C shaped Steel

C-shaped steel, also known as C-channel steel or C-purlin, is primarily made by cold bending hot-rolled steel sheets. However, currently, C-shaped steel is mostly automatically formed by forming machines. These machines can automatically form C-shaped steel according to given dimensions.
Due to its high compressive strength, ability to reduce the weight of building roofs, and reduction of steel usage in construction projects, C-shaped steel is considered an economical and efficient steel material, and a new type of building material that replaces traditional steel purlins such as angle steel, channel steel, and steel pipes.

Advantages of C-shaped Steel
1. Thin Wall and Lightweight: Compared with traditional hot-rolled channel steel, it can save about 30% of steel while maintaining the same strength.
2. Excellent Cross-sectional Performance: Although the cross-sectional dimensions are compact, they are perfectly suited to the stress characteristics, maximizing the steel's efficiency.
3. Adjustable Specifications and Dimensions: Sizes can be customized according to project needs, offering high flexibility.
4. Quick and Convenient Installation: High degree of automation and diverse accessory combinations.
5. Economical and Efficient: Can reduce the weight of building roofs by more than 30%, earning it the title of "economical and efficient steel."

C-shaped Steel Classification
C-shaped steel comes in a wide variety and can be classified in several ways.
1. Classification by Surface Treatment

2. Subdivision by Type
C-shaped steel includes more than twenty types.

3. Classification by Load-bearing Capacity
Based on cross-sectional dimensions and wall thickness, it can be divided into light, medium, and heavy series.

C-shaped Steel Production Process
C-shaped steel is produced using a cold bending forming process:
Feeding → Leveling → Forming → Shaping → Straightening → Length Measurement → Punching Round Holes for Tie Ribs → Punching Elliptical Connecting Holes → Forming and Cutting

C-shaped steel forming machines can automatically complete the entire forming process according to given dimensions. This process uses hot-rolled or cold-rolled steel sheets (coils) as raw materials, forming them through multiple roll forming processes at room temperature, resulting in uniform wall thickness and excellent cross-sectional properties.
Galvanized C-shaped steel undergoes hot-dip galvanizing after forming, forming a uniform and dense zinc layer on the surface.

Core Performance of C-shaped Steel
1. Lightweight and High-Strength, Material Saving
C-shaped steel is produced by cold bending of hot-rolled sheets, resulting in thin walls and light weight. Compared with traditional hot-rolled channel steel, it can save 30% of material for the same strength. It can reduce the weight of building roofs by more than 30%.
2. Excellent Cross-sectional Properties
The C-shaped cross-section design of C-shaped steel gives it excellent mechanical properties, with good bending and compressive strength, fully utilizing the steel's efficiency.
3. Excellent corrosion resistance (galvanized products): Hot-dip galvanized C-shaped steel has a zinc coating content of 120-275 g/m², with a service life of over 20 years in urban environments and over 50 years in suburban areas. The coating's toughness resists damage during transportation and construction.
4. Good processing performance: C-shaped steel supports various processing methods such as punching, cutting, and welding, with a high degree of automation. It can be shipped with holes, reducing on-site processing workload.
5. Main limitations: Limited load-bearing capacity: Compared to hot-rolled H-beams and I-beams, the load-bearing capacity of a single piece is lower. Requires combination: Multiple pieces are usually required to form purlins, roof trusses, and other structural systems. Corrosion protection depends on the coating: Ordinary C-shaped steel requires rust-proof coating, while galvanized products are more expensive.

Core uses of C-shaped steel
C-shaped steel has become an indispensable material in modern engineering due to its lightweight, high strength and easy processing characteristics. Main applications include:
1. Building Structural Support: Used for purlins and wall beams in factories and warehouses, with single spans up to 12 meters, saving over 30% in costs compared to traditional timber.
2. Prefabricated Construction: Serves as the frame for modular houses, offering 50% faster construction speeds than traditional concrete structures and a 90% recyclability rate.
3. Machinery Manufacturing:** Used for equipment supports and conveyor tracks, with a load-bearing capacity of up to 5 tons per square meter.

C-shaped steel forming machines can automatically complete the entire forming process according to given dimensions. This process uses hot-rolled or cold-rolled steel sheets (coils) as raw materials, forming them through multiple roll forming processes at room temperature, resulting in uniform wall thickness and excellent cross-sectional properties.
Galvanized C-shaped steel undergoes hot-dip galvanizing after forming, forming a uniform and dense zinc layer on the surface.

Core Performance of C-shaped Steel
1. Lightweight and High-Strength, Material Saving
C-shaped steel is produced by cold bending of hot-rolled sheets, resulting in thin walls and light weight. Compared with traditional hot-rolled channel steel, it can save 30% of material for the same strength. It can reduce the weight of building roofs by more than 30%.
2. Excellent Cross-sectional Properties
The C-shaped cross-section design of C-shaped steel gives it excellent mechanical properties, with good bending and compressive strength, fully utilizing the steel's efficiency.
3. Excellent corrosion resistance (galvanized products): Hot-dip galvanized C-shaped steel has a zinc coating content of 120-275 g/m², with a service life of over 20 years in urban environments and over 50 years in suburban areas. The coating's toughness resists damage during transportation and construction.
4. Good processing performance: C-shaped steel supports various processing methods such as punching, cutting, and welding, with a high degree of automation. It can be shipped with holes, reducing on-site processing workload.
5. Main limitations: Limited load-bearing capacity: Compared to hot-rolled H-beams and I-beams, the load-bearing capacity of a single piece is lower. Requires combination: Multiple pieces are usually required to form purlins, roof trusses, and other structural systems. Corrosion protection depends on the coating: Ordinary C-shaped steel requires rust-proof coating, while galvanized products are more expensive.

Core uses of C-shaped steel
C-shaped steel has become an indispensable material in modern engineering due to its lightweight, high strength and easy processing characteristics. Main applications include:
1. Building Structural Support:** Used for purlins and wall beams in factories and warehouses, with single spans up to 12 meters, saving over 30% in costs compared to traditional timber.
2. Prefabricated Construction:** Serves as the frame for modular houses, offering 50% faster construction speeds than traditional concrete structures and a 90% recyclability rate.
3. Machinery Manufacturing:** Used for equipment supports and conveyor tracks, with a load-bearing capacity of up to 5 tons per square meter.

C-shaped steel, with its core advantages of thin walls, light weight, excellent cross-sectional properties, and material savings of up to 30% for the same strength, is widely used in steel structure building purlins, wall beams, lightweight roof trusses, machinery supports, cable trays, photovoltaic supports, and other fields. Galvanized C-shaped steel, through hot-dip galvanizing, has a service life of 20-50 years, making it a preferred material for outdoor projects. Currently, C-shaped steel is continuously developing towards widespread galvanized corrosion protection, higher strength, and expansion into the photovoltaic field.

In In China, the standards for C-shaped steel, as well as other structural steel sections, are established by the Chinese National Standards (GB) or the Chinese National Building Codes (GB/T). The most commonly used standard for C-shaped steel is GB/T 6725-2017.

GB/T 6725-2017， this standard applies to cold-formed cold-rolled, hot-rolled or coated (coated) steel plates and strips produced on continuous roller cold bending units.

In the United States, the standards for C-shaped steel, along with other structural steel sections, are governed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The most commonly used standard for C-shaped steel is ASTM A36/A36M.

ASTM A36/A36M is a specification that covers carbon structural steel shapes, including channels (C-shaped steel). This standard outlines the requirements for hot-rolled and cold-rolled carbon steel bars, plates, and other structural shapes used in general construction and engineering applications.

For C-shaped steel (channels), ASTM A36/A36M specifies the chemical composition, mechanical properties, and dimensional tolerances. The standard requires C-shaped steel to have a minimum yield strength of 36,000 psi (or 250 MPa) and a minimum tensile strength of 58,000-80,000 psi (or 400-550 MPa).

C-sections (channels) are classified as American Standard Channels (C-shapes) and Miscellaneous Channels (MC-shapes). The designation of C-shaped steel typically includes the dimensions of the legs (depth and width in inches) and the weight per foot (in pounds). For example, an American Standard Channel with the designation "C8x11.5" would have a depth of 8 inches, a flange width of 2.260 inches, and weigh 11.5 pounds per foot.

ASTM A36 is a widely used material specification for C-shaped steel and various other structural steel shapes due to its excellent weldability, machinability, and cost-effectiveness. It is one of the most commonly used standards for C-shaped steel in construction and general structural applications in the United States.

In the United Kingdom, the standards for C-shaped steel, along with other structural steel sections, are established by the British Standards Institution (BSI). The most commonly used standard for C-shaped steel is BS EN 10025-2:2004.

BS EN 10025-2:2004 is a European standard that specifies the technical delivery conditions for non-alloy structural steels, including hot-rolled C-shaped steel sections. This standard covers a wide range of steel grades and thicknesses suitable for various construction and engineering applications.

For C-shaped steel (channels), BS EN 10025-2:2004 specifies the chemical composition, mechanical properties, and dimensional tolerances. It covers both hot-rolled and normalized/normalized rolled structural steels.

C-sections (channels) are classified as "Parallel Flange Channels" or "PFCs." The designation of C-shaped steel under this standard typically includes the dimensions of the legs (depth and width in millimeters) and the mass per meter (in kilograms). For example, a Parallel Flange Channel with the designation "PFC 180 x 70 x 8.0" would have a depth of 180 mm, a flange width of 70 mm, and weigh 8.0 kg per meter.

In Japan, the standards for C-shaped steel, as well as other structural steel sections, are established by the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). The most commonly used standard for C-shaped steel is JIS G 3192.

JIS G 3192 specifies the dimensions, sectional properties, and technical requirements for hot-rolled steel sections, including C-shaped steel (channels). This standard covers a wide range of channel sizes and thicknesses suitable for various construction and engineering applications.

For C-shaped steel (channels), JIS G 3192 provides dimensional tolerances, allowing for variations in channel size within specified limits. The standard also defines the mechanical properties of the channel steel, including yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation, ensuring the quality and performance of the material.

C-sections (channels) are classified as "Channel Shapes" or "C-Channels" in Japan. The designation of C-shaped steel under this standard typically includes the dimensions of the legs (depth and width in millimeters) and the mass per meter (in kilograms). For example, a Channel Shape with the designation "C100x50x5x7" would have a depth of 100 mm, a flange width of 50 mm, a flange thickness of 5 mm, and a web thickness of 7 mm.

C-shaped steel is a common steel, widely used in construction, machinery manufacturing, bridges and other fields. In the process of production and use, the thickness of C-shaped steel is a very important parameter. The country has also made clear regulations on the allowable deviation of the thickness of C-shaped steel.

According to different heights, C-shaped steel is divided into five specifications: 80, 100, 120, 140, and 160.
Taking C80*40*20*2.5 as an example, each row of numbers indicates: section height H=80mm; section width B=40mm; crimping width C=20mm; thickness t=2.5mm.

According to the national standard, the thickness tolerance of C-shaped steel can be divided into positive deviation and negative deviation. Positive deviation means that the actual thickness of C-shaped steel is greater than the standard thickness, and negative deviation means that the actual thickness is smaller than the standard thickness.

The specific allowable deviation range is as follows.

1. When the thickness of C-shaped steel is less than or equal to 6mm, the allowable positive deviation is 0.3mm, and the negative deviation is

0.2mm.

2. When the C-shaped steel is greater than 6mm, the allowable positive deviation is 0.5mm, and the negative deviation is

0.3mm.

C‑section Steel Specification Table