When it comes to steel structures, many people mistakenly think of them as "buildings piled up with steel plates". In fact, they are more like a carefully designed "steel puzzle". Simply put, a steel structure is a building framework assembled from steel components. These components are not randomly joined together; instead, they are "customized parts" tailored to the specific needs of the building.

There are three main types of common components:

1.Steel beams – which act like the "arms" of a building. They mainly bear the weight of the roof and floors. For example, the load-bearing framework on the top floor of shopping malls is mostly made of steel beams.

2.Steel columns – equivalent to the "legs" of a building. They vertically support the entire structure. The tens-of-meters-tall steel columns in skyscrapers can withstand thousands of tons of pressure.

3.Steel trusses – composed of many small steel rods formed into shapes such as triangles and trapezoids. They look like "framework nets" and are often used in large-span roofs of gymnasiums and high-speed railway stations. For instance, the roof of Beijing Daxing International Airport uses a large number of steel trusses to achieve a "column-free large space".

The connection between these components is also very particular. Instead of simple welding, they are fixed with high-strength bolts or welds. Bolted connections are like "screwing in screws", allowing for easy disassembly and adjustment; welded connections, on the other hand, are like "steel glue" – they fuse steel materials together at high temperatures, and their firmness is comparable to that of the steel itself. It is precisely these precise components and connection methods that enable steel structures to support both 100-meter-tall skyscrapers and 1,000-meter-long bridges.

II. The "Superpowers" of Steel Structures: Why They Have Become a "New Favorite" in the Construction Industry

Compared with traditional concrete structures, steel structures stand out in numerous large-scale buildings thanks to their unique "superpowers":

1. "Lightweight yet Strong" – Maximum Load-Bearing Capacity

The weight of a steel structure is only about 1/3 that of a concrete structure, but its load-bearing capacity is far superior. For example, for a steel column and a concrete column of the same thickness, the load-bearing capacity of the steel column is 5 to 8 times that of the concrete column. This means that when building with steel structures, the burden on the foundation can be reduced. In areas with complex geological conditions, such as soft soil zones, steel structures do not require deep foundation excavation – which saves costs and shortens the construction period.

2. "Lightning-Fast Construction" – Say Goodbye to "Long-Drawn-Out Construction Site Work"

Concrete buildings require waiting for the cement to set, which takes at least a few days and up to several weeks. In contrast, most components of steel structures are prefabricated in factories and directly assembled on-site, making the construction process as efficient as "building with blocks". Take a 10-story office building as an example: a concrete structure may take 6 months to reach the top-floor ceiling (capping), while a steel structure can complete the main construction in just 2 to 3 months. This is also why many emergency hospitals chose to use steel structures during the pandemic – faster construction meant they could be put into use more quickly.