Steel Structures
Structures having steel as major building material are called steel structures. In modern construction, steel structure is used for almost every type of structure including heavy industrial building, high-rise building, equipment support system, infrastructure, bridge, tower, airport terminal, heavy industrial plant, pipe rack, etc. Properties like high strength, reliability makes it obvious choice for construction at various places.
Steel profiles come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and dimensions, depending on the specifications applied to each project. Some are made by hot or cold rolling, while others are made by welding of flat or folded sheet metal. Common formats include I-beams, HSS, channels, angles, and plates.
Types of steel structures: – Beams and columns in frame structures, lattice/dome in grid structure, Bar and struts in truss structures, Bridges like suspension and arc.
FIG: – Elements in steel structures
Advantages of Steel structures:
- Cost efficient – For most projects in terms of materials and design costing, steel is preferred. It is cheaper to manufacture and assemble and requires less maintenance than other traditional methods.
- Longer life span – It can withstand unfavorable weather conditions and such as strong winds, earthquakes, hurricanes, and heavy snow. It is also resistant to rust and, unlike wooden windowsills, is not attacked by termites, beetles, mold, and mildew.
- Quality and Time management – Steel structures are fabricated in the factory in a controlled environment by skilled technicians. So, there is a less chance of quality issue. As most of the structures are prefabricated, it takes lesser construction time and minimizes chances of onsite error.
- Ease of design – In terms of space consumption and natural lighting steel structures overpowers other construction structures. It has its own beauty of longer free spans that allows architects to experiment a lot of ideas.
Reference: – https://atad.vn/steel-structure-introduction/