HSS18.000X0.500 Steel Round HSS — Section Properties

Dimensions

Property Value Unit
Outer Diameter (OD) 18 457.2 mm
Wall Thickness (t) 0.5 12.7 mm
Area (A) 25.6 in² 165.2 cm²
Weight 93.54 lb/ft 139.2 kg/m

Elastic Section Properties

Property Strong Axis (X-X) Weak Axis (Y-Y) Unit
Moment of Inertia (I) 985 985 in⁴
Elastic Section Modulus (S) 109 109 in³
Plastic Section Modulus (Z) 143 143 in³
Radius of Gyration (r) 6.2 6.2 in

Torsional Properties

Property Value Unit
Torsional Constant (J) 1970 in⁴
Warping Constant (Cw) 0 in⁶

Section Profile Summary

HSS provides uniform strength in all directions — efficient for columns, bracing, and torsion-critical applications. At 93.54 lb/ft, this section is suitable for bracing, secondary columns, and architectural exposed steel.

Key Design Checks (AISC 360)

Check Formula This Section
Plastic moment Mp = Zx × Fy 7,150 kip-in
Deflection Δ = 5wL⁴/(384EIx) Use Ix = 985 in⁴
Torsion St. Venant = GJ/L J = 1,970 in⁴
Column buckling KL/r → Fcr r_x = 6.2 in

Design Notes

Verification (AISC 360): All designs using this section must be verified by a licensed Professional Engineer. Before finalizing member selection, check beam-column interaction (P-M), lateral-torsional buckling, serviceability deflections, and all connection limit states. See Engineering Disclaimer.

Worked Example: Column Capacity — hss18_000x0_500

Scenario: Canopy support column Unbraced length L = 12 ft.

Given:

Step 1 — Slenderness ratio:

KL/r = 144 / 6.2 = 23

Step 2 — Determine critical stress Fcr (AISC 360 Chapter E):

Elastic buckling stress: Fe = π²E / (KL/r)² = π² × 29,000 / (23)² = 541 ksi

For HSS with KL/r ≤ 4.71√(E/Fy) = 4.71√(29,000/50) = 113.4:

If KL/r ≤ 113.4: Fcr = 0.658^(Fy/Fe) × Fy (inelastic buckling) If KL/r > 113.4: Fcr = 0.877Fe (elastic buckling)

Step 3 — Design compressive strength:

φPn = φ × Fcr × Ag = 0.9 × Fcr × 25.6 ≈ 1,152 kips (preliminary)

For a precise capacity accounting for local buckling and the exact KL/r value, use the Column Capacity Calculator with this section's properties.

Related Resources

Design Resources


Educational reference only. Verify all section properties against the current AISC 360 Manual and mill certificates before design. Results are PRELIMINARY — NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION.