Almost every industry has a use for tubular steel, which makes it one of the most versatile materials available. For many applications, there is no alternative material that has the same combination of lightweight and strength.
Tubular steel comes in several forms, but what they all have in common is they are hollow inside. Round tubular steel is more commonly known as steel pipes. Square and rectangular tubular steel are used to manufacture a variety of equipment.
Here are just a few of the common uses of tubular steel.
Construction
A highly visible use of tubular steel in the construction industry is scaffolding, where tubes have stability and resist impact. When the life of workers depends on strong and reliable scaffolding, tubular steel is the trusted material.
Tubular steel is also used in frames that support beams and junctions. These enable the construction of very tall buildings.
Energy
The gas and oil industries rely on tubular steel to create hundreds of miles of pipe to transport oil and gas. These pipes must survive extreme weather and heat without corroding. Pipes under the sea are coated to protect them from the corrosive effect of salt water.
Steel pipes transmit the steam required for the nuclear energy process. Strong tubular steel is used as part of the safe and reliable production of electricity from nuclear sources.
Renewable energies including wind power, heat pumps, and wave power use tubular steel as part of their construction.
Transport
Most vehicles have some parts made from tubular steel, such as the pipes that transmit fuel and exhaust gases. Gases in petrol and diesel engines are highly corrosive, so the steel pipes are treated to make them chemical resistant.
Most aeroplanes use tubular steel for fuel pipes.
Material handling and storage
Storage areas need shelving and racks that support heavy loads. Tubular steel is perfect for storage equipment as it withstands stress from all angles. Well-designed tubular steel shelving will last a long time.
Even businesses with an eye on automation still rely on humans and handling equipment. Forklift trucks have tubular steel components, and the forklift cages that provide protection use tubular steel. Manual handling equipment such as trolleys and picking tables are constructed from tubular steel.
Packing and dispatch areas need strong reliable tables made from tubular steel.
Why tubular steel?
Why do these and many more industries rely on tubular steel? It is partly because it has a high tensile strength and is not easily broken. Tubular steel resists both external and internal stress.
Tubular steel is shock resistant and will not break when subject to sudden shocks. It can be used in high-traffic motorway bridges that are subject to shock from large heavy lorries. Tubular steel can help make a building earthquake proof.
Equipment made from tubular steel can be constructed quickly. Creating one-off bespoke equipment is also quick and very cost effective, and suitably coated tubular steel resists corrosion.
Tubular steel is not expensive, which is another reason why it is the versatile material of choice for so many industries.
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