Steel Buildings in Europe

Part 2: Concept Design 2 - 15 Furthermore, steel construction is the preferred solution for building on:  Post-industrial or former built-on sites, often with pre-existing foundations  Building over underground services and tunnels  Building on railway lines and other ‘podium-type’ structures. Steel construction virtually eliminates waste by the nature of its m anufacturing process an d all s teel waste is recycled. S ynergistic m aterials s uch as plasterboard can also be recycled. 2.5 Benefits of adaptability General expectations for all multi-storey buildings change substantially during their design lives. A building’s occupancy is also likely to change several times during its life. Increasingly, the nature of the occupancy m ay change; for example in m any major European cities , there is a growing trend to convert office buildings into apartments. In the 1960s and 70s, m any buildings we re constructed to m inimum cost without any allowance f or future adapta tion. These structures have not proved capable of responding to occupant’s cha nging needs, leading to their early demolition. Although difficult to quantify at the proposal development stage, there are clear qualitative benefits in specifying a stru cture that is inh erently adaptable to changes in requirements during its design life. Key issues on adaptability are:  Specifying longer spans, permitting greater flexibility of layout  Providing space for additional services  Specifying floor loadings that permit change of occupancy.