CHS 60.3×5 vs PIPE 2XS
CHS 60.3×5 is an CHS Hot-finished section from the UK Blue Book (SCI P363); PIPE 2XS is the closest equivalent in the American AISC Shapes Database. PIPE 2XS carries more bending: 15.797 cm³ of plastic modulus against 15.3 cm³, 3.1% more. CHS 60.3×5 is the lighter of the two at 6.82 kg/m against 7.5 kg/m, a saving of 9.1% on steel weight. Both are about 60 mm deep, so either fits the same construction zone.
| Property | CHS 60.3×5 CHS Hot-finished | PIPE 2XS Pipe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mass | 6.8 kg/m | 7.5 kg/m | -9.1% |
| Depth | 60.3 mm | 60.3 mm | same |
| Width | 60.3 mm | 60.3 mm | same |
| Web thickness | 0 mm | 5.2 mm | -100.0% |
| Flange thickness | 0 mm | 0 mm | same |
| Area | 8.7 cm² | 9 cm² | -3.4% |
| Second moment, major (Iy) | 33.5 cm⁴ | 34.42 cm⁴ | -2.7% |
| Plastic modulus, major (Wpl,y) | 15.3 cm³ | 15.797 cm³ | -3.1% |
| Elastic modulus, major (Wel,y) | 11.1 cm³ | 11.405 cm³ | -2.7% |
| Second moment, minor (Iz) | 33.5 cm⁴ | 34.42 cm⁴ | -2.7% |
| Plastic modulus, minor (Wpl,z) | 15.3 cm³ | 15.797 cm³ | -3.1% |
| Radius of gyration, minor (iz) | 1.96 cm | 1.96 cm | same |
| Torsion constant (It) | 67 cm⁴ | 68.68 cm⁴ | -2.4% |
CHS 60.3×5 to BS EN 10210-2:2006; PIPE 2XS to AISC Shapes Database v16.0. Difference is expressed relative to PIPE 2XS.
How to choose between them
On stiffness, PIPE 2XS has the larger second moment of area: 34.42 cm⁴ against 33.5 cm⁴, a difference of 2.7%. This matters more often than the strength comparison, because on normal floor spans deflection rather than bending capacity sets the beam size - so if the two are close on modulus but apart on inertia, the stiffer one is usually the better answer even when it is not the stronger one.
Measured as bending capacity per kilogram of steel, CHS 60.3×5 is the more efficient section: 2.2 against 2.1 cm³ per kg/m, 6.5% better. Over a floor of repeated beams that difference is real tonnage, though it is often outweighed by whichever section the fabricator can actually source.
These come from different catalogues, so treat the swap as a design change rather than a like-for-like substitution. CHS Hot-finished sections are specified to BS EN 10210-2:2006 and Pipe to AISC Shapes Database v16.0; the steel grades, tolerances and available lengths differ, connection details and bolt gauges are set out differently, and the two are rarely both stocked in the same market. Check availability before changing a section on a drawing to save 9.1% weight.
In short, PIPE 2XS is the stronger section and CHS 60.3×5 is the lighter one; where those are the same section, it is the clear choice, and where they are not, decide on whether your design is governed by capacity or by tonnage.