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Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-09-11 Origin: Site
Large-span steel structures are widely used in stadiums, exhibition halls, airport terminals, industrial buildings, transportation hubs, and other large public or industrial facilities.
In large-span structural systems, the arrangement of supporting points has a significant influence on architectural flexibility. Generally, the more dispersed the supports are, the greater the restrictions on floor planning and spatial organization. In contrast, concentrated supporting systems usually provide greater flexibility for architectural design.
This article introduces the main structural forms of large-span steel structures and summarizes several commonly used construction and installation methods.
A space frame is a three-dimensional structural system composed of multiple members connected through nodes according to a specific geometric pattern.
Double-layer or multi-layer planar grid systems are commonly referred to as space frames. They are usually fabricated from steel tubes, structural steel sections, or other high-strength steel components.
Common types of space frame structures include:
Space frames composed of planar truss systems
Square pyramid space frames
Triangular pyramid space frames
Hexagonal pyramid space frames
Space frame structures offer several important advantages:
Efficient three-dimensional load distribution
Clear and direct load-transfer paths
Lightweight construction
High structural stiffness
Good seismic performance
Convenient fabrication and installation
Standardized members and connection nodes
Suitable for factory prefabrication and mass production
Flexible architectural layouts
Easy integration of ceilings, pipelines, and mechanical equipment
Lightweight and attractive architectural appearance
Because of these advantages, space frames are widely used for large-span roofs and public buildings.
A curved grid structure is generally known as a grid shell or space grid shell. According to its configuration, it can be divided into single-layer and double-layer grid shell systems.
Depending on the construction material, grid shells may be made of steel, timber, reinforced concrete, or composite materials.
Common structural forms include:
Spherical grid shells
Hyperbolic grid shells
Cylindrical grid shells
Hyperbolic paraboloid grid shells
Grid shell structures combine the characteristics of lattice structures and thin-shell structures.
Their main advantages include:
Rational and efficient structural behavior
Relatively simple structural members
High overall stiffness
Excellent large-span capability
Ability to assemble large structures from smaller prefabricated components
Factory production of members and connection nodes
Relatively convenient on-site installation
Reduced dependence on extremely large lifting equipment
Good overall economic performance
Flexible architectural forms and curved geometries
Grid shell systems are particularly suitable for projects requiring both long spans and distinctive architectural designs.
Membrane structures, also known as fabric structures, are lightweight large-span structural systems that developed rapidly during the second half of the 20th century.
They use high-performance flexible membrane materials as the main covering system. Structural stability can be achieved through air pressure, tensioned steel cables, or rigid supporting frames that introduce controlled prestress into the membrane.
Common membrane structural systems include:
Air-supported membrane structures
Tensile membrane structures
Frame-supported membrane structures
The main advantages of membrane structures include:
Extremely low self-weight
Excellent large-span capability
Flexible and expressive architectural forms
Fast and convenient construction
Good economic performance
High structural efficiency
Good light-transmitting properties
Self-cleaning characteristics with suitable membrane materials
However, membrane durability and long-term maintenance requirements must be carefully considered during design and material selection.
Cable-suspended structures use high-strength tension cables as the primary load-bearing elements.
A typical suspended roof system usually consists of three main parts:
Cable system
Roofing system
Supporting system
Common cable structural forms include:
One-way single-layer suspended cable systems
Radial single-layer suspended cable systems
Two-way single-layer suspended cable systems
One-way double-layer prestressed cable systems
Radial prestressed cable systems
Two-way double-layer prestressed cable systems
Prestressed cable-net structures
The main structural characteristic of suspended cable systems is that external loads are mainly resisted through axial tension in the cables.
This allows the high tensile strength of steel to be used efficiently while minimizing bending and shear effects.
Additional advantages include:
Lightweight roof systems
Flexible structural arrangement
Adaptability to different architectural plans
Reduced demand for heavy lifting equipment
High material utilization efficiency
However, the structural analysis, prestress control, deformation calculation, and construction monitoring of cable systems are relatively complex. Therefore, careful engineering design and precise installation control are essential.
Thin-shell structures are curved structural systems with relatively small thickness compared with their radius of curvature.
In structural engineering, shells satisfying approximately:
t / R ≤ 1 / 20
are generally considered thin shells, where:
t represents shell thickness
R represents the radius of curvature
According to geometric form, shell structures can be classified as rotational shells or translational shells.
According to construction materials, they can include:
Reinforced concrete thin shells
Masonry thin shells
Steel thin shells
Composite thin shells
Thin-shell structures provide excellent load-bearing efficiency.
Their strength and stiffness primarily come from their curved geometric form, which allows loads to be transferred mainly through membrane forces rather than bending.
As a result, thin-shell structures can provide:
High strength
High stiffness
Reduced material consumption
Efficient load transfer
Excellent structural economy
They are therefore suitable for many large-span buildings requiring efficient structural performance and distinctive architectural geometry.
High-altitude in-situ assembly refers to assembling structural members and connection nodes directly at their final design positions.
For large-span steel structures, temporary supports are often required during installation to improve structural stability and control deformation.
After the main structure has been completed and stabilized, the temporary supports are gradually unloaded or removed so that the structure reaches its final design condition.
This method is one of the most fundamental techniques for constructing complex large-span spatial structures.
Depending on the support system, it can generally be divided into two methods.
Full scaffolding is erected according to the height and geometry of the structure, allowing the entire system to be assembled at elevation.
This method is generally suitable for structures with moderate spans and heights, such as indoor halls and exhibition buildings.
Advantages include:
Flexible construction
High reusability of scaffolding
Convenient coordinate and alignment control
Relatively low technical complexity
Disadvantages include:
Large quantity of scaffolding required
More work at height
Higher exposure to safety risks
Longer preparation time
Temporary support towers or erection frames are specially designed according to the geometry, load, height, and weight of the structure.
This method is more suitable for taller buildings or large-span structures with heavier structural components.
Advantages include:
High structural stability during installation
Accurate positioning
Flexible support configurations
Improved construction safety
Its main disadvantage is the relatively low reuse rate of specially designed temporary supports, which may increase material and construction costs.
The sliding installation method involves assembling sections of the steel structure in one area and then moving them along specially designed tracks into their final positions.
After each section reaches its design location, it is connected with adjacent structural units.
This method is especially suitable when:
The construction site has limited working space
Heavy lifting equipment cