Part 1: Architect’s Guide 1 - 41 6 OTHER FACTORS FOR GOOD DESIGN In addition to the benefits described in previous Sections, which were concerned with mechanical performance and technical application, steel offers: Savings in structural weight Optimized space and return on investment Clean and efficient construction sites. Good practice in steel building design and the appropriate choice of materials, mean all the following requirements can be met, whether regulatory or at the client’s request: Seismic behaviour Fire resistance Acoustic performance Thermal performance Sustainability Service integration. 6.1 Behaviour during an earthquake Steel structures are particularly well suited to construction in earthquake zones. This is mainly due to reduced accelerated mass, as well as the high ductility of steel material that allows significant energy dissipation. Good seismic performance of steel structures is demonstrated by the fact that destruction of steel buildings due to earthquakes in any part of the world is rare. The most recent analysis of the consequences of a major earthquake in Europe confirms this fact. On April 6, 2009, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck close to the city of L’Aquila, located approximately 90 km north-east of Rome. Steel structures in the region affected by the earthquake were mainly industrial or commercial buildings, located outside towns. These structures suffered very little damage. Any minor damage recorded did not affect their structural integrity and there was a rapid resumption of activity. The photographs in Figure 6.1, taken in the days that followed the earthquake, show the commercial centre of Aquilone. It is worth highlighting that the centre for emergency relief was set up in the gymnasium of L’Aquila. This steel building, which consists of circular columns and a three-dimensional truss roof, provided a huge empty space and it was possible to continue to use it despite the many aftershocks in the weeks following the main earthquake. The Italian authorities have every confidence in the seismic behaviour of this type of building.
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