h.s.s

huangyhg

h.s.s.
does hss - hollow structural section refer to both square and round sections?
what material specification shall i use?
in the past i have specified astm/a500b for structural square tube.  and i have referred to it on structural framing plans as ts4x4x5/16.  apparently, i should specify hss4x4x5/16.
for structural round pipe i have never given an astm spec.
and i have referred to it as p5std, xs or dxs.  how do i specify round hss?  should i be specifying astm/a53?
what current specifications should i be using?
thank you!
the proper material specifications are listed in the aisc steel manual (p.1-93 for asd 9th ed. or p.2-24 for lrfd 3rd ed.).  for additional information, see charlie carter's modern steel construction article at
i agree with taro in specifying the type of material as per aisc. with regards to call-outs, nothing and no one will stop you from using any name you like to use for your   
the numbers right after hss will automatically tell you if its square, rectangular, or round.
ex-
hss4x4x1/4  -  4 inches square
hss8x4x1/4  -  8"x4" section
hss3.000x0.250 - 3" round section.