| Standard System | Common Grades (For Columns) | Key Characteristics as Columns | Typical Column Applications |
| European (EN) | S355JR / J0 / J2 | The most mainstream choice. High yield strength (≥355 MPa) effectively withstands axial compression. Wide-flange H-sections (HEA/HEB) have a large moment of inertia, offering strong resistance to buckling. Excellent weldability facilitates beam-column connections. | Factory building frame columns, high-rise building structural columns, industrial platform support columns. |
| S460ML / S460QL | Ultra-high strength (yield ≥460 MPa). Used for columns that require significantly reduced cross-sectional dimensions or must withstand extreme loads, such as in heavy industrial plants and special structures. | Heavy-duty factory columns, crane runway columns, large equipment support columns. |
| American (ASTM/AISC) | A992 | The preferred grade for structural building columns. Yield strength 50 ksi (~345 MPa). Balanced properties with strict limits on the yield-to-tensile strength ratio, ensuring good ductility and seismic performance. | Frame columns and support columns for commercial and residential buildings. |
| A572 Gr.50 | High-strength low-alloy steel, with performance close to A992. Commonly used in heavy structures. Cost-effective, often an alternative to A992. | Industrial building columns, bridge piers, transmission tower legs. |
| A500 Gr.C | Hollow Structural Sections (HSS) – round, rectangular, or square. Often used for concrete-filled tube (CFT) columns or pure steel columns. Yield strength 50 ksi. Closed sections offer good isotropic properties, high efficiency in compression and torsion, and a clean aesthetic. | Exposed architectural columns in modern buildings, compression members in space trusses, lightweight frame columns. |
| Japanese (JIS) | SM490YA / YB | Rolled steels for building structure, with tensile strength ≥490 MPa. Grades A/B are suitable for general column structures, offering good weldability. | Frame columns for ordinary to medium-load buildings. |
| SN400B / C, SN490B / C | Seismic-resistant steel for buildings. Strictly regulated yield ratio, elongation, and toughness ensure columns possess excellent ductility and energy dissipation capacity during earthquakes, preventing brittle failure. | Frame columns (especially in beam-column connection zones) in high seismic regions. |