Part 1: Architect’s Guide 1 - 4 Figure 2.2 ING Bank Headquarters in Amsterdam Steel provides the flexibility needed to enable a building to evolve throughout its working life. The building can be initially designed in order to facilitate future evolutions: Modification of applied loads due to change of use of the building Floor plan morphology in order to retain the possibility to create new openings Horizontal and vertical movements, exits: appropriate measures can be taken in order to limit any impact on the primary building structure during alterations. Large spans constitute one of the major benefits of steel structures, thanks to the quality of the material and the manufactured products. Large spans facilitate future developments of the structural elements. The load-bearing frame is integrated in the exterior walls of the building in order to free up space. Large spans were once confined to industrial buildings or warehouses, but are now very common in office or residential buildings. It is advisable to adopt the principle of load-bearing columns, rather than bearing walls, in order to release the construction space from the constraints which fix a building in time and condemn its evolution. Load-bearing elements are separated from the systems which make up the envelope and the internal partitions, in order to allow future building development. Since they serve no structural function, façades, roofs and partition elements can be removed and replaced. In multi-storey steel buildings, the vertical bracing systems must be arranged so as not to obstruct the free use of open space.
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