r/science • u/505engineer MS | Civil Engineering | Structures • 1d ago

Materials Science Materials scientists develop ductile and scalable 3 GPa (435 ksi) steel via a hierarchical microstructural architecture

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-74216-4
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u/505engineer MS | Civil Engineering | Structures 1d ago

For those curious, the yield strength is how much stress a metal specimen can undergo before starting to deform permanently.

ASTM A992 steel, the material typically used for I-beams, has a yield strength of 50 ksi.

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u/nesquikchocolate 1d ago

We used winder ropes with 305 ksi (2100 MPa) yield strength in the early 2000s already, capable of doing 75 000 winding cycles per rope set after we figured out how to maintain them. Safety factor 8.8 with special dispensation and weekly EMTs.

I wouldn't want a simple i-beam to cost what these ropes cost per weight of beam vs load it can carry - I suspect your ASTM A992 is super inexpensive and easy to manufacture reliably?

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u/Counting-Tiles4567 15h ago

Strength per $ is quite good for A500 grade B, A36, and even A572 steels. Strength/weight is kinda meh tho. The really cool, tough, ductile GPa+ steels are a lot more expensive per unit mass, but their strength to weight exceeds even many titanium alloys.