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Choosing Between Hot Rolled Steel And Cold Rolled Steel For Your Construction Project

Before you purchase the steel materials for your next construction project, it is vital that you know if cold rolled or hot rolled steel will work the best to meet the needs of your specific project. 

Here is some information for you about each type of steel and its respective advantages and disadvantages:

Hot Rolled Steel Basics

Hot rolled steel is milled by heating steel to above its recrystallization temperature. This allows the steel to be easily formed and shaped into sheeting and individual parts.

Once the hot rolled steel has been shaped, then it is allowed to cool to an ambient temperature.

Hot Rolled Steel Advantages and Disadvantages

Hot rolled steel is typically less expensive than cold rolled steel because it does not require reheating to temper the steel. It can also be made into larger sections than cold rolled steel can, due to the lack of need for post-formation reheating.

The major disadvantage of hot rolled steel is that it is not as strong as its cold rolled steel cousin. However, for applications where strength isn't a prevailing issue, then hot rolled steel can save a lot of money.

Cold Rolled Steel Basics

Cold rolled steel is milled by heating steel and allowing it to recrystallize. This first step is the same as the hot rolled steel milling process. However, cold rolled steel goes through an additional step of being reheated and then cooled slowly to strengthen it. This additional step is known as tempering. Tempering is what makes cold rolled steel strong and resistant to damage.

Cold Rolled Steel Advantages and Disadvantages

Cold rolled steel cannot be used to make the same extremely large steel components that hot rolled steel can. However, cold rolled steel is much stronger because it has had the additional tempering to strengthen it. This makes cold rolled steel a better alternative when using smaller steel parts that need to have a lot of strength. Where extreme strength is not required, then hot rolled steel is best used because it is cheaper.

Conclusion

Now that you have a better understanding about how cold rolled steel and hot rolled steel are manufactured and differ from each other, you can choose the best steel for your next construction project. If you have additional questions about the differences between steel products, then you should contact a steel manufacturer in your local area. To find out more about steel, speak with a business like A & C Metals - Sawing.