Determine the structure of heavy steel and light steel structure does not have a uniform standard, a lot of experienced designers and project managers are often not fully understand that, but we can consider and be judged with some data:

 

1, weight lifting plant traffic: not less than 25 tons, can be considered as the heavy steel.

 

2, the amount of steel per square meter: not less than 50KG / M2, can be considered heavy steel.

 

3, plate thickness main components: not less than 10MM, light steel used less.

 

Also, there are reference values: the cost per square meter as the maximum component weight, the maximum span, structure, eaves higher, whether when these heavy steel or lightweight steel to provide empirical data to judge the plant, of course, many buildings are light and heavy steel there. But there is something we can be more sure that heavy steel: such as: petrochemical plant facilities, power plants factories, large span of stadiums, exhibition centers, high-rise or super high-rise steel structures.

 

Indeed national norms and technical documents are not heavy steel, he said it is the difference between BOLTED, might call general steel as "normal steel" is more appropriate. Because of the very wide range of ordinary steel, it may contain various steel structure, regardless of load size, and even many of the elements of light steel structure, light steel structure housing Technical Specification only for its "light" feature and provides a number of more specific content, scope and confined to the single door frame.

 

Strut is a vague term, generally there are two kinds of understanding. One is the current "Steel Design Code" (GBJ 17-88) in Chapter 11, "round, small angle of light steel structure" refers round and less than L45 * 4 and L56 * 36 * 4 of Light angle steel production, mainly for lack of year when small steel structure with reinforced concrete structure should not be made now basically little use, so the design of steel structures has been substantially revised tendency removed. Another is a single solid web portal frame structure with light roof and exterior wall light (can also be conditionally using masonry exterior walls) of the "portal frame BOLTED technical regulations" under, Lightweight here mainly refers envelope are made of light materials. Since the former is almost canceled, so now Strut meaning mainly refers to the latter.