Introduction

A basic requirement for any type of steel building is the structural safety needed to properly withstand the acting vertical (gravity) and lateral (earthquake & wind) loads. If buildings are not designed and constructed with consideration for the required technical aspects, they may either have excessive member deflections and thus structural damage or even collapse, causing deaths, injuries and financial losses. That is why it is an important issue to evaluate the related structural risks and take them into account in developing structural solutions.

But it is an obvious fact that a structural failure does not take place by itself without a technical reason. These failures may happen due to an earthquake effect, a fire, underestimated excess loading, severe wind effects or similar natural events. However, it is possible to design and construct steel buildings to resist these load effects and prevent failure. Today, any type of steel structure can be easily designed by considering the acting loads and material properties; a sound prediction of building loads at an acceptable level of safety; and the guidance of building codes and structural standards.

The important assets of structural safety

Steel building structural safety can be endangered due to some structural deficiencies sourcing during the design or the construction stages of the buildings. That is why it is very important to consider some structural issues in order to have a safe and serviceable steel building. These structural issues in relation to safety are as follows:

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