Design Of Steel Structures: Introduction

DESIGN OF STEEL STRUCTURES: INTRODUCTION

Ever since steel began to be used in the construction of structures, it has made possible some of the grandest structures both in the past and also in the present day. Steel is by far the most useful material for building structures with strength of approximately ten times that of concrete, steel is the ideal material for modern construction. Due to its large strength to weight ratio, steel structures tend to be more economical than concrete structures for tall buildings and large span buildings and bridges. Steel structures can be constructed very fast and this enables the structure to be used early thereby leading to overall economy. Steel structures are ductile and robust and can withstand severe loadings such as earthquakes. Steel structures can be easily repaired and retrofitted to carry higher loads. Steel is also a very eco-friendly material and steel structures can be easily dismantled and sold as scrap. Thus the lifecycle cost of steel structures, which includes the cost of construction, maintenance, repair and dismantling, can be less than that for concrete structures. Since steel is produced in the factory under better quality control, steel structures have higher reliability and safety. To get the most benefit out of steel, steel structures should be designed and protected to resist corrosion and fire. They should be designed and detailed for easy fabrication and erection. Good quality control is essential to ensure proper fitting of the various structural elements. The effects of temperature should be considered in design. To prevent development of cracks under fatigue and earthquake loads the connections and in particular the welds should be designed and detailed properly. Special steels and protective measures for corrosion and fire are available and the designer should be familiar with the options available.

A steel structure, like any other, is an assemblage of a group of members which contribute to resist the total load and thereby transfer the loads safely to ground. This consist members subjected to various actions like axial forces (Compression & Tension), bending, shear, torsion etc or a combination of these. The elements are connected together by means of rivets, pins or welds. Depending on the fixity of these joints, the connections are classified as rigid, semi rigid and flexible.