HSS20.000X0.625 Steel Round HSS — Section Properties

Dimensions

Property Value Unit
Outer Diameter (OD) 20 508.0 mm
Wall Thickness (t) 0.625 15.9 mm
Area (A) 35.5 in² 229.0 cm²
Weight 129.4 lb/ft 192.6 kg/m

Elastic Section Properties

Property Strong Axis (X-X) Weak Axis (Y-Y) Unit
Moment of Inertia (I) 1670 1670 in⁴
Elastic Section Modulus (S) 167 167 in³
Plastic Section Modulus (Z) 219 219 in³
Radius of Gyration (r) 6.87 6.87 in

Torsional Properties

Property Value Unit
Torsional Constant (J) 3350 in⁴
Warping Constant (Cw) 0 in⁶

Section Profile Summary

Closed tubular section with J = 3,350 in⁴ — torsional stiffness is significantly higher than an open section of equivalent weight. The flat faces accept welded gusset and end-plate connections without stiffeners.

Key Design Checks (AISC 360)

Check Formula This Section
Plastic moment Mp = Zx × Fy 10,950 kip-in
Deflection Δ = 5wL⁴/(384EIx) Use Ix = 1,670 in⁴
Torsion St. Venant = GJ/L J = 3,350 in⁴
Column buckling KL/r → Fcr r_x = 6.87 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 — hss20_000x0_625

Scenario: Interior column in a 3-story braced frame office building Unbraced length L = 11 ft.

Given:

Step 1 — Slenderness ratio:

KL/r = 132 / 6.87 = 19

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

Elastic buckling stress: Fe = π²E / (KL/r)² = π² × 29,000 / (19)² = 793 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 × 35.5 ≈ 1,598 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.