Building Design Criteria

Building designs generally are controlled by local or state building codes. In addition, designs must satisfy owner requirements and specifications. For buildings on sites not covered by building codes, or for conditions not included in building codes or owner specifications, designers must use their own judgment in selecting design criteria. This section has been prepared to provide information that will be helpful for this purpose. It summarizes the requirements of model building codes and standard specifications and calls attention to recommended practices.

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) promulgates several standard specifications, but two are of special importance in building design. One is the Specification for Structural Steel Buildings Allowable Stress Design (ASD) and Plastic Design. The

second is the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, which takes into account the strength of steel in the plastic range and utilizes the concepts of first-order theory of probability and reliability. The standards for both ASD and LRFD are reviewed in this section.

Steels used in structural applications are specified in accordance with the applicable specification of ASTM. Where heavy sections are to be spliced by welding, special material notch-toughness requirements may be applicable, as well as special fabrication details (see Arts. 1.13, 1.14, and 1.21).

6.1. Building Codes
6.2. Approval of Special Construction
6.3. Standard Specifications
6.4. Building Occupancy Loads
6.5. Roof Loads
6.6. Wind Loads
6.7. Seismic Loads
6.8. Impact Loads
6.9. Crane-Runway Loads
6.10. Restraint Loads
6.11. Combined Loads
6.12. ASD and LRFD Specifications
6.13. Axial Tension
6.14. Shear
6.15. Combined Tension and Shear
6.16. Compression
6.17. Bending Strength
6.18. Bearing
6.19. Combined Bending and Compression
6.20. Combined Bending and Tension
6.21. Wind and Seismic Stresses
6.22. Fatigue Loading
6.23. Local Plate Buckling
6.24. Design Parameters for Tension Members
6.25. Design Parameters for Rolled Beams and Plate Girders
6.26. Criteria for Composite Construction
6.27. Serviceability
6.28. Built-Up Compression Members
6.29. Built-Up Tension Members
6.30. Plastic Design
6.31. Hollow Structural Sections
6.32. Cable Construction
6.33. Fire Protection

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