STEEL CONSTRUCTION

A steel building is a metal structure fabricated

with steel for the internal support and for exterior
cladding, as opposed to steel framed buildings which
generally use other materials for floors, walls, and
external envelope. Steel buildings are used for a
variety of purposes including storage, work spaces and
living accommodation. They are classified into specific
types depending on how they are used.

HISTORY

Steel buildings first gained popularity in the early 20th century. Their use became
more widespread during World War II and
significantly expanded after the war when
steel became more available. Steel buildings
have been widely accepted, in part due to
cost efficiency. The range of application has
expanded with improved materials, products
and design capabilities with the availability of
computer aided design software.

TYPES OF STEEL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

There are several types of steel building construction. Steel construction is also called steel
fabrication.

Conventional Steel Fabrication is when teams of steel fabricators cut members of steel
to the correct lengths, and then weld them together to make the final structure. This can be
done entirely at the construction site, which is labour-intensive, or partially in a workshop, to
provide better working conditions and reduce time.

Bolted Steel Construction occurs when steel fabricators produce finished and painted
steel components, which are then shipped to the site and simply bolted in place. This is the
preferred method of steel construction, as the bulk of the fabrication can be done in
workshops, with the right machinery, lighting, and work conditions. The size of the
components are governed by the size of the truck or trailer they are shipped in, usually with
a max length of 6m (20ft) for normal trucks or 12m (40ft) for long trailers. Since the only
work to be done at site is lifting the steel members into place (with cranes) and bolting, the
work at site is tremendously fast. Pre-engineered buildings are an example of bolted
steel construction that is designed, fabricated, shipped and erected by one company to the
owner.

Light Gauge Steel Construction is a type of construction that is common for residential
and small buildings in North America and parts of Europe. This is similar to wood framed
construction, except that light gauge steel members are used in place of wood two-by-fours.
Light gauge steel is steel that is in the form of thin (1-3mm) sheets of steel that have been
bent into shape to form C-sections or Z-sections.
WEIGHT OF STEEL FRAME STRUCTURES

Consider a single storey building measuring 5 x 8m (16 x 26ft). Let us first construct this in
concrete, with four columns at the corners, beams spanning between the columns, and a
150mm (6") thick concrete slab at the top. Such a structure would weigh about 800 kg/m2,
or 32 Tons (32,000 kg) in total. If we build this of steel instead, with a sloping roof covered
with corrugated metal sheeting with insulation, this would weigh only about 65 kg/m2. The
steel framed building will weigh only 2.6 Tons (2,600 kg). So the concrete building is over 12
times heavier! This is for single storey structures - in multi-storey structures, the difference
will be less, as the floors in multi-storey steel buildings are built of concrete slabs for
economy - but the difference is still significant.

This low weight of steel frame buildings means that they have to be firmly bolted to the
foundations to resist wind forces, else they could be blown away like deck umbrellas.

ADVANTAGES OF STEEL STRUCTURES

Steel structures have the following advantages:

They are super-quick to build at site, as a lot of work can be pre-fabbed at the
factory.
They are flexible, which makes them very good at resisting dynamic (changing)
forces such as wind or earthquake forces.

A wide range of ready-made structural sections are available, such as I, C, and

angle sections

They can be made to take any kind of shape, and clad with any type of material

A wide range of joining methods is available, such as bolting, welding, and riveting

Steel is structurally sound and manufactured to strict specifications and tolerances.

Any excess material is 100% recyclable.

Steel does not easily warp, buckle, twist or bend, and is therefore easy to modify and
offers design flexibility. Steel is also easy to install.

Steel is cost effective and rarely fluctuates in price.

Steel allows for improved quality of construction and less maintenance, while offering
improved safety and resistance.

With the propagation of mold and mildew in residential buildings, using steel
minimizes these infestations. Mold needs moist, porous material to grow. Steel studs
do not have those problems.

DISADVANTAGES OF STEEL STRUCTURES

Steel structures have the following disadvantages:

They lose strength at high temperatures, and are susceptible to fire.

 They are prone to corrosion in humid or marine environments.

Heat conductivity: Calculations show that the web of an 18-gauge steel stud is about
31 times thinner than a "two-by" wood stud; however, steel conducts heat 310 times
more efficiently than wood. As a net result, a "two-by" steel stud will conduct 10
times more heat than a "two-by" wood stud.

Corrosion: Faulty design leads to the corrosion of iron and steel in buildings.

Can bend in fires.