Corten Steel Plate
Atmospheric corrosion resistant plate that builds its own protective rust instead of paint
Specifications
Alloy Steel Sheet
Corten Weathering Steel Plate and Sheet A588
Atmospheric corrosion resistant plate that forms its own protective rust layer
Corten steel plate and sheet A588 is a low alloy atmospheric corrosion resistant steel that sits between carbon steel and stainless steel, made by adding small amounts of copper and nickel to ordinary carbon steel. Bridge fabricators, highway furniture makers and architectural metalworkers specify it for guard rails, sign poles and exposed structures that would otherwise need repeated painting. Because a dense protective rust forms on the surface and slows further corrosion, the steel can be left bare and the recoating budget disappears from the maintenance plan. Plate runs to 0-100mm and thin sheet from 0.1mm-10mm, so the same grade family covers a bridge girder and a cladding panel.
- Product Name — Corten Steel Plate-A588
- Also Known As — Weather resistant steel plate atmospheric corrosion-resistant steel
- Standards — BS EN GB AiSi ASTM DIN JIS
- Grade — Q235NH Q355NH SPAH 09CuPCrNi-A Grade K S235W S355W
- Sheet Thickness — 0.1mm-10mm or customized as required
Why It Is Specified
Key Benefits of Corten Steel Plate/Sheet-A588
Rust Turned Into a Protective Layer
Corten rusts at first like ordinary steel, then the alloy elements build a dense protective rust that inhibits further development of rust. The weakest point of ordinary steel becomes the mechanism that protects it.
Weather Resistance Against Ordinary Carbon Steel
Weather resistance is stated at 2-8 times that of ordinary carbon steel. Components last longer in the same exposure and section thickness can be reduced instead of sacrificed to corrosion allowance.
Usable With No Coating At All
Bare specification Corten needs no paint system, which removes the initial coating cost and the recoating cycle. The settled color of the protective rust is accepted as a finish in its own right.
Better Behaviour When You Do Paint It
Paintability is stated at 1.5-10 times that of ordinary carbon steel and the coating film has a long life, so painted Corten structures come back for recoating far less often.
Welds and Cuts Like Ordinary Steel
Manual welding and submerged arc welding both work, spot welding is possible on thin material, and cold working hot working and gas cutting behave as they would on ordinary steel of the same strength level.
Seven Grades Under One Order
Q235NH Q355NH SPAH 09CuPCrNi-A Grade K S235W and S355W are supplied from the same source, so a drawing written to a Chinese, Japanese or European designation can be filled without a substitution argument.
Problems It Solves
What This Material Removes From Your Process
Recoating Budgets That Never End
A painted exposed structure returns for surface preparation and recoating on a fixed cycle for its whole life. Bare Corten relies on its own protective rust and takes that recurring cost out of the asset plan.
Corrosion Allowance Added To Every Section
Designers thicken carbon steel sections to survive atmospheric loss. Weathering steel slows that loss so the structure can be thinned and material consumption reduced.
Access Costs Higher Than the Coating Cost
Painting a bridge or a gantry means scaffolding, lane closures and traffic control. Removing the coating requirement removes all of it.
Drawings Written To Different Grade Systems
One project may call S355W, another 09CuPCrNi-A and another SPAH. All seven listed grades come from one supply line so an order does not have to be split.
Thin Gauge Weathering Material Being Hard To Find
Architectural work needs sheet, not plate. Supply runs from 0.1mm-10mm in sheet as well as 0-100mm in plate.
Application Scenarios
Where It Is Used
Highway Bridge Girders and Decking
Exposed bridge steelwork where access for repainting is expensive and traffic management adds more cost than the paint itself.
Guard Rails and Crash Barriers
Roadside barrier sections that live permanently in rain, road salt spray and grit and are rarely maintained after installation.
Sign Poles and Gantries
Sign supports and overhead gantry structures along highways where a bare weathering finish removes the painting contract entirely.
Architectural Cladding and Facade Panels
Thin sheet from 0.1mm-10mm formed into panels where the settled rust color is used deliberately as the building finish.
Outdoor Equipment Frames and Enclosures
Skid frames, cabinets and support structures left in the open where a painted mild steel frame would need touching up every few years.
Who It Is For
Buyers Who Specify This Product
- Bridge fabricators buying weathering plate for girders and deck plates that will be left uncoated
- Highway contractors sourcing guard rail and sign pole sections for long maintenance free service
- Architectural metal workshops buying thin Corten sheet for facade and cladding panels
- Structural engineers substituting a weathering grade for painted carbon steel on exposed frames
- Steel service centers stocking Q355NH and S355W for regional fabrication customers
- Street furniture and landscape product makers buying plate for planters screens and signage
Technical Data
Specifications and Technical Features
Values below come from the product data published by Shandong Tianyu Metal Products. Confirm the exact grade and size against your order.
