ASTM A500 Pipe

ASTM A500 - Standard specification for cold-formed welded and seamless carbon steel structural tubing in round, square tube and rectangular tube shapes.

ASTM A500 steel pipes can be subjected to most of the usual fabricating operations. Ductility is good. It bends well, flattens, cuts, punches, flares and flanges easily, and can be welded by the commonly-used techniques and practices.

Size range:

Round tube: OD:6.35~660mm WT:1.27~25.4mm
Square tube: Side length:25×25~500×500mm WT:2 mm ~ 16 mm
Rectangular tube: Side length:50×25~500×300mm WT:1.2 mm ~ 18 mm

Standard length: 6m,12m (customizable 5.8m,4m,etc.)

Grade classification:

ASTM A500 steel tube is divided into four grades: A,B,C,D according to mechanical properties. Different grades are suitable for structural requirements of different strengths:

Grade	Yield strength (MPa)	Tensile strength (MPa)	Elongation (%)	Typical use
Grade A	≥228	≥310	≥25	Light structure, general building frame
Grade B	≥290	≥400	≥23	Building, mechanical support (most commonly used)
Grade C	≥317	≥427	≥21	Heavy structures, bridges
Grade D	≥250	≥400	≥23	Round tubes requiring heat treatment

- Grade A: Low carbon content, with certain strength requirements, suitable for some general structural uses that do not require particularly high strength.
- Grade B: Compared with Grade A, the strength is improved, and it can be used for structural parts with higher strength requirements.
- Grade C: High carbon content, high strength, durability and good toughness, suitable for structures with large loads.
- Grade D: Higher carbon content, heat treatment is required to meet higher strength and toughness requirements, usually used in structural parts with strict material performance requirements. For square and rectangular tubes, the yield strength requirements of each grade are higher than those of round tubes.

Grade selection suggestions:
Grade B: It is the most commonly used grade, suitable for most buildings and mechanical structures.
Grade C: Suitable for high-load structures such as bridges and heavy equipment supports.
Grade D; Mainly used for round tubes that require heat treatment to improve strength and toughness.

ASTM A500 Grade B:
Applications: frames, roll cages, truck racks, trailers, railings, etc.
Workability: Easy to Weld, Cut, Form and Machine
Mechanical Properties: Brinell = 63, Tensile = 58,000 +/-,  Yield = 46,000 +/-

Sizes

Pipe Size	OD (inches)	Schedule 10	Standard	Schedule 40	XH	Schedule 80
¾”	1.05
1”	1.315
1 ¼”	1.66
1 ½”	1.9
2”	2.375
2 ½”	2.875
3”	3.5
3 ½”	4
4”	4.5
5”	5.563
6”	6.625
8”	8.625
10”	10.75
12”	12.75
14”	14
16”	16
18”	18
20”	20	Available in schedules 10, 20 and 30.

Typical chemical composition:

	Grade B	Grade C
Carbon, Max %	0.260	0.230
Manganese, Max %	----	1.350
Phosphorus, Max %	0.035	0.035
Sulphur, Max %	0.035	0.035
Copper, when copper steel is specified, Min %	0.200	0.200

Typical mechanical properties:

	Grade B	Grade C
Tensile Strength, Min psi	58,000	62,000
Yield Strength, Min psi	46,000	50,000
Elongation in 2” Min	23%*	21%**
*.180” wall and over
**.120” wall and over

Difference:

ASTM A500 round tube, ASTM A500 square tube and ASTM A500 rectangular tube are not different in terms of material and performance, most of which are differences in cross-sectional shape and use.

1. Square pipes are mostly used in the construction and machinery manufacturing industries.
2. Rectangular tube is widely used as a pipeline for transporting fluids and manufacturing mechanical parts and engineering structures, firearms and cannons.
3. Compared with the round tube, the square tube has high compressive strength, low weight, and a wide range of applications.

Manufacturing process:
It can be produced by seamless process or cold forming welding (ERW) process.

Testing requirements: Including tensile test, bending test, etc., and some applications require impact toughness test.
Chemical composition: The content range of elements such as carbon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, copper, etc. is specified to ensure that the performance of steel meets the requirements of the corresponding grade.

Marking and packaging:
It is required that the production, steel grade, specification, batch number and other information should be marked on the pipe for easy traceability and management. The packaging should be able to protect the pipe from damage and corrosion during transportation and storage.

Typical applications:
Building structure: high-rise building frame, steel structure factory building.
Bridge engineering: support structure, truss assembly.
Machinery manufacturing: engineering machinery frame, conveying equipment.
Infrastructure: tunnel support, transportation facilities.

ASTM A500 is the core standard for structural carbon steel pipes, suitable for load-bearing structures such as buildings and bridges. Its cold forming process and graded strength design make it widely used in the engineering field.