Multi-storey buildings, often used for residential, commercial, and mixed-use purposes, can be categorized based on their structural systems. Here are the main types of structural systems used in multi-storey buildings:
1. Steel Frame Structures:
- Conventional Steel Frame: Utilizes steel beams and columns connected by welding, bolting, or riveting.
- Composite Steel Structures: Combines steel with other materials, such as concrete, to enhance strength and reduce costs.
- Steel Braced Frames: Uses diagonal bracing to provide lateral stability and resist wind and seismic forces.
2. Concrete Structures:
- Reinforced Concrete Frame: Uses concrete beams, columns, and slabs reinforced with steel bars. It’s widely used due to its versatility and fire resistance.
- Prestressed Concrete: Includes pre-tensioned and post-tensioned concrete, where the concrete is compressed before loading to improve strength and performance.
- Concrete Shear Wall Systems: Incorporates vertical walls to resist lateral forces, often used in high-rise buildings to improve stability.
- Concrete Frame with Core: Combines a reinforced concrete frame with a central core (typically for elevators and stairs) that provides additional stiffness and strength.
3. Timber Structures:
- Traditional Timber Frame: Uses large timber beams and columns, often for low-rise multi-storey buildings.
- Mass Timber: Includes Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam (Glued Laminated Timber), providing increased strength and fire resistance, allowing for taller timber buildings.
4. Hybrid Structures:
- Steel-Concrete Hybrid: Combines steel framing with concrete floors or walls, leveraging the benefits of both materials.
- Timber-Steel or Timber-Concrete Hybrid: Utilizes the aesthetic and environmental benefits of timber with the strength and durability of steel or concrete.
5. Modular and Prefabricated Structures:
- Modular Construction: Involves assembling pre-fabricated modules on-site, which can be made from steel, concrete, or timber.
- Panelized Systems: Uses prefabricated wall and floor panels, often employed for speedier construction and reduced on-site labor.
6. Shell and Spatial Structures:
- Shell Structures: Thin, curved plates (often made of concrete or steel) that provide strength and aesthetic appeal, typically used for roofs and facades.
- Space Frames: Three-dimensional trusses that provide a lightweight and strong structural system, often used for large-span roofs.
Each type of multi-storey building structure has its advantages and is chosen based on factors such as building height, intended use, architectural design, budget, and local building codes and regulations.
