ERW Structural Pipe, ERW Structural Welded Pipe

In steel structure engineering, welded pipes are widely used. Its high strength, stability and good plasticity make it an ideal choice for building scaffolding, steel structure frames, bridge support structures and large-scale building facilities.

What is ERW structural pipe?

ERW structural pipes are steel pipes formed by curling steel plates or steel strips and firmly welding the seams together using advanced high-frequency welding technology. ERW steel pipes have significant advantages in steel structure applications, especially in terms of cost, production efficiency, precision and applicability.

Advantages of ERW steel pipes for steel structures:

1. High production efficiency and obvious cost advantages

a. Continuous forming process: ERW adopts high-frequency resistance welding technology, which can achieve high-speed continuous production, which is much higher than spiral welded pipes or straight seam submerged arc welded pipes (LSAW), and is suitable for large-volume orders.

b. High material utilization rate: Using hot-rolled steel strip coils as raw materials, reducing waste of scraps, and the production cost is 30%~50% lower than that of seamless steel pipes.
c. Energy saving and environmental protection: The welding process does not require welding wire and flux, and the energy consumption is low, which is in line with the trend of green buildings.

2. High dimensional accuracy and good surface quality

a. Strict tolerance control: The diameter and wall thickness tolerances of ERW steel pipes are small (such as diameter tolerance ±0.5%), which is suitable for steel structure connections with high precision requirements.
b. Smooth inner wall: The weld is flat, no secondary grinding is required, and fluid resistance is reduced (such as better aesthetics when used for building curtain wall support pipes).
c. Flexible specifications: Steel pipes with diameters of Φ20mm~Φ610mm and wall thicknesses of 1.0mm~25mm can be produced, covering the needs of light to medium-sized steel structures.

3. Excellent mechanical properties

a. High weld strength: The heat-affected zone of high-frequency resistance welding is narrow, the mechanical properties are close to those of the parent material, and the tensile strength can reach more than 500MPa.
b. Good cold processing performance: ERW steel pipes are easy to cold bend, expand or flatten, and are suitable for complex steel structure shapes (such as arc trusses and space grids).
c. Good uniformity: Compared with spiral welded pipes, ERW has more uniform stress distribution and superior seismic performance.

4. Lightweight and design flexibility

a. Thin-wall applications: Thin-walled tubes (such as 1-3mm wall thickness) can be produced to reduce the weight of the structure, suitable for light steel structures (such as warehouses and gymnasium roofs).
b. Easy connection: High compatibility with flanges, bolts or sleeves, fast construction speed (compared with spiral tubes that need to be welded).

Application scenarios of typical ERW structural pipes:

Building frame: beam-column structure of office buildings and factories (mainly square tubes and rectangular tubes).
Spatial structure: grid, truss, canopy (commonly round tubes or special-shaped tubes).

Curtain wall support: stainless steel ERW tubes for decoration (the surface can be polished or plated).
Temporary structure: scaffolding, construction support (low cost, easy to disassemble).
Mechanical parts: crane arm, conveyor bracket (high precision requirements).

Precautions for the use of ERW structural pipes:

a. Anti-corrosion requirements: If used in humid or outdoor environments, galvanizing or painting is required (such as hot-dip galvanized ERW tubes with a lifespan of up to 30 years).
b. Quality control: Welds must be strictly inspected (such as ultrasonic testing) to avoid incomplete penetration or slag inclusion defects.
c. Standard specifications: Follow the standard selection of cold-bent hollow steel for structure or ASTM A500 (American standard).

Conclusion:

ERW structural pipes have become the mainstream choice for light steel structures due to their high efficiency, low cost, high precision and lightweight advantages, especially suitable for standardized and mass construction projects. For large diameter or ultra-high pressure scenarios, they still need to be used in combination with spiral welded pipes or seamless steel pipes.

Read more: Galvanized ERW pipe or Carbon Steel ERW Pipe Specification