Curving HSS sections

[Daria]

An architect has requested a curved rectangular HSS 8x3 (curved against the 8" depth) with a 20 ft radius. I have checked with a few steel fabricators and non can accomplish this. Any suggestions (that will not be too costly to do)?

 

[Taro]

Modern Steel Construction magazine has about 3 or 4 advertisements each month from steel fabricators that claim they can bend just about anything under the sun the hard way. You can find their contact information in the InfoExpress section of

http://www.aisc.org/modernsteel

 

[dougantholz]

Daria,
The only suggestion that I would have is that if you can't find anyone to do a 20' radius with a tube, you could build up the section out of flat plates. In fact if you have a steel detailer that you use a bit, they could probably price this for you for nothing: then tell the architect how much it costs and tell them either live with it(i.e. pay for it) or change their detail.
Doug

 

[Daria]

Thanks for the suggestions. It's interesting that fabricators can only roll HSS 8x8x.5 or 6x4x0.375 as the closest members to an 8x3 (and the rolling process costs more than the steel)

 

[diamondjim]

I would recommend that they be cut out with
a torch and welded together. How long a segment
is required?

 

[dougantholz]

I would not recoment that anything be cut out with a torch, especially if it is going to be exposed. At a minimum you have the extra labor involved with having to grind the edge down smooth, which could never be uniform if on a curve.
Just my $.02 worth.

 

[phuduhudu]

I agree that a fabricated section is the only way to do this sensibly. E.g. 4 plates welded together. Carl Bauer

http://www.bauerconsultbotswana.com