Steel Hollow Sections

AS/NZS 1163, jointly published by Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand, is the core technical specification for cold-formed hollow structural steel sections in Australia and New Zealand. This standard applies to cold-formed, resistance-welded carbon steel hollow sections, including circular (CHS), square (SHS), and rectangular (RHS) sections, provided the products are delivered in the welded state without subsequent overall heat treatment after cold forming.

Current version: AS/NZS 1163:2016, superseding the 2009 and 1991 versions.

Common steel grades:

C250 / C250L0: Minimum yield strength 250MPa, suitable for general load structures, good economic efficiency.
C350 / C350L0: Minimum yield strength 350MPa, most commonly used, balancing strength and weldability.
C450 / C450L0: Minimum yield strength 450MPa, for high-strength applications, welding process requires attention.

Note: The suffix "L0" requires an average impact absorption energy of ≥27J at 0°C, with a single value ≥20J.

Size range:
Circular section: Outer diameter from 25.4mm to 610mm
Square/rectangular section: From 38×25mm to 600×600mm

Chemical composition comparison C250 with  C350:

Comparison with European standards:

AS/NZS 1163:
Common materials: C250, C350, C450, formed by cold bending and resistance welding, without heat treatment. The suffix L0 indicates a 0°C impact guarantee.

EN 10219: 

Common materials: S235JRH, S275J0H, S355J2H, etc., formed by cold bending and welding, without heat treatment. Suffixes J2, K2, etc., indicate impact at different temperatures.

Quality Control and Conformity Assessment:

AS1163: The 2016 version strengthens the conformity assessment requirements:

Mandatory Type Testing: Test certificates must be issued by ILAC accredited laboratories.
Factory Production Control (FPC): Manufacturers must establish and maintain an effective quality control system.
Traceability: Each section must have a permanent identification mark.
Test Items: Tensile test, impact test (if applicable), flattening test, etc.