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Steel structure buildings can be categorized into several types according to their structural stress characteristics. Each type offers unique benefits and challenges, making them suitable for different applications and settings. This article will introduce each type in detail to help you better understand steel structure building.
A portal frame represents a conventional structural system characterized by its upper framework, which consists of inclined beams, columns, bracing, purlins, tie rods, and gable frames. This type of light steel structure offers several advantages, such as straightforward stress management, well-defined force transmission routes, rapid component production, and ease of factory processing, leading to short construction times.
Consequently, portal frames are extensively utilized in industrial, commercial, cultural, and entertainment facilities, as well as various other industrial and civil buildings. Originating in the United States, the portal frame light steel structure has evolved over nearly a century into a system with well-established standards for design, production, and construction.
A space truss, often referred to as a spherical node truss, is a lightweight and rigid structural system designed in a geometric configuration. These trusses generally utilize multi-directional spacing and are constructed using tension and compression rods.
The structure is subjected to forces in three-dimensional space and can withstand loads from various directions. This makes them particularly effective for large-span buildings with seismic resistance requirements, and they are commonly used in public buildings.
In modern times, the tensioned string beam structure was proposed by Professor M. Saitoh from a Japanese university. It is an innovative hybrid roof system that sets itself apart from conventional structures.
This structure represents a hybrid system that integrates rigid upper chords, flexible cables, and intermediate struts, creating a novel self-balancing configuration. It is a large-span prestressed spatial structural system and a successful creation in the development of hybrid structural systems. The tensioned string beam structure is simple, has clear force transmission, and offers diverse structural forms.
It fully exploits the advantages of both rigid and flexible materials, and its manufacturing, transportation, and construction are straightforward and convenient, giving it a promising application prospect.
The string-supported dome structure is similar to the tensioned string beam structure in that both utilize the tension of cables to generate a supporting force for the beams, thereby reducing the stress on the beams.
However, there is a significant difference between the two: in a tensioned string beam, the cables are tensioned in a straight line, whereas in a string-supported dome, the cables are tensioned in a circular pattern. The circular tensioning of the cables makes this structural system ideal for round-shaped roofs, like those found in the Beijing Velodrome and the Anhui University Gymnasium.
A grid structure is a spatial rod system in which the load-bearing elements are interconnected at nodes following a specific pattern. The nodes are generally designed as hinges, and the members primarily bear axial forces, resulting in relatively small cross-sectional dimensions.
These spatially converging members support each other, organically combining the load-bearing elements with the support system, making material use economical. The uniformity in the structural composition allows many rods and nodes to share the same shape and size, which streamlines both factory production and on-site installation.
A frame structure consists of columns and beams designed to support both vertical and lateral forces. However, rigid frames typically exhibit limited resistance to lateral forces, resulting in significant lateral deformation of the structure, making them generally suitable for structures with fewer than 20 stories.
Columns are usually either box-shaped steel or concrete-filled steel tube columns. The latter involves filling round or box-shaped steel columns with concrete, merging the benefits of steel structures with the superior compressive strength of concrete.
Similar to a frame-braced structure, this system uses shear walls instead of braces to resist lateral forces. Shear walls, typically constructed from concrete panels, steel plates, or a combination of steel and concrete, provide enhanced lateral stiffness and more flexible layout options, making them ideal for taller buildings.
This structure consists of a core tube, a frame tube, and a truss tube, with the core tube typically inside and the frame or truss tube outside. Both the inner and outer tubes work together to resist horizontal forces. A tube formed by shear walls is called a solid web tube, while a tube with regularly arranged window openings in the walls is called a frame tube. A tube with walls formed by vertical and diagonal rods is referred to as a truss tube.
The bundled tube structure is a type of composite tube system. For large building plans, a modular grid arrangement is used to minimize deformation of the outer walls under lateral forces. This configuration forms a group of composite tubes, consisting of an external frame tube and internal longitudinal and transverse shear walls (or closely spaced columns), which greatly enhances the building's rigidity and resistance to lateral forces.
The bundled tube structure can accommodate any building shape and adapt to different height combinations, enriching the architectural appearance. The 110-story Sears Tower in Chicago, USA, is an example of a building using a bundled tube structure.
The development of steel structure buildings has been significantly advanced by policy support, industrialization demands, and increased steel production. Their robust assembly characteristics enable these buildings to adapt effectively to modern advancements. To capitalize on this, we should fully utilize the technical advantages of steel structure buildings, emphasizing their strengths while mitigating weaknesses, and focus on creating more prefabricated systems that align with current development needs.
