EN10219 and EN10210

Overview

Both standards are published by CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and apply to structural hollow sections — covering SHS (Square), RHS (Rectangular), and CHS (Circular Hollow Sections). The critical dividing line is how the steel is formed.

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EN 10210 — Hot-formed Structural Hollow Sections

Full title: EN 10210 — Hot finished structural hollow sections of non-alloy and fine grain steels

Manufacturing process:
The steel is heated above its recrystallization temperature (~900–1200 °C) and then formed into the hollow shape — either by hot extrusion or by hot forming a welded tube followed by a full heat treatment that normalises the weld zone. After forming, the section cools naturally to room temperature.

Key characteristics:

• Large corner radius — hot forming produces a generous rounded corner (typically 1.5× to 3× wall thickness), which is visually distinctive and beneficial for fatigue resistance.
• Uniform grain structure — because the entire section is formed above the recrystallization temperature, the steel grains are uniform throughout, including at the corners. No cold-working effects remain; the material is essentially stress-relieved.
• No residual stresses from forming — the hot process eliminates forming-induced locked-in stresses, which can be important for buckling resistance.
• Better ductility and toughness — hot-formed sections typically exhibit superior Charpy impact values at low temperatures.
• Seamless or fully normalised welded — EN 10210 can be either seamless (Part 1) or welded with full normalisation (Part 2).

Common steel grades: S235JRH, S275J0H, S355J2H, S420MH, S460NH (the “H” suffix denotes hollow sections).

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EN 10219 — Cold-formed Structural Hollow Sections

Full title: EN 10219 — Cold formed welded structural hollow sections of non-alloy and fine grain steels

Manufacturing process:
A flat cold-rolled steel strip (coil) is progressively bent at room temperature through a series of forming rolls into a round, square, or rectangular shape. The longitudinal seam is then joined by ERW (Electric Resistance Welding). A final sizing pass brings the section to its exact dimensions. No post-weld heat treatment is required by the standard.

Key characteristics:

• Sharp corner radius — cold forming produces a much tighter corner (typically 1.0× to 2× wall thickness), giving a squarer, crisper appearance. This is one of the most visually obvious differences from EN 10210.
• Work-hardened corners — the plastic deformation at corners during roll-forming increases the yield strength locally (strain hardening), but also introduces residual stresses and may reduce ductility in the corner region.
• Residual stresses present — locked-in forming stresses may need to be accounted for in buckling design.
• More economical — cold forming is faster, uses less energy, and produces sections at a lower cost per tonne. EN 10219 sections dominate the market by volume.
• Tighter dimensional tolerances — cold-formed sections generally achieve better surface finish and dimensional accuracy.

Common steel grades: S235JRH, S275J0H, S355J2H, S420MH, S460MH.

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Head-to-head comparison

Aspect	EN 10210 Hot-formed	EN 10219 Cold-formed
Forming temperature	Above recrystallization (~900–1200 °C)	Room temperature
Corner radius	Large (soft, rounded)	Small (sharp, crisp)
Grain structure	Uniform, recrystallised	Elongated, work-hardened at corners
Residual stress	Essentially none	Present from forming
Ductility / toughness	Better	Adequate, but reduced at corners
Dimensional tolerance	Wider	Tighter
Surface finish	Mill finish (slightly rougher)	Better (from cold strip)
Cost	Higher (more energy, slower)	Lower (faster, less energy)
Typical use	Fatigue-critical, seismic, low-temp service	General construction, secondary members

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Design implications (Eurocode 3 / EN 1993-1-1)

Both standards are recognised by Eurocode 3 and use the same buckling curve classification. However, because EN 10210 is free of forming residual stresses, a design engineer can take advantage of:

• Slightly higher buckling resistance in some cases (especially for stocky columns).
• Better fatigue performance due to the smooth corner radius.
• Greater confidence in low-temperature toughness for outdoor or offshore applications.

For the vast majority of commercial and industrial buildings, EN 10219 cold-formed sections are perfectly adequate and are chosen for their cost advantage and availability.

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In short: EN 10210 = hot-formed (large rounded corners, no residual stress, premium performance) and EN 10219 = cold-formed (sharp corners, more economical, dominant in the market). The choice comes down to whether the project’s mechanical demands — fatigue, low-temperature toughness, buckling sensitivity — justify the cost premium of hot-formed sections.

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