A hollow structural section (HSS) is a type of metal profile with a hollow tubular cross section. In some countries they are referred to instead as a structural hollow section (SHS).
Most HSS are of circular or rectangular section, although other shapes are available, such as elliptical. HSS is only composed of structural steel per code.
HSS is sometimes mistakenly referenced as hollow structural steel. Rectangular HSS are also called tube steel or structural tubing. Circular HSS are sometimes mistakenly called steel pipe though true steel pipe is actually dimensioned and classed differently than HSS. The corners of HSS are heavily rounded, or chamfered, at radii approximately twice the wall thickness. The wall thickness is uniform around the section.
In the UK, the terms are circular and rectangular hollow section (CHS and RHS). However, the dimensions and tolerances differ slightly from HSS.
Read more about Hollow Structural Section: Use in Structures, Manufacture, Filled HSS
Famous quotes containing the words hollow, structural and/or section:
“Do not put all your goods in hollow ships.”
—Hesiod (c. 8th century B.C.)
“The reader uses his eyes as well as or instead of his ears and is in every way encouraged to take a more abstract view of the language he sees. The written or printed sentence lends itself to structural analysis as the spoken does not because the reader’s eye can play back and forth over the words, giving him time to divide the sentence into visually appreciated parts and to reflect on the grammatical function.”
—J. David Bolter (b. 1951)
“The demonstrations are always early in the morning, at six o’clock. It’s wonderful, because I’m not doing anything at six anyway, so why not demonstrate?... When you’ve written to your president, to your congressman, to your senator and nothing, nothing has come of it, you take to the streets.”
—Erica Bouza, U.S. jewelry designer and social activist. As quoted in The Great Divide, book 2, section 7, by Studs Terkel (1988)