Steel Structures in Building Constructions

In our previous blog on types of Materials Used in Structural Design, we have discussed about the types of materials used for the Structure of a Building. One of them was the Metal Structure, which is gaining popularity in Bangladesh, where Reinforced Concrete Structures are more common.

There are Three Common types of Steels used in Structural Construction and they are:

1. Plain Carbon Steel or Mild Steel: This is the most common type of steel used in building construction. Carbon Steels are extremely strong and durable and do not crack when bent. Thus, this type of steel is very useful in Construction of Structures in earthquake prone areas.
2. Rebar Steel: Rebar steel are also known as Reinforced steel and is used as a tension device for reinforced concrete or reinforced masonry structure. It holds the concrete into compression, and it is available in various types of grades, which are usually found in varying specifications in yield strength, vital tensile strength, chemical composition, and elongation percentage. They are most common types of steel used in the Construction Projects in Bangladesh.
3. Structural Steel: A structural steel is a steel construction material which is fabricated with specific shapes, sizes and chemical composition so that it suits the required specifications of a project. Structural steel is ductile, strong and durable; thus, it can be made into almost any shape based on the construction requirements.

Structural Steel is the most suitable for a Steel Structure Building. Some frequently used shapes of structural steel include:

1. I-beams
2. Hollow Structural Sections (HSS)
3. Angles (L-Shaped)
4. Bearing Pile (H-Shaped)
5. Tee (T-Beams)
6. Pipes
7. Channels (C-Shaped) and
8. Plates

The components of the steel structure connect with each other to carry the load of the structure and provide full rigidity.

Steel has high strength and so steel structure is more reliable as it requires less raw materials compared to that of concrete structure or masonry structure. There are other reasons as to why steel Structures are preferred over other types like:

1. Steel Structures require less raw material compared to that of Concrete Structure, so they Save Costs. They also require less maintenance than other materials so Saves Maintenance Costs
2. Steel can be given any shapes or forms. Thus, it allows architects and designers to express their Creativity and in turn, it makes the structure more Sophisticated and Beautiful.
3. Compared to Concrete Structure or Masonry Structure, which also requires Rebar Steel for Reinforcement, use of only Structural Steel can make the Construction Process This is possible because the Components are prefabricated, and the structure just needs to be assembled.
4. Steel is It can withstand extreme forces and harsh weather conditions. Steel Structure have Higher Resistance due to their Strength.

Many Architectural Wonders have been Built using Steel Structure all across the globe and among them five notable examples are:

1. Fallingwater in Southwestern Pennsylvania by Frank Lloyd Wright.
2. The PV14 House in Dallas, Texas by Architects Matt Mooney and Michael Gooden.
3. Solar Canopy in Chicago, Illinois, which is an 11-foot tall, 6000-pound steel structure for the purpose of harvesting solar energy to power electric or hybrid vehicles.
4. The Maiden Tower in Vorarlberg, Austria by Stefan Marte.
5. Best-Jodlowa House in Krakow, Poland.

Just like the rest of the world, Construction of Steel Structure is gaining Popularity in Bangladesh. Although there are many advantages of Steel Structure and some Marvelous Structures can be created, but fire protection is very important in a steel building and must be given due thoughts to. To read about other types of Materials Used in Structural Design, you may visit this link.