Minimum Weight Design of Pre Engineered Steel Structures Using Built-up Sections and Cold Formed Sections

In the past few decades most of the efforts were made to achieve minimum weight of the steel structures by satisfying all the design requirements imposed by various latest building codes and this idea lead towards the concept of pre-engineered steel buildings (PEB). In current research work, minimum weight buildings are targeted with simple fabrication process and easy erection to have maximum structural efficiency. Minimum weight of structure is proportional to the minimum cost and hence lowers seismic and gravitational forces. To achieve above mentioned objectives and to verify the suitability and applicability of concept of PEB, a sample steel industrial building is first analyzed and designed by using conventional steel hot rolled sections and then by using pre-engineered tapered and cold formed sections. Results of analysis were compared in terms of weight and response of structures which clearly indicated that PEB structures are of less weight and structurally more efficient than conventional steel structures.