Steel, Structure, and Architecture: A Survey of the Material and Its Applications

This text is an informative volume on the uses and applications of steel, primarily in architecture (high-rises and long-span building) but also in engineering (bridges and ribbed-structures), industrial design (furniture), and in art (sculpture). The book discusses the principles of building in steel using many well-known historical and contemporary examples ranging from the great halls of 19th-century Europe to today's high-tech architecture throughout the world. It also discusses the raw material, its properties, dimensioning, and surface treatment from rust protection to stainless and cortens steel, as well as its production methods from cast and wrought iron to rolled and cast steel. The book then focuses on the different applications of the material in structures, cladding and in the detailing of special components in contemporary buildings. It also presents different methods of joining steel components and combining steel with other materials such as masonry, wood, glass and fabric. Both the practical and aesthetic applications of steel are covered, and examples of the well-known work by architects, engineers and artists are included, such as Norman Foster, I.M. Pei, Santiago Calatrava and Richard Serra.