Characteristics of steel structures

Steel structures are one of the main structural types in civil engineering. It has been widely used in building construction, underground buildings, bridges, towers, offshore platforms, port construction, mining construction, water plant construction, storage tanks and warehouses, gasoline tanks and pipelines. This is because steel structures have many advantages over other types of structures made of other materials, including:

• 1. High strength and light weight: Compared with concrete and wood, steel has a higher density, but its strength is much higher. The ratio of density to strength is usually smaller than that of concrete and wood. Therefore, under the same load conditions, the cross-sectional area of steel members is smaller than that of concrete and wood structures, and the weight is lighter than that of concrete and wood structures.
• 2. Good material characteristics and high reliability: Steel is produced by steel mills, with strict quality control, relatively uniform material quality, excellent plasticity and toughness. As a building material, it is ideal to meet various elastoplastic properties, so the actual stress of steel conforms to theoretical modeling assumptions.
• 3. Good tightness: Steel structures use welding methods to connect steel members, which can achieve both airtightness and watertightness, and can meet the requirements of high-pressure vessels, large oil storage facilities, oil tanks, pipelines and other structures.
• 4. Good heat resistance: Since the properties of steel change little at temperatures below 250°C, steel can be used in environments not exceeding 250°C. When the temperature reaches 300°C, the strength of the steel gradually decreases. At 600°C, the strength will be reduced to less than one-third. In this case, the steel structure should be properly protected.
• 5. Good seismic performance: The steel structure has light deadweight and good overall ductility, and the impact of earthquake on the steel structure is relatively small. In addition, steel has high tensile and compressive strength, and good toughness and plasticity. As a result, among several earthquakes in China and other parts of the world, steel structures suffered the least damage. In many areas, especially earthquake-prone areas, steel structures are recognized as the most suitable structures for earthquake resistance.
• 6. High degree of industrialization and short construction period: Steel components are produced in factories, which can achieve large-scale and high-precision production. Using this construction method and on-site assembly can effectively shorten the construction period, reduce construction costs, and create economic benefits for financial investment. Good conditions.
• 7. High space utilization rate: The cross-section of steel structures is relatively small, which can provide more space for use under the same building area. In addition, the interior space of the steel structure building can be flexibly divided as needed to meet the requirements of different users.
• 8. Easy maintenance: The maintenance of steel structures is relatively simple. Regular inspection of the connection parts, anti-corrosion coatings, etc. of the structure, and timely repair and maintenance can ensure the safety and durability of the structure. Moreover, due to the standardization and modularization of steel structural members, it is more convenient to replace damaged members.

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