| Product Name | Corten Steel Plate-A588 |
|---|---|
| Also Known As | Weather resistant steel plate atmospheric corrosion-resistant steel |
| Standards | BS EN GB AiSi ASTM DIN JIS |
| Grade | Q235NH Q355NH SPAH 09CuPCrNi-A Grade K S235W S355W |
| Sheet Thickness | 0.1mm-10mm or customized as required |
| Plate Thickness | 0-100mm |
| Width | 0-1000m or customized as required |
| Size | Customized Size |
| Technique | Q+T hot rolled normalized |
| Surface | Natural or painted |
| Application | Bridges guard rails sign poles and highway structures |
| Processing Service | Bending welding decoiling cutting punching |
| Certificate | Mill Test Certificate |
| Place of Origin | China |
Technical Features
- Grades Q235NH Q355NH SPAH 09CuPCrNi-A Grade K S235W and S355W
- Standards BS EN GB AiSi ASTM DIN and JIS
- Sheet thickness 0.1mm-10mm and plate thickness 0-100mm
- Width 0-1000m or customized as required
- Delivery condition Q+T hot rolled or normalized
- Surface supplied natural or painted
- Processing covers bending welding decoiling cutting and punching
- Weldable by manual welding submerged arc welding and spot welding on thin material
Materials
- Low alloy weathering steel sitting between carbon steel and stainless steel
- Ordinary carbon steel base with small additions of copper and nickel
- Corrosion resistant alloy elements that form the dense protective rust layer
Certification
- Mill test certificate supplied with each shipment
Manufacturing
How It Is Made and Processed
Hot rolling of the weathering grade to plate or sheet gauge
Normalizing or quenching and tempering to the ordered delivery condition
Decoiling and leveling for sheet orders
Cutting to the ordered plate or panel size
Bending punching and welded fabrication on request
Natural or painted surface finishing
Marking packing and loading for export
Quality Control
Checks Before It Ships
- Mill test certificate issued against the ordered weathering grade
- Grade designation checked against the drawing before cutting
- Thickness verified within the ordered sheet or plate range
- Surface condition inspected for the ordered natural or painted finish
- Cut sizes checked against the cutting list before packing
- Edge and corner protection checked before container loading
Customization
What We Can Change on Your Order
- Cut to size plate and sheet against your cutting list
- Grade selected from Q235NH Q355NH SPAH 09CuPCrNi-A Grade K S235W or S355W
- Sheet gauge from 0.1mm-10mm or plate to 0-100mm
- Bending and punching to your drawing before shipment
- Natural bare finish or painted surface on request
- Width customized as required
Comparison
Corten Steel Plate/Sheet-A588 Against the Alternatives
| Painted ordinary carbon steel plate | Weather resistance is stated at 2-8 times that of ordinary carbon steel and the structure can run bare, so the recoating cycle is removed rather than shortened. |
|---|---|
| Hot dip galvanized structural steel | Corten needs no coating bath, so section size and length are not limited by the kettle and no touch up is needed at cut or welded edges. |
| Stainless steel plate | Corten is a low alloy steel positioned between carbon steel and stainless steel, giving outdoor durability at ordinary carbon steel fabrication effort. |
| Carbon steel with a thick paint system | Paintability is stated at 1.5-10 times that of ordinary carbon steel where a coating is still wanted, so the film lasts longer on the same structure. |
Use Guide
Specifying Handling and Welding Notes
- Allow an initial weathering period during which the surface rusts before the protective layer settles
- Detail the structure so water drains freely and does not sit in pockets against the steel
- Plan for rust runoff staining on adjacent concrete or stonework during the first weathering season
- Weld with manual or submerged arc processes and use spot welding only on thin material
- Cold work hot work and gas cut as you would ordinary steel of the same strength level
- Send the grade designation from your drawing so the right one of the seven listed grades is supplied
Questions Buyers Ask
Corten Steel Plate/Sheet-A588 FAQ
What thickness can you supply in Corten A588?
Sheet runs from 0.1mm-10mm and plate is supplied across 0-100mm. Width is 0-1000m or customized as required.
Does Corten really need no painting?
Bare specification Corten can be used without any coating because the protective rust layer inhibits further corrosion. That is what removes the recoating cost from the maintenance plan.
How much better is the weather resistance than ordinary steel?
Weather resistance is stated at 2-8 times that of ordinary carbon steel. The actual figure in your case depends on exposure, drainage detailing and whether the surface stays wet.
Which grade should I order if my drawing says S355W?
S355W is supplied directly. Q355NH 09CuPCrNi-A SPAH Grade K Q235NH and S235W are also stocked, so send the designation your drawing uses and it will be matched.
Can we still paint it if the client wants a color?
Yes. Paintability is stated at 1.5-10 times that of ordinary carbon steel and the coating film has a long life, so painted Corten needs recoating less often than painted carbon steel.
Is it weldable with our existing equipment?
Welding is easy with manual welding or submerged arc welding, and spot welding works on thin material. No special process is needed compared with ordinary steel at the same strength level.
Do you supply a certificate and can we get a sample first?
A mill test certificate ships with the material. Samples are available, so send the grade and thickness you want to evaluate.
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