There are two main methods of building structures: steel structure and RCC Structure. Each method has advantages and disadvantages, and deciding which form to use is complex.
1. Graphic design:
Steel structure: large span can be 20 meters
RCC Structure: 10 meters span
For a three-story steel office building, a column-free interior space, i.e., a single-bay steel frame structural system, was adopted to realize the building plan’s more flexible functional division. This design allows for a beam span of 13.5 meters, which is relatively easy to achieve using H-shaped solid web steel beams in conjunction with cold-formed rectangular steel tube columns. Steel Structure VS RCC Structure: steel structure buildings can thus provide more open space and a freer functional layout. In contrast, concrete structures are challenging to realize this combination of span and clear height.
2. Steel Structure VC RCC Structure: Column dimensions:
Steel’s high strength and uniform properties allow smaller section sizes to be used. In the three-story office building mentioned above, for example, the width of the steel columns is only 40 cm, compared to a significantly wider column width of at least 65 cm with reinforced concrete.
3. Beam height
The minimum height-to-span ratio for concrete beams is 1/18, and the maximum is 1/20 for steel structures. In conventional design, the height-to-span ratio for steel beams is usually 1/20.
This ratio can be reduced to 1/30 for steel beams in light roofs but generally not less than 1/40. This difference in beam height affects not only the clear height of the building and space utilization but also the overall structural rigidity.
Steel Structure VS RCC Structure with their smaller beam heights, allow for more flexible placement of piping and equipment and larger spans. However, designers need to be careful to control the deflection of steel beams to ensure the structure’s performance and comfort during the use phase.
