Steel-frame construction

A building method in which a skeleton of steel columns and beams carries floors and walls. Its structural frame allows large spans and flexible floor plans.

Structural steel: Steel products designed and fabricated for use as load-bearing members in structures. Columns and beams are made from structural steel selected for strength and geometry.
Structural engineering: The branch of engineering concerned with designing structures to carry loads safely and reliably. Steel-frame design applies structural engineering principles to an entire building.
Skyscraper: A very tall building whose height requires specialized structural, circulation, and service systems. Steel frames enabled tall buildings by combining high strength with relatively low structural weight.
Bessemer process: An industrial method for mass-producing steel by blowing air through molten pig iron. Cheaper mass-produced steel made widespread structural framing more practical.
Reinforced concrete: Concrete containing embedded steel reinforcement to resist tensile and compressive forces. It can form structural frames like steel, but uses concrete as the main structural material.
Steel column: A vertical structural member that transfers loads to foundations or supporting members below. Columns carry the weight of floors and beams down through the frame.
Load path: The route through which forces travel from where they act to a structure's supports and foundation. A frame works only when loads have continuous routes through members and joints.
Long-span structure: A structure that covers a wide distance with few or no intermediate supports. Steel beams and trusses can create broad, open interior spaces.
Home Insurance Building: An 1885 Chicago office building commonly cited as an early skyscraper with a metal structural frame. Its construction marked an early step toward the steel-framed high-rise.
Timber framing: A building method in which a structural skeleton is made primarily from wood members. Timber offers a lighter, renewable alternative, while steel supports different spans and building scales.

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