If you're investing in steel tubing for a project, you may need to choose the strongest tubing possible. Steel is an alloy so it can come in a range of different configurations, and steel tubing also comes in different shapes and sizes. To ensure you have as much strength as possible, you may want to look for the following elements.

Thick Walls

The thicker the walls are on your steel tubing, the stronger the tubing will be. However, with some projects, you need to balance thickness with weight. For instance, if you are building a bicycle out of steel tubing, you want strength but you also want your final project to be as lightweight as possible.

Low Diameter to Wall Thickness Ratio

Ideally, you also need to pay attention to the ratio between the wall thickness and the diameter of the tubing. If the ratio is too high, your steel tubing may buckle. The bigger your diameter is, the thicker your walls need to be.

Tensile Strength

Of course, you also need to pay attention to tensile strength. Tensile strength refers to the amount of stress that something can handle before it bends or breaks. Generally, that measured as force per unit area. In other words, it is pascals or newtons per square metre. If you're comparing multiple types of steel tubing, you should look for the highest tensile strength possible that meets the other specifications of your project.

Carbon Levels

As steel is an alloy, it can consist of different elements. In particular, you should pay attention to carbon levels when choosing your steel tubing. Low carbon may not have the strength you need, whereas high carbon is overly difficult to work with and can be brittle. In most cases, you want to hit the medium carbon level which ranges from about 0.31 to 0.60% carbon. This steel is harder to work with than low carbon steel, but it also is a lot stronger.

Cylindrical Shape

Finally, steel tubing that is round tends to be stronger than rectangular steel tubing. When the tubing is cylindrical in shape, it can handle pressure from all areas equally, whilst rectangular tubing may become easily compromised due to its corners.

To ensure you get the right tubing for your project, you should work with a company that is experienced helping consumers or business owners choose the right tubing for their project. Ask lots of questions and make sure the tubing you select has been tested to ensure its strength.