What Are Steel Structures?

Structures are the set of elements that form the resistant part of a construction. The structural system in steel is based on a frame or skeleton of any structure whose components are mostly steel columns and beams. These elements help support the floor, roof, and walls of a building and can sometimes be the entire building.

Steel is an alloy, that is, a mixture of iron (Fe) and carbon (C), whose carbon percentage must be less than 2%. Steel can be alloyed with other elements such as chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni) in order to achieve other properties, but these steels are known as alloy steels. This post introduces you to the types of steel available and points you to a professional steel frame construction company that can help you select the best for your building construction.

What Is Steel Made of, and What Classifications Are Available?

The efficiency of steel is based on the manufacturing of pieces or sections with the appropriate shape to resist compression, tension, or some other demand. Steel is also manufactured under controlled norms and standards that do not allow for variation between each piece.

As already mentioned, structural steels are manufactured under norms and standards that regulate the characteristics that steels must meet. One of the norms is the international norm American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), which groups steels into the following classifications:

• Carbon Steels: A36, A53, A500, A501 and A529
• Low alloy and high strength steels: A572, A618, A913, A992
• Low alloy, high strength, and corrosion-resistant steels: A242, A588, and A847

For construction, it is very common to use low alloy and high resistance steels such as A572 and A992, which cover the needs for the design of the building, for example: if the structure is located in a seismic zone, the steel that will be placed must have the following characteristics: ductility, rigidity, it must be capable of being welded and with the capacity to absorb energy (toughness), and we must not forget the safety of the construction, the steel must be able to resist the horizontal and vertical loads that will act on the construction.

A992 steel also offers an upper limit for the fy yield strength of 4,600 kg/m³. It has been produced in the United States of America since 1997 and has been known as Improved A572 G50 steel since then.

Types of Steel and Their Different Uses

Below are applications or uses of some of the types of steel that exist on the market.

ASTM A 36

• Connection plates
• Anchors for smooth round bars and profiles
• Upper and lower chords of trusses
• Joist type stringers
• Wind bracing of roofs

ASTM A 529 G 50

• Plates up to 1″ thick
• Channels
• Strings of Armor
• Upright and Diagonals
• Light windbreaks

ASTM A 572 G 50 

• Plate up to 4″
• Main beams type IR
• Secondary beams type IR
• IR-type profile columns
• Mezzanines

ASTM A 588

• Weathering Steel
• Offshore platforms
• ASTM A 709 Bridges
• Telecommunication towers

ASTM A 992-50

• Beams
• Columns
• Mezzanines
• Wind poles
• Spectacular
• Rail beams

It is also important to note that an organization is in charge of studying the standards for the design and construction of steel structures. This organization is known as the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), which seeks to bring together companies that produce structural steel in the United States of America, manufacturers, companies dedicated to assembly and supervision, professors, and researchers. All of these actors are responsible for updating and publishing information regarding steel construction.

Conclusion

Knowing the types of steel and their classifications is essential, especially when you intend to venture into steel frame buildings. However, you won’t need to learn about those when you hire a steel frame construction company to handle your building. All you need to do is visualize what you need and explain it to experts who can help make your dream a reality!