Steel building design - Coursework Example

At the same time, the design should also ensure and provide the necessary comfort, energy-efficiency and safety to the inhabitants. To attain the fundamental building requirements, it is then necessary to integrate adequate structural resistance to building designs. The primary purpose of this is to sustain the actions (i.e. loads, imposed displacements, thermal strains) and influences resistance so that the building will remain serviceable and durable (Brettle, 2009). Meanwhile, in order to secure the structural safety of the building during its intended life, it should be designed and executed with appropriate degrees of reliability.

Further, it should also be built in an economic sustainable approach in order to meet its required serviceability structure or structural element standard. Meaning it should fit for the use or function it is required whilst providing comfort and physical aesthetic. Moreover, building designs also incorporated robustness to ensure that the built environment is resistant to damages cause by events such as explosion, impact and consequences of human errors (Brettle, 2009). Likewise, it is also important to consider the snow loads, wind actions, thermal actions, and other accidental actions in the building designs in order to integrate appropriate building resistant techniques and strategies.

The snow load capacity of the built environment is very important to determine in order to integrate in the design the characteristic values applicable for ground snow load for the site and the imposed roof snow load and shape coefficient. The EN 1991-1-3 (Annex C) of the UK Eurocode provides the snow load map which would be used to deter snow loads for building construction. Meanwhile, the Annex B of the same Eurocode also provide the benchmarks applicable for present roof shape coefficients including other information for exceptional snow drifts, multi-span pitched roofs, roofs abutting and close to taller structures, roofs with projections, obstructions and parapets.

It is also important to note the applicable wind actions in building designs. The EN 1991-1-4 of the UK Eurocode served as guideline in order to determine the natural wind actions during the construction phase of the building. The code also included other information such values of wind actions, value of the basic wind velocity, wind speed, peak velocity pressure, and wind pressures and forces. Likewise, thermal actions should also be considered in the design in order to address the seasonal climatic changes.

The characteristic values of thermal action are enclosed in the EN 1991-1-5 of the UK Eurocode. The code is also served as temperature reference especially when steel sub-grade materials are utilized in the building construction. However, it is recommended to further refer to the EN 1993-1-10 of the Eurocode to meet the required standard. Moreover, the UK Eurocode also provided general principles and rules especially during construction and execution of the building works in order to avoid and prevent accidents in the work site.

These guidelines are enclosed in the EN 1991-1-6 of the UK code which included temporary works i.e. cofferdams, falsework, scaffolding and propping system. It also noticeable that new building designs utilized structural materials that are fire resistant. Aside from this, building designers also integrated adequate built-in fire safety measures such as