Advantages of Steel Structures
Lightness
High strength and stiffness per weight
Ease of fabrication and mass production
Fast and easy erection and installation
Substantial elimination of delays due to weather
More accurate detailing
Non-shrinking and non-creeping at ambient temperature
Formwork unneeded
Termite proof and rot proof
Uniform quality
Economy in transportation and handling
Disadvantages of Steel Structures
Susceptibility to corrosion
Low fire resistance
Buckling and high deformation due to small sizes of members
Advantages of steel structures
over concrete structures
Speed of Construction
Structural steel enhances construction productivity because of its
shop fabrication while maintaining tight construction tolerances.
Rapid erection in all seasons with close tolerances being
maintained for integration with other building systems and minimal
construction site waste is achievable only with structural steel.
Advantages of steel structures
over concrete structures
Lower Project Costs
Structural steel framing system including decking and fire
protection will typically cost 5% to 7% less than a concrete framing
system on a national basis.
Aesthetic Appeal
Structural steel allows the project architect a greater degree of
expression and creativity in their design than any other
construction material.
Structural steel sections can be bent and rolled to create non-linear
members to further enhance the aesthetic appeal of the structure.
Advantages of steel structures
over concrete structures
High Strength
All other materials talk about high strength, but their strength is still
less than that of structural steel even when enhanced by steel
reinforcing.
Sustainable
Rather than utilizing land for quarrying operations to provide
aggregates or as landfills for construction material waste, structural
steel is emptying salvage yards allowing that land to be used for
other purposes.
By contrast buildings using other materials cost between $3 and
$10 per square foot to demolish, scrap and landfill.
Advantages of steel structures
over concrete structures
Innovative
New systems such as Girder-Slab, Conxtech and Side-Plate join
ongoing innovations addressing issues such as long-span deck
systems, fire protection, connection optimization, coating systems
and progressive collapse.
Advantages of steel structures
over concrete structures
Modifiable
Structural steel buildings can be modified in the future for new
applications, loading conditions, vertical expansions and changes
in owner desires in ways that other framing systems can never
accomplish.
Existing steel columns and beams can be strengthened through
the attachment of steel plate to the flanges or web of sections
allowing for greater loads.
New stairways can be added to existing steel framed buildings by
removing a portion of the floor decking, bracing a single bay and
adding the desired stair structure.
Advantages of steel structures
over concrete structures
Efficient
Structural steel buildings optimize building space efficiency through
the use of slender columns maximizing useable floor space, longer
spans for open, column-free spaces and the integration of HVAC
systems into structural spaces allowing reduction of floor-to-floor
heights.
The typical steel column occupies 75% less floor space than an
equivalent concrete column. At the same time structural steel
allows longer spans that eliminate intermediate columns creating
open floor areas ideal for today’s office layouts.
Parking structures benefit from smaller structural steel columns
and longer spans as well.
Types of Steel Sections
Hot rolled sections
these are rolled into shape while steel is hot.
Universal beams (UB)
Universal columns (UC)
Parallel/taper flange channels (PFC/TFC)
Equal/unequal angles (EA/UA)
Types of Steel Sections
Welded sections
sections are made of plates which are welded together to form the
desired shape.
Welded Beams (WB) (an I section made of three plates welded
together).
Material Specifications
Types of Steel Sections
Cold formed steel sections
These are formed from thin plates at room temperature.
Cold-formed steel is much thinner than hot rolled steel (typical
thickness range 0.6mm-2mm).
Corrugated roof sheets, purlins (C & Z sections)
Where and when use steel structures?
Long-span structures
Multi-storey and high-rise buildings
Buildings of heavy duty plants
Tower and mast structures
Portal frames
Bridges
Infrastructures
Deployable structures
Generalized structures
Structural Steel Applications
Structural Steel Applications