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The design of steel structures in civil engineering is dealt with by Eurocode3 paying special attention to brittle failure and fracture toughness of the steels typifiedfor these structures. This work examines the cleavage fracture of an S460N steel type froma combined view, theoretical and experimental, regarding the effect of temperature and platethicknesses on fracture toughness. The experimental results are explained on the basis ofthe weakest link model and the master curve, but in addition to this, it is inferred from thetensile behaviour of the steel that the effect of temperature on fracture toughness is transmittedby yield strength. This conclusion is corroborated by the experimental results.