Steel Construction

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Steel

Steel frame buildings consist of steel columns and beams. Use this if the other technical characteristics of the building are unknown.

152

Light Metal

Light metal buildings are made of light gauge steel frame and are usually clad with lightweight metal or asbestos siding and roof, often corrugated. They typically are low-rise structures.

153

Braced Steel Frame

Buildings constructed with steel columns and beams that are braced with diagonal steel members to resist lateral forces.

154

Steel MRF - Perimeter

Buildings constructed with steel columns and beams that use only the frame members on the periphery of the structure to carry lateral loads. The internal beams and columns only carry the gravity load to the foundation.

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Steel MRF - Distributed

Buildings constructed with steel columns and beams to carry lateral loads distributed throughout the building. The diaphragms are usually concrete, sometimes over steel decking. This structural type is seldom used for low-rise buildings.

156

Steel MRF

Steel MRF buildings consist of structural steel columns and beams. Lateral loads due to earthquakes are carried by the "moment-resisting frames," but the locations of the moment-resisting frames in the building are unknown.

Currently supported for locations in Central America, the Caribbean (Hurricane model only), China, Japan, Southeast Asia, United States (North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone, Wind + Surge; Earthquake, All Perils; North America Severe Storm, All Perils; Wildfire), Canada (North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone, Wind Only; Earthquake, Shake Only; North America Severe Storm, All Perils), and New Zealand.

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Steel Frame with URM

Structural steel columns and beams form "moment-resisting frames" to carry lateral loads due to earthquakes. Unreinforced masonry walls are used as infills between the columns to add lateral load resistance, but are not intended to serve as vertical load-bearing elements. Sometimes the steel frames are completely hidden in the masonry walls.

Currently supported for locations in Central America, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, United States (North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone, Wind + Surge; Earthquake, All Perils; Wildfire), and New Zealand.

158

Steel Frame with Concrete Shear Wall

Structural steel columns and beams form exterior frames, but the joints are not designed for moment resistance. Lateral loads due to earthquakes are carried by reinforced concrete "shear" walls. The concrete walls are continuous from the foundation to the roof.

Currently supported for locations in Central America, the Caribbean (Hurricane model only), China, Japan, Southeast Asia, United States (North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone, Wind + Surge; Earthquake, All Perils; Wildfire), New Zealand, and Central Europe.

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Steel Reinforced Concrete

Structural steel sections (beams and columns) are encased in reinforced concrete. The encased structural steel columns are sometimes discontinued in the upper portions of the buildings, making the columns in the upper floor regular reinforced concrete columns.

Currently supported for locations in Central America, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, United States (North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone, Wind + Surge; Earthquake, All Perils; Wildfire), Mainland China, and for some locations in Europe, including Central Europe.

160

Steel Long Span

Steel long-span buildings create unobstructed, column-free spaces greater than 100 feet for a variety of activities or functions. These include activities where visibility is important for large audiences (e.g., auditoriums and covered stadiums), where flexibility is important (e.g., exhibition halls and certain types of manufacturing facilities), and where large movable objects are housed. Two-hinge (made of a single member hinged at each end) and three-hinge (made of two members hinged at each end and at the meeting point at the crown) trussed arches are widely used.

Currently supported only for locations in Central America and Japan.