Understanding Steel Design' is a comprehensive and highly visual manual on the fundamentals of designing and constructing with steel, based on the analysis of hundreds of steel buildings. The basis of the idea behind this book lies in a firm belief in the benefits of recognizing the intrinsic connection between the characteristics of materials and the design of buildings. The broad spectrum of case studies provides systematic instruction in established and specialized construction methods and in combining techniques to develop new solutions in steel construction.

This book provides the means for a better control and purposeful consideration of the design of Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS). It deploys a detailed categorization of AESS and its uses according to design context, building typology and visual exposure. In a rare combination, this approach makes high quality benchmarks compatible with economies in terms of material use, fabrication methods, workforce and cost. Building with exposed steel has become more and more popular worldwide, also as advances in fire safety technology have permitted its use for building tasks under stringent fire regulations. On her background of long standing as a teacher in architectural steel design affiliated with many institutions, the author ranks among the world‘s best scholars on this topic. Among the fields covered by the extensive approach of this book are the characteristics of the various categories of AESS, the interrelatedness of design, fabrication and erection of the steel structures, issues of coating and protection (including corrosion and fire protection), special materials like weathering steel and stainless steel, the member choices and a connection design checklist. The description draws on many international examples from advanced contemporary architecture, all visited and photographed by the author, among which figure buildings like the Amgen Helix Bridge in Seattle, the Shard Observation Level in London, the New York Times Building and the Arganquela Footbridge.

Understanding Steel Design is based on an overall approach to understand how to design and build with steel from the perspective of its architectural applications. Steel is a material whose qualities have enormous potential for the creation of dynamic architecture. In an innovative approach to the reality of working with steel, the book takes a new look both at the state of tried-and-tested techniques and at emerging projects. Hundreds of steel structures have been observed, analyzed and appraised for this book. In-depth construction photographs by the author are complemented by technical illustrations created to look more closely at systems and details. Drawings supplied by fabricators allow greater insight into a method of working with current digital drawing tools.

This book is intended for classroom teaching in architectural and civil engineering at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Although it has been developed from lecture notes given in structural steel design, it can be useful to practicing engineers. Many of the examples presented in this book are drawn from the field of design of structures. Design of Steel Structures can be used for one or two semesters of three hours each on the undergraduate level. For a two-semester curriculum, Chapters 1 through 8 can be used during the first semester. Heavy emphasis should be placed on Chapters 1 through 5, giving the student a brief exposure to the consideration of wind and earthquakes in the design of buildings. With the new federal requirements vis a vis wind and earthquake hazards, it is beneficial to the student to have some under standing of the underlying concepts in this field. In addition to the class lectures, the instructor should require the student to submit a term project that includes the complete structural design of a multi-story building using standard design procedures as specified by AISC Specifications. Thus, the use of the AISC Steel Construction Manual is a must in teaching this course. In the second semester, Chapters 9 through 13 should be covered. At the undergraduate level, Chapters 11 through 13 should be used on a limited basis, leaving the student more time to concentrate on composite construction and built-up girders.

So far working stress method was used for the design of steel structures. Nowadays whole world is going for the limit state method which is more rational. Indian national code IS:800 for the design of steel structures was revised in the year 2007 incorporating limit state method. This book is aimed at training the students in using IS: 800 2007 for designing steel structures by limit state method. The author has explained the provisions of code in simple language and illustrated the design procedure with a large number of problems. It is hoped that all universities will soon adopt design of steel structures as per IS: 2007 and this book will serve as a good textbook.A sincere effort has been made to present design procedure using simple language, neat sketches and solved problems.

Originally published in 1926 [i.e. 1927] under title: Steel construction; title of 8th ed.: Manual of steel construction.