STEEL

CONSTRUCTION
 contents

3-1 Introduction
3-2 Production and
Processing of steel
3-3 Properties & Functional
requirements of steel
3-4 Steel Section
3-5 Steel connection methods
3-6 steel building system
3-7 insulation and corrosion
treatment
Introduction

3-2 Production & Processing of steel

Steel
is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a 3-2.1 Production
carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight.

Carbon and other elements act as a hardening

agent, preventing dislocations in the iron atom
raw materials
crystal lattice from sliding past one another. Coke Limestone
Varying the amount of alloying elements and form iron ore (carbon (impurities
of their presence in the steel controls qualities such supply) reduced )
as the hardness, ductility and strength of the
blast Furnace
resulting steel.
Steel with increased carbon content can be made removing slag
harder and stronger than wrought iron, but is also
less ductile (more brittle).
pig iron

wrought iron: Carbon content 0.1– 0.25%, low strength wrought iron steel cast iron

Mild,structural steel: Carbon content0.2% – 1.5%, ductile

Cast iron:Carbon content 3% – 4%, low melting point,

brittle
3-2.2 Processing of steel 3-3 Proroperties & functional

Rolling (Hot & Cold) requirements of steel

Hot rolling - forcing steel though rollers while the steel

is hot .
Cold rolling- uses the same process as the hot rolling
but uses high pressure .

Extrusion or drawing
forcing steel through die
Fire protection of structural steelwork

Fires in buildings generally start from a small source

of ignition, the 'outbreak of fire', which leads to the
'spread of fire' followed by a steady state during
which all combustible material burns steadily up to a
final 'decay stage'.
The materials used for fire protection of structural
steelwork may be grouped as:

• Sprayed coatings
• Board casings
• Preformed casings
• Plaster and lath
• Concrete, brick or block casings
sprayed directly on to the clean, dry surface of
the steel. The material dries to form a
permanent, homogenous insulation that can be
applied to any steel profile.
Board casings
There is a wide choice of systems based on the use
of various preformed boards that are cut to
size and fixed around steel sections as a hollow,
insulating fire protection. Board casings may be
grouped in relation to the materials that are
used in the manufacture of the boards that are
used as:
• Mineral fibre boards or batts
• Vermiculite/gypsum boards
• Plasterboard
Vermiculite/gypsum boards
Vermiculite/gypsum boards are manufactured
from exfoliated vermiculite and gypsum or
non- combustible binders. The boards are cut to
size and fixed around steelwork, either to timber
noggins wedged inside the webs of beams and
columns or screwed together and secured to steel
angles or strips as illustrated in Fig. 78.

Mineral fibre boards and batts

Mineral fibre boards and batts are made of
mineral fibres bound with calcium silicate or
cement. The surface of the boards and batts,
which is coarse textured, can be plastered.
These comparatively thick boards are screwed
to light steel framing around the steel
sections. Mineral fiber batts are semi-rigid
slabs which are fixed by means of spot- welded
pins
and lock washers. Mineral fiber boards are
moderately robust and are used where
appearance is not a prime consideration.
3-4 Steel Section
Hollow rectangular and square sections

Hollow rectangular and square sections are made

from round tube which, after heating, is
passed through a series of rolls which progressively
change the shape of the tube from a round to a
square or rectangular section. To provide different
wall thick- nesses the tube can be reduced by
stretching. The range of these sections is illustrated
in Fig. 39.
These sections are ideal for use as columns as the
material is uniformly disposed around the axis
and the rectangular section facilitates beam
connections.
These hollow sections are used for lattice roof trusses
and frames for the economy in material, particularly
where the frame is exposed, and for the neat appearance of
these sections which with welded connections have a
more elegant appearance than angle sections.
C o l d r o l l e d f o r me d s e c t i o n s
3-5 Steel Connection Methods

There are three basic steel connections

I- Rivet
II- Bolt
III- Weld

i- Rivets
Bolt connections may fail for shear stress developed by There are two types of weld.
two equal and opposite structural members it connects. i- Fillet weld
They may fail for a single shear or double shear depending A weld with a triangular cross section joining two
on the number of members it connects. surfaces that meet in an interior right angle

