Construction systems used in India: Steel Frame
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Steel frames consist of vertical columns and horizontal beams which are riveted bolted and welded together in a rectilinear grid. This building technique is executed with a skeletal structure of rectangular grids supporting the ground.
The usage of steel frames in construction growing steadily in the industry and it is one of the major construction systems behind the success of skyscrapers.
This construction system is mainly used for large architectural structures, garages, high-rise buildings, etc.
Durability, sustainability, and affordability make it one of the highly demanding construction materials in the industry.
There are three prominent types of steel construction and they are :
- Conventional steel fabrication
- Bolted steel construction
- Light Gauge steel construction.
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We shall briefly look into these three types of steel construction.
Conventional steel fabrication:
This is the type of construction in which the conventional method is used. Steels are cut according to the desired dimension and weld them to make the final structure. This can even be done on-site or in a workshop and it requires intense labor work.
Bolted steel construction:
This type of construction work denotes a method in which the material is processed, painted, polished and onsite it is simply bolted according to the required structure. Pre-engineered buildings are an example of using bolted steel construction system.
Light Gauge steel construction:
It is a construction technique in which cold-formed steel is used as a construction material. This process is similar to wood frame construction. 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.
Some of the advantages of using steel frame as a construction system are:
- Saves time
- Lower project cost
- Innovative
- Modifiable
- Strength
- Infection resistant
- Moisture and weather resistant
Few disadvantages of using steel frame as a construction system are:
- High maintenance cost
- Buckling issues
- Fireproofing costs
- Expansion can happen with the change in temperature.
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A&D industry had succeeded in bringing up different kinds of construction systems according to the design requirements. Steel frame construction system is popular both in India as well as outside India due to the easiness in creating any complex structure.