Metal Frame or Steel Frame

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon and other elements and because of its high tensile
strength and low cost, it is a major component used in buildings and infrastructure.

Frame is an open structure that gives shape and support to something such as the skeletal beams
and uprights of a building

Steel frame is a building technique with a "skeleton frame" of vertical steel columns and
horizontal I-beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls of a
building which are all attached to the frame. The development of this technique made the
construction of the skyscraper possible.

Completed in 2009, the Burj Khalifa,
in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), is
currently the tallest skyscraper in the
world, with a height of 829.8 metres
(2,722 ft).
Grand Hyatt Manila is a 318 m (1,043 ft) 66-
storey mixed-used skyscraper, located in BGC,
Taguig, Metro Manila. It is the tallest building in
Bonifacio Global City and also the tallest in the
Philippines since its completion in 2017. It is the
Philippines' first supertall building.
CHARACTERISTICS OF STEEL FRAMING:

1. Strength- Most steel construction is done with a type of steel called mild steel. Mild steel
is a material that is immensely strong. This immense strength is of great advantage to
buildings.
2. Flexibility- It is an important feature of steel framing. It can bend without cracking,
which is another great advantage, as a steel building can flex when it is pushed to one
side by say, wind, or an earthquake.
3. Plasticity or ductility- This means that when subjected to great force, it will not
suddenly crack like glass, but slowly bend out of shape. This property allows steel
buildings to bend out of shape, or deform, thus giving warning to inhabitants to escape.

Failure in steel frames is not sudden - a steel structure rarely collapses. Steel in most
cases performs far better in earthquake than most other materials because of these properties.

WHERE STEEL FRAME STRUCTURES ARE USED

Steel construction is most often used in:

1. High rise buildings- because of its strength, low weight, and speed of construction
2. Industrial buildings- because of its ability to create large span spaces at low cost
3. Warehouse buildings- for the same reason
4. Residential buildings- in a technique called light gauge steel construction
5. Temporary Structures- as these are quick to set up and remove

TYPES OF STEEL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

1. Conventional Steel Fabrication is when teams of steel fabricators cut members of steel to the
correct lengths, and then weld them together to make the final structure. This can be done
entirely at the construction site, which is labor-intensive, or partially in a workshop, to provide
better working conditions and reduce time.

2. Bolted Steel Construction occurs when steel fabricators produce finished and painted steel
components, which are then shipped to the site and simply bolted in place. This is the preferred
method of steel construction, as the bulk of the fabrication can be done in workshops, with the
right machinery, lighting, and work conditions. The size of the components are governed by the
size of the truck or trailer they are shipped in, usually with a max length of 6m (20ft) for normal
trucks or 12m (40ft) for long trailers. Since the only work to be done at site is lifting the steel
members into place (with cranes) and bolting, the work at site is tremendously fast. Pre-
engineered buildings are an example of bolted steel construction that is designed, fabricated,
shipped and erected by one company to the owner.

3. Light Gauge Steel Construction is a type of construction that is common for residential and
small buildings in North America and parts of Europe. This is similar to wood framed
construction, except that light gauge steel members are used in place of wood two-by-fours.
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.

ADVANTAGES OF STEEL STRUCTURES

Steel structures have the following advantages:

1. Strength & Durability- Structural steel components are lighter and stronger than
weight-bearing wood or concrete products. A typical weight-bearing steel fabrication is
30% to 50% lighter than a wooden equivalent. This makes steel frame construction far
stronger and more durable than traditional wood framed alternatives.

2. Faster Construction Time- They are super-quick to build at site, as a lot of work can be
pre-fabbed at the factory.
3. Easy Fabrication in Different Sizes- They can be made to take any kind of shape, and
clad with any type of material. A wide range of joining methods is available, such as
bolting, welding, and riveting.
4. Flexible- They are flexible, which makes them very good at resisting dynamic (changing)
forces such as wind or earthquake forces.
5. Availability of ready-made structure- A wide range of ready-made structural
sections are available, such as I, C, and angle sections
6. Environmentally friendly- Steel is made from recycled materials and can be recycled at
the end of its lifespan, one of the many reasons why it can earn builders points toward
major green building certification programs.

According to the Steel Recycling Institute:

 80 million tons of steel are recycled each year, making it the world's most recycled
product.
 Since 1990, the steel industry has reduced energy intensity per ton of steel produced by
28% and CO2 emissions by 35% per ton of steel shipped.
 Reductions in energy use and CO2 emissions are rapidly reaching the limits defined by
the laws of physics.
DISADVANTAGES OF STEEL STRUCTURES

Steel structures have the following disadvantages:

1. Thermal Conductivity- Steel loses strength at high temperatures, and are susceptible
to fire.
At 500 degrees celsius (930 degrees F), mild steel can lose almost half its strength. This
is what happened at the collapse of the World Trade Towers in 2001. Therefore, steel in
buildings must be protected from fire or high temperature; this is usually done by
wrapping it with boards or spray-on material called fire protection.

Collapse of the World Trade Towers in 2001

2. Corrosion- They are prone to corrosion in humid or marine environments.

3. Reduced Flexibility on Site- One of the benefits of using wooden structural components
is the ability to adjust them on site. A component can be cut down to size, nails
hammered in to strengthen the join and so on. This obviously can’t happen with steel.
The measurements of steel need to be precisely calculated in advance, because a steel
fabrication is delivered to site in its final form, ready to be slotted into the building. This
is of course one of the big advantages of steel, but if the fabrication has resulted in an
inaccurate component for whatever reason, the project may be held up while the
framework is sent back to the workshop for adjustment. You can avoid this issue by
working with a fabrication company such as GLW, where we take a consultative
approach to accuracy and measurements from the very beginning, to avoid any
unpleasant surprises on site.
References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_frame

http://www.understandconstruction.com/steel-frame-structures.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_the_World_Trade_Center

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_the_Philippines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Khalifa