Structural Characteristics of Steel Tube Joist

 As a structural engineer, I would look at the following aspects of analysing a steel tube joist:

I. Structural characteristics:

1. Simple structure: Pipe truss structure is connected by several sets of pipe rods and nodes, which does not need a large number of parts, so the structure is very simple. This design not only makes installation and dismantling faster and more convenient, but also reduces the manufacturing cost.

2. Light weight: Pipe trusses are made of lightweight materials and the overall weight is light. This helps to reduce the load of the building itself and improve the load-bearing capacity of the building.

3. High Strength: The tube truss structure is made of high strength materials such as steel pipe, so the whole structure has high load bearing capacity and wind resistance. It can withstand larger loads and external impacts to ensure the stability and safety of the building.

4. Good anti-seismic performance: Due to the stability and flexibility of tube truss structure, it can effectively reduce the influence of earthquake on building structure. When earthquake occurs, tube truss can absorb seismic energy and reduce the damage of earthquake to the building.

5. Equal stability in all directions: The stability of tube truss structure is the same in all directions, which makes it more flexible in the design process and saves the amount of materials at the same time.

Second, design points:

1. Layout of rods: In the design of large-span steel space pipe joist, the layout of rods has a very important influence on the integrality and spatiality of the structure. The design of truss rods should meet the requirements of structural balance and inclined rod balance to avoid structural damage under the action of earthquake or wind.

2. Node design: The design of nodes is the key factor to restrict the safety of pipe truss structure. The design scheme of nodes should meet the rigidity and stability requirements of the structure, meanwhile, the connection between nodes and the outside world should be considered, and the balance of force between steel tubes should be considered carefully.

3. Modelling and simulation: Due to the complexity of steel pipe joist, problems such as complex rod system and non-linear geometric conditions often occur in the design process. Therefore, it is very important to establish an accurate truss model. Through modelling and simulation, the performance of the structure can be predicted to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the design.

III. Economy

1. Economical material: Pipe truss structure is more economical in steel consumption, especially compared with net frame structure, its unique superiority and practicality make the material consumption more economical.

2. Convenient fabrication and installation: it is easier to fabricate, install, turn over and lift the pipe joist, which helps to reduce the construction cost and time cost.

IV.Aesthetics

1. Beautiful appearance: tube truss structure has beautiful appearance and can be built into various shapes such as flat plate shape, round arch shape, arbitrary curve shape and so on, which has certain decorative effect. This makes tube joist structure widely used in public buildings and other fields.

💛To sum up, steel pipe truss has the features of simple structure, light weight, high strength, good seismic performance, etc. Meanwhile, its design points include rod layout, node design, modelling and simulation. It also has obvious advantages in economy and aesthetics. Therefore, steel pipe trusses are widely used in actual projects.