Development of Brazilian steel construction

This article presents a concise short overview of the development of the steel industry in Brazil, with the emphasis on civil construction. The relatively rapid increase in the application of steel structures for both low and tall buildings and the modern bridges in Brazil are the results of an extensive effort of the steel producers and the improvement of steel courses and research programmes in several universities and institutions during the last two decades. The steel industry in collaboration with the universities, which have provided the results of their recent studies, contributed to the improved steel technologies and composite construction. Data, supplied by the Brazilian Institute of Metallurgy, IBS, is presented on the actual steel production and fabrication with regard to application in civil engineering. Case studies of steel structures, such as multi-storey buildings, space structures, light gauge steel construction and bridges, are presented and commented on. Further, steel structures subjected to corrosion or to fire, as well as steel and composite semi-rigid joints, are mentioned and finally the Brazilian experience with steel architecture is introduced. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.