The other failure is bearing failure which is caused when a

high strength bolt suffer load through weak structural
member.

ii- Butt weld

Used to join plates at their edges and the weld metal
fills the gap between them
3-6 Building system
3-6-1 steel structural frame
Skeleton frame and connections

A
Detail of bolted beam to column flange connection
Not a moment connection but a shear one because it is not
a rigid connection
B D
Detail of seated beam to column web connection Detail of a coped beam-girder connection as shown at D.
Shear connection The top flanges of the beam are cut away so that the tops
of the beams and the girder are all level with one another,

Detail of welded beam to column web connection E

Moment connection, Column to column connection

C F
Welded/bolted end plate beam connection
Steel base on concrete foundation connection
Could support short cantilever beam as shown at c.
The plate is welded to the beam in shop and bolted to the
column
Hollow rectangular sections

Beam to column connections

Bolted connections to closed box section

Columns may be made with long bolts passing
through the section. Long bolts are expensive and
difficult to use as they necessitate raising beams on
opposite sides of the column at the same time in
order to position the bolts. Beam connections to
hollow rectangular and square section columns
may be made through plates, angles or tees
welded to the columns. Standard beam sections
are bolted to tee section cleats welded to
columns and lattice beams by bolting end
plates welded to beams to plates welded to
columns, as illustrated in Fig. 68.
3-6-2 Steel floor system

Precast Concrete floor on steel floor structure

Cold rolled steel deck and concrete floor
Slim floor
3-6-3 Steel wall system b. Non- loadbearing wall
i. Wall structural system
ii. Wall cladding system The studs are flexural members used in exterior
I. Steel wall structural systems can be wall systems. They are not designed to support axial loads
other than self weight and weight of attached finishes.
categorizes as
These members provide structural back-up for a variety of
a. Load bearing exterior finishes including masonry veneer, metal
b. non load bearing wall cladding, stucco, synthetic veneers and exterior insulation
a. Load bearing steel wall system and finish systems (EIFS). Interior finishes such as
Densely spaced Axial loadbearing studs transferring the gypsum drywall can be attached directly to the studs.
load to foundation , combine to joists and rafters
create a complete structural system for a building.
The studs needs to be horizontally and/or diagonally braced
for lateral load resistance.
 iii. Steel wall cladding system
Steel wall cladding can be broadly grouped as:
Single skin panels
Laminated panels
Box panels

Single skin panels

Typical liner panel dimensions

Laminated panels Box panels
3-6-4 Steel roof system Smaller section Steel Purlin is used to connect the roof
Long span roofs of different shapes are possible due to the cover with the truss system. The purlins are also helpful to
light weight and malleable property of steel. The structural brace the truss system for lateral load.
principles are more or less the same as wood roof systems
but different on its method of connection and the roof
members used.
The structure is mostly of different types of truss system
according to the span, the sections of material used and the
shape of the roof.
Roof coverings of sheet metal or panels are fixed to the
purlin with washers bolts . Enough overlaps should be given
for covering panels so as to make it water tight. Proper care
should be given for details of ridges, valleys, flashings and
gutters joints.

Various seam configurations: (a) lapped panels; (b) flat seam; (c) batten
seam; (d) vertical standing seam.

Section through parapet at high-side wall.

Details of vertical-rib roofing at non vented fixed ridge

3-7 Insulation and corrosion treatment of steel

Insulation

Four basic types of insulation used in metal buildings:

(a) Fiberglass with laminated facing; (b) foam boards;
(c) pre-insulated panels; (d) spray-on cellulose.

The organic insulants most used as insulation to steel

sheeting are expanded polystyrene in the form of
boards, extruded polystyrene in the form of boards and
polyurethane and isocyanurate in the form of pre-
formed rigid boards.
The cheapest materials used for insulation are
glass fiber, rock wool and polystyrene.
Bases of cold-formed wall studs supporting trusses in this early-vintage pre-
engineered building are completely corroded from repeated saltwater entry.