EN 10210 Hot Finished Structural Hollow Sections Standard Guide
1. Standard Overview
EN 10210 is the European harmonised standard "Hot finished structural hollow sections of non-alloy and fine grain steels", consisting of:
EN 10210-1:2006 - Technical delivery conditions (chemistry, mechanical properties, impact testing, NDT, marking, EN 10204certificates)
EN 10210-2:2019 - Tolerances, dimensions and sectional properties for circular (CHS), square (SHS), rectangular (RHS) and elliptical (EHS) hollow sections.
It applies to hot-finished seamless or welded hollow sections produced by hot forming with or without subsequent heat treatment.
2. Application Fields
Hot finished hollow sections per EN 10210feature low residual stress and uniform mechanical properties through thickness and corners, making them suitable for:
Building structures - columns/beams in high-rises, long-span roof trusses
Bridge engineering - piers, cross beams, arch supports
Industrial plants - heavy-duty platforms, crane gantries
Offshore & marine - jacket legs, davits
Mechanical engineering - conveyor frames, excavator booms
💡 Compared with cold-formed hollow sections (EN 10219), EN 10210offers better low-temperature toughness and is preferred for primary load-bearing and dynamic-load structures.
3. Manufacturing Process (Hot Finished)
Sections are produced by:
Seamless hot rolling / hot extrusion - pierced billet hot rolled to final size; or
Welded + hot finishing - ERW pre-form reheated and shaped hot, or full heat treatment ≥580°C to achieve metallurgical condition equivalent to hot formed product.
The hot finishing process induces recrystallisation, refines grain structure and relieves forming stresses, giving homogeneous properties across the entire cross-section.
4. Dimension Ranges (EN 10210-2)
|
Section Type |
Max per Standard |
Common Commercial Range |
|---|---|---|
|
Circular CHS (OD D) |
≤ 2500 mm |
21.3–508 mm |
|
Square SHS (B×B) |
≤ 800×800 mm |
20×20 – 400×400 mm |
|
Rectangular RHS (B×H) |
≤ 750×500 mm |
25×15 – 500×300 mm |
|
Elliptical EHS (B×H) |
≤ 500×250 mm |
- |
|
Wall Thickness (T) |
≤ 120 mm |
2.0–25 mm (typical 3–16 mm) |
|
Length |
Random 4000–16000 mm; exact length negotiable |
- |
5. Common Steel Grades & Mechanical Properties (EN 10210-1)
Grade designation: S = Structural steel · Number = Min. yield strength (MPa) · JR/J0/J2/K2 = Charpy test temp. · H = Hollow Section · N/NL = Normalized/fine grain.
|
Grade |
Min. Yield ReH (MPa) |
Tensile Rm (MPa) |
Elong. A₅ (%) |
Charpy V-notch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
S235JRH |
235 |
360–510 |
≥24 |
- (optional @ RT) |
|
S275J0H |
275 |
430–580 |
≥20 |
27J @ 0℃ |
|
S275J2H |
275 |
430–580 |
≥20 |
27J @ -20℃ |
|
S355J0H |
355 |
470–630 |
≥22 |
27J @ 0℃ |
|
S355J2H (most popular) |
355 |
470–630 |
≥22 |
27J @ -20℃ |
|
S355K2H |
355 |
470–630 |
≥22 |
40J @ -20℃ |
|
S355NH / S420NH / S460NH |
355/420/460 |
as specified |
- |
27J @ -50℃(NL) |
6. Dimensional Tolerances (EN 10210-2)
|
Characteristic |
Tolerance |
|---|---|
|
Outside dimensions (D / B,H) |
±1%, min ±0.5 mm, max ±10 mm |
|
Wall thickness (T) |
-10% (positive deviation limited by mass tolerance) |
|
Mass per piece |
±6% (seamless ±8%) |
|
Out-of-roundness (CHS, D/t ≤100) |
≤2% |
|
Straightness |
≤0.2% of total length & ≤3 mm over any 1 m |
|
Twist (SHS/RHS) |
2 mm + 0.5 mm/m |
|
Concavity / Convexity (SHS/RHS) |
±1% of side (independent of OD tol.) |
|
Squareness of sides |
90° ± 1° |
|
Length |
Random ±500 mm; Exact length 0/+10 mm (L≤6m), 0/+15 mm (L>6m) |
7. Inspection & Documentation
Tests required: Cast analysis, tensile test, Charpy impact (mandatory for J2/K2/NL grades), dimensional & visual inspection; welded sections - NDT on weld seam (UT/ET).
Certificate: EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 Mill Test Certificate stating heat No., grade, actual chemistry & mechanical results.
Marking: Each bundle/section marked with maker, standard, grade, dimensions, heat number.
8. Purchasing Guidelines & Key Notes
✅ Specify clearly in PO: EN 10210-1/2+ section size + grade with impact suffix (e.g. S355J2H) + length & qty + EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2requirement
✅ Grade selection:
General secondary structures → S235JRH
Primary columns/beams → S355J2H (most common)
Low temp / dynamic loading → S355K2H or S355NLH
High strength & weight saving → S420NH / S460NH
✅ EN 10210 vs EN 10219: Hot finished (EN 10210) preferred for main structural members; cold formed (EN 10219) for secondary/non-critical applications.
✅ Wall thickness & weighing: Design to minimum wall (nominal -10%); agree in contract whether pricing is by theoretical weight or actual scale weight.
✅ EU projects: Ensure supplier can issue CE marking and EN 102043.1/3.2 MTC.
✅ Hot Dip Galvanizing (HDG): If HDG is planned, advise supplier - some high-Si analyses may cause "grey zinc"; select compatible grade or control chemistry.
