Structural tubing is a critical component of many construction and manufacturing projects across the world. Also called “architectural tubing,” structural tubing, commonly stainless steel or aluminum, can be seen in industries as far-ranging as architecture and construction, auto manufacturing, and even aerospace.
At Polished Metals, we process and finish many types of structural tubing, including both stainless steel and aluminum varieties, as well as various shapes such as square or rectangular and round tubing. We’re sharing more about structural tubing products and their various use cases in today’s blog.
What Is Structural Tubing?
Structural tubing is a form of metal tubing used for internal supports on various projects in the architectural, engineering, and manufacturing. Structural tubing may be used to support buildings, bridges, heavy machinery, automobiles, and for various infrastructure purposes.
What Types of Structural Tubing Are Available?
A wide range of structural tubing types may be seen for various purposes. This includes round, square, and rectangular tubing, which all have their own benefits:
- Round tubing has a high strength-to weight ratio and is often the strongest shape for structural tubing. Without the corners that square and rectangular tubing has, there are fewer pressure points to limit the overall structural capacity of the tube.
- Square tubing is also very strong and due to its corners (compared to round tubing), it can help to save on space, fitting more snugly with other building components. Square tubing may also be preferred depending on various aesthetic considerations.
- Like square tubing, rectangular tubing can also be a practical shape due to its space conservation. Rectangular tubing can also be made narrower than other shapes, which can be very useful on some architectural projects.
Metal Types
For metal types, aluminum and steel are the most commonly used for structural and architectural tubing. These metals have incredible tensile strength and primarily differ in terms of their weight and overall malleability, with steel being notably more rigid.
Stainless Steel Structural Tubing
For sheer strength, steel and stainless steel can’t be beat. While ordinary steel is generally reserved for construction projects and purely practical applications, stainless steel provides both aesthetic advantages and some additional benefits such as its incredible corrosion resistance.
Stainless steel structural tubing is generally heavier than many other metals, but its strength is unmatched.
Aluminum Structural Tubing
Aluminum structural tubing is a common choice in projects where both strength and weight are key considerations. An excellent example of this is in aerospace applications, where planes and spacecraft must be both strong enough to withstand the incredible force of liftoff and flight and light enough to make it into the air without massive fuel demands.
Aluminum is also highly malleable and ductile, which is an important consideration in projects where tubing must be made into particular shapes.
Other Metal Types
While stainless steel and aluminum are the most common, red metal tubing such as bronze and brass may still be used for structural purposes. Bronze is the more common of the two, as it features impressive tensile strength that can rival stainless steel. Brass, on the other hand, is less strong and generally more expensive, and therefore rarely used for structural purposes.
At Polished Metals, our team processes tubing of various metal types, including:
Your Supplier for Structural Tubing
At Polished Metals, we’re known throughout the world for our best-in-class metal finishing services. Our expansive inventory includes a broad selection of metal types and extruded products, including tubing used across various industries. Whether your project requires structural tubing or more aesthetic finished varieties, our metal finishing capabilities cover brass, bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, and more.
You know you’re working with the best when you work with the Polished Metals team. Our in-house metal finishing facility gives us the bandwidth to process even high-volume orders with peerless attention to detail and quality. If you have questions about our structural tubing offerings or have custom metal finishing needs, please reach out to us.
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