EN 10210 Hot-Finished vs EN 10219 Cold-Formed

Property EN 10210 (Hot-Finished) EN 10219 (Cold-Formed)
Manufacturing process Hot-finished seamless or welded Cold-formed with subsequent heat treatment (optional)
Residual stresses Lower Higher
Corner radius (SHS/RHS) Outer: 2-3×t Outer: 2-3×t
Buckling curve a (α = 0.21) c (α = 0.49)
Typical grades S235J2H, S355J2H S235JRH, S355J0H

Circular Hollow Sections (CHS) — EN 10210

Designation D (mm) t (mm) A (cm²) I (cm⁴) W_el (cm³) i (cm) Mass (kg/m)
CHS 88.9×4 88.9 4.0 10.7 94.6 21.3 2.98 8.38
CHS 88.9×5 88.9 5.0 13.2 115 25.8 2.95 10.3
CHS 114.3×5 114.3 5.0 17.2 257 44.9 3.87 13.5
CHS 139.7×6 139.7 6.0 25.2 564 80.7 4.73 19.8
CHS 139.7×8 139.7 8.0 33.1 720 103 4.66 26.0
CHS 168.3×6 168.3 6.0 30.6 1003 119 5.73 24.0
CHS 168.3×8 168.3 8.0 40.3 1295 154 5.67 31.6
CHS 219.1×8 219.1 8.0 53.1 2967 271 7.48 41.6
CHS 219.1×10 219.1 10.0 65.7 3586 327 7.39 51.6
CHS 273×10 273 10.0 82.6 7149 524 9.30 64.9
CHS 323.9×10 323.9 10.0 98.6 12125 748 11.09 77.4
CHS 406.4×12 406.4 12.0 149 28188 1387 13.79 117

Square Hollow Sections (SHS) — EN 10210

Designation B×B (mm) t (mm) A (cm²) I (cm⁴) W_pl (cm³) i (cm) Mass (kg/m)
SHS 60×60×4 60×60 4.0 8.50 43.1 17.4 2.25 6.68
SHS 80×80×5 80×80 5.0 14.4 130 39.5 3.00 11.3
SHS 100×100×5 100×100 5.0 18.2 269 65.2 3.84 14.3
SHS 100×100×8 100×100 8.0 27.5 380 96.7 3.71 21.6
SHS 120×120×6 120×120 6.0 26.5 563 114 4.61 20.8
SHS 150×150×8 150×150 8.0 43.3 1428 232 5.74 34.0
SHS 150×150×10 150×150 10.0 52.5 1672 278 5.64 41.2
SHS 200×200×10 200×200 10.0 72.6 4322 528 7.72 57.0
SHS 200×200×12.5 200×200 12.5 88.9 5121 637 7.59 69.8

Rectangular Hollow Sections (RHS) — EN 10210

Designation B×D (mm) t (mm) A (cm²) I_y (cm⁴) I_z (cm⁴) W_pl,y (cm³) Mass (kg/m)
RHS 100×60×4 100×60 4.0 11.6 161 72 41.1 9.09
RHS 120×80×5 120×80 5.0 18.2 359 184 74.9 14.3
RHS 150×100×6 150×100 6.0 27.3 807 414 135 21.4
RHS 150×100×8 150×100 8.0 35.2 995 498 170 27.7
RHS 200×100×8 200×100 8.0 43.3 2340 785 286 34.0
RHS 200×120×8 200×120 8.0 47.3 2737 1164 335 37.1
RHS 250×150×10 250×150 10.0 72.6 6162 2692 602 57.0
RHS 300×200×10 300×200 10.0 92.6 11888 6062 975 72.7
RHS 300×200×12.5 300×200 12.5 114 14232 7138 1185 89.3

Plastic Section Modulus Comparison

For the same mass, SHS/RHS sections offer higher torsional stiffness and bidirectional strength compared to open sections:

Section Mass (kg/m) W_pl,y (cm³) Torsional Constant I_t (cm⁴)
IPE 300 42.2 628 20.2
HEA 300 88.3 1383 89.5
SHS 200×200×10 57.0 528 6690
RHS 300×200×10 72.7 975 9120

Note the very high torsional constants for closed sections — orders of magnitude higher than open I-sections.

Worked Example — CHS Column Compression Design

Problem: Design a CHS column for an exposed architectural feature in Central Europe. Factored axial load N_Ed = 850 kN, column height L = 5.5 m, pinned-pinned at both ends. Use S355J2H per EN 10210-1, hot-finished CHS. Minimum service temperature -10°C. EXC2 execution class per EN 1090-2.

Step 1 — Section Classification per EN 1993-1-1 Table 5.2: For CHS in compression, Class 1 limit: d/t ≤ 50ε² where ε = √(235/fy) = √(235/355) = 0.814. Try CHS 168.3×8 (d/t = 168.3/8 = 21.0). Limit = 50 × 0.814² = 50 × 0.662 = 33.1. 21.0 < 33.1 — Class 1.

Step 2 — Cross-Section Resistance per EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.2.4: N_c,Rd = A × fy / γ_M0. For CHS 168.3×8: A = 40.3 cm² = 4030 mm². N_c,Rd = 4030 × 355 / 1.00 = 1431 kN > 850 kN. OK for squash load.

Step 3 — Buckling Resistance per EN 1993-1-1 Clause 6.3.1: Buckling length L_cr = K × L = 1.0 × 5500 = 5500 mm (pinned-pinned). Slenderness: λ̅ = √(A × fy / N_cr) where N_cr = π² × E × I / L_cr². I = 1295 cm⁴ = 12.95 × 10⁶ mm⁴. E = 210,000 MPa. N_cr = π² × 210000 × 12.95 × 10⁶ / 5500² = 8,876,000 N = 8876 kN. λ̅ = √(4030 × 355 / (8876 × 1000)) = √(1,430,650 / 8,876,000) = √(0.161) = 0.401.

Step 4 — Buckling Curve per EN 1993-1-1 Table 6.2: For EN 10210 hot-finished CHS: buckling curve a (α = 0.21). Φ = 0.5 × [1 + α(λ̅ - 0.2) + λ̅²] = 0.5 × [1 + 0.21(0.401 - 0.2) + 0.401²] = 0.5 × [1 + 0.042 + 0.161] = 0.601. χ = 1 / [Φ + √(Φ² - λ̅²)] = 1 / [0.601 + √(0.601² - 0.401²)] = 1 / [0.601 + √(0.362 - 0.161)] = 1 / [0.601 + √(0.201)] = 1 / [0.601 + 0.448] = 0.953.

Step 5 — Buckling Resistance: N_b,Rd = χ × A × fy / γ_M1 = 0.953 × 4030 × 355 / 1.00 = 1363 kN > 850 kN. OK. Utilisation = 850/1363 = 0.624.

Step 6 — Cold-Formed Alternative per EN 10219: If cold-formed CHS 168.3×8 (EN 10219, S355J0H) is used: Buckling curve c (α = 0.49). Φ = 0.5 × [1 + 0.49(0.401 - 0.2) + 0.401²] = 0.5 × [1 + 0.098 + 0.161] = 0.630. χ = 1 / [0.630 + √(0.630² - 0.401²)] = 1 / [0.630 + √(0.397 - 0.161)] = 1 / [0.630 + 0.486] = 0.896. N_b,Rd = 0.896 × 4030 × 355 / 1.00 = 1281 kN > 850 kN. Still OK, but lower utilisation at 0.664. The hot-finished section provides 6.4% higher buckling resistance for the same weight.

Result: CHS 168.3×8 S355J2H (EN 10210) — Class 1, N_b,Rd = 1363 kN, utilisation = 62.4%. Adequate for L = 5.5 m pinned column at 850 kN axial load.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between EN 10210 and EN 10219 hollow sections?

EN 10210 covers hot-finished hollow sections with lower residual stresses and buckling curve a. EN 10219 covers cold-formed sections with higher residual stresses and buckling curve c. Hot-finished sections generally have better toughness and are preferred for primary structural members. Cold-formed sections are more economical and widely available.

What section modulus should I use for EN 1993 design — elastic or plastic?

Use the plastic section modulus W_pl for Class 1 and 2 sections, and the elastic section modulus W_el for Class 3 sections. For SHS/RHS in S355, most standard sections are Class 1 (d/t ≤ 50ε² for CHS, c/t ≤ 33ε for SHS flange). W_pl is typically 12-18% higher than W_el for standard hollow sections.

Related Pages

Educational reference only. Section properties per EN 10210-2:2019 (hot-finished) and EN 10219-2:2019 (cold-formed). Verify actual manufacturer datasheets for exact values. Results are PRELIMINARY — NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION without independent verification.

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