Steel Designers Manual - TheBestFriend.org

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Steel Designers' Manual - 6th Edition (2003)
2 Single-storey buildings
unit weight
(kg/rn2
of floor
area)
40
35
30
25
20
15
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
span (metres)
Fig. 1.1 Comparison of bare frame weights for portal and lattice structures
In all instances the requirement is to provide a covering to allow a particular activity
to take place; the column spacing is selected to give as much freedom of use of
the space consistent with economy. The normal span range will be from 12 m to
50 m, but larger spans are feasible for hangars and enclosed sports stadia.
Figure 1.1 shows how steel weight varies with structural form and span. 1
1.2 Anatomy of structure
A typical single-storey building consisting of cladding, secondary steel and a frame
structure is shown in Fig. 1.2.
1.2.1 Cladding
Cladding is required to be weathertight, to provide insulation, to have penetrations
for daylight and access, to be aesthetically pleasing, and to last the maximum time
with a minimum of maintenance consistent with the budget.
The requirements for the cladding to roofs and walls are somewhat different.