Common Steel frame construction types and their components

There is an interesting fact about steel that says 75% of all appliances are made up of steel. It is not surprising because steel is an integral part of any construction project. Every building, no matter for which purpose they are constructed, steel becomes the primary material used in the project. 

Steel—amongst other uses—serves as a frame upon which the entire building is to be built. The durability of such frames depends heavily on the quality of the Steel Dealers in Chennai. Steel frames can either be prefabricated in a warehouse off the site or constructed from the ground up on-site, depending on the requirements of the project. 

What are Steel frames?

Steel frames consist of columns and beams that are either welded, molded, or bolted to form the desired structure. All the components of the frame cohesively work to hold the building together and also distribute the load equally within themselves. 

It is used mostly by engineers to speed up the process of construction. Steel frames allow good flexibility and durability, making them a perfect choice for a sturdy, long-term construction project at a low cost. 

Steel frame building types

1 – Standard steel fabrication  

It is a basic form of steel frame construction. The engineers go to work with the pre-planned measurements and sizes of different columns and cross-sections. Then, they cut steel the SAIL TMT Bar based on the layout, and then everything is assembled and welded to form the final unit. It is carried out exclusively on-site and is very labor-intensive. 

2 – Welding steel fabrication

This kind of steel frame construction happens off the site in a warehouse. The components are custom made to fit the requirements of the building design and painting is done before starting the assembling process. They are then taken to the construction site and every component is joined by welding at the site. They are the most used type of steel frame construction as most of the work is completed off-site.

3 – Light gauge frame construction

Thin sheets of steel are accordingly shaped as C-sections and Z-sections, which are used for the construction of residential flats and low-tier houses. This method of steel frame building gives a great amount of flexibility to the design and decreases the time and effort required for the construction.

Steel frame components

Generally, the steel frame components are classified into primary framing and secondary framing based upon the level of their importance to the structure.

Primary framing components

The durability of the construction solely rests on these primary components. They take the massive weight of the frame upon itself and ensure the longevity of the frame. Failing to use such primary framing components would be detrimental to the building. Following are the steel members that make up the primary portion of the structure.

• Columns provide vertical support and mostly follow after the basement is laid. They are either metal tubes or come in U, H, or I-shaped cross-sections.
• Beams are laid on top of the columns to provide horizontal support.
• Rafters are sturdy beams that support the roof structure.

Secondary Framing components

These steel members are generally used to provide additional support to the primary components and to minimize the wear and tear of the primary frame elements. Secondary components also offer utility. For example, MS chequered plate minimizes the risk of falling when attached to stairs in industrial buildings. The MS plate price in chennai is fairly economical thus, installing them during the construction provides a good grip to the floors.