Steel Structures 2

Abstract

This handout, entitled “Steel Structures 2”, introduces the fundamental principles required for the analysis and design of steel structural members. It focuses on the mechanical behavior of steel elements, the identification of common steel products and sections, and the verification of members subjected to different loading and stability conditions. It is primarily intended for third-year engineering students specializing in Construction and Sustainable Development (CSD). The main objectives are to: • Consolidate students’ knowledge of the principles of steel construction; • Introduce the mechanical and geometric characteristics of structural steel members; • Develop the ability of students to analyse and design steel members subjected to tension, compression, buckling, combined effects, and lateral-torsional buckling; • Prepare students to apply the basic design rules used in metal construction. Successful completion of this module requires prior knowledge in: • Structural mechanics; • Strength of materials; • Structural analysis; • Building construction; • Basic principles of steel structures; • Structural design concepts. This handout is structured into nine chapters. The first chapter presents general concepts related to steel construction, including its main fields of application, advantages, disadvantages, and the importance of considering durability, stability, fire protection, and maintenance from the earliest design stages. The second chapter introduces steel as a structural material. It deals with its composition, classification, mechanical properties, tensile behavior, standardized grades, and the usual physical and elastic coefficients required in elementary design calculations. The third chapter is devoted to steel products and sections. It presents the main families of steel profiles used in metal construction and explains how their geometric characteristics influence resistance, stiffness, stability, and detailing. The fourth chapter deals with elastic buckling phenomena. It highlights the importance of stability in steel structures and introduces the main forms of instability that may affect compressed or bent members. The fifth and sixth chapters focus respectively on the design of members under pure tension and pure compression. They present the fundamental concepts, resistance checks, and practical procedures required to verify common steel members. The seventh and eighth chapters address, respectively, the design of members subjected to simple bending and combined bending. In the case of combined bending, axial compression and bending moments interact, which helps students understand the importance of combined verification in real structural situations. The last chapter is dedicated to lateral-torsional buckling of steel members. It explains the behavior of beams under bending when lateral restraint is insufficient and presents the essential concepts required for safe design. This handout is not intended to be definitive; it may be revised and improved according to constructive feedback from readers, both in terms of content and presentation. Any suggestions or comments are therefore welcome, and I hope that this work will be a useful pedagogical resource for students in civil engineering.