How the Urban Jungle Was Designed
If you look at a typical Chinese urban center, you will see dozens, perhaps hundreds, of cranes putting up skyscrapers. The important element in the construction of such buildings is steel. Steel structures are the mainstay of each city.
Prior to the cranes showing up, it must be drafted. And this is where the detailing of steel structures has its introduction. Structural detailing design is vital to the safety of everyone involved – those working on the construction site, and those finally living in the building. A huge amount of planning is required in order to gratify safety ordinances while satisfying all the specifications the architect and client have ordered.
A steel structure designer is required to know everything about force and pressure – allowing the structure to yield to external forces, and when to resist such forces, to maximise the integrity of the building. A building must also stand firm against huge weights, so this is another matter the detailer must think about. From snow weight to the speed of wind, a steel drafter has to design for all kinds of external forces.
These days, there’s a greater need for creative design, meaning the detailer can often find himself working on tough designs and try to render them into a safe living space for thousands of individuals.
Still, it’s not all tough for the detailer – software like Tekla Steel, AutoCad and Asteel have helped accelerate the operation of detailing and drafting structures.
