3 Types of Steel Structures

Bolted steel

The bolted steel construction process is designed to be straightforward and as time-efficient as possible. The steel is produced in the workshop at the right length and painted to create the ready to use components. Bolted steel is the favored steel construction method. But, the lengths of steel are limited to the size of the trailer or truck that is delivering the material. The actual process of erecting the steel frame relies on a crane lifting the pieces into position and then bolted in place. This makes the work on site extremely fast. One of the major projects for using bolted steel is in the process of creating the pre-engineered buildings. This type of structure is fully serviced by a single company who can take full responsibility for designing, fabricating, shipping and erecting the building.

Light Gauge

The process of using light gauge steel in a construction project is practical for small and residential building in parts of Europe and North America. This common build method is quite similar in principle to using wooden two-by-fours for the frame, but the light gauge steel is simply a direct replacement. This type of steel has a thickness in the region of 1 to 3 mm and has been pre-bent into shape to match the needs of the project. A few of the standard shapes to bend the steel include Z-sections or C-sections.

Conventional

The conventional type of steel fabrication relates to the workshop cutting the pieces of steel to the desired length. Once the individual pieces of steel are delivered to the work-site, they are welded together to create the solid framework. Also, certain parts of the framework can be welded together in the workshop to make the erection process more time efficient. Plus, there is the option to create a variety of ready-made pieces such as angle, C and I sections. By doing as much work as possible in the workshop the final on-site stage is that much more time efficient.

Even though steel structures are practical in most situations, they aren’t so advisable in marine or humid environments because of the risk of corrosion over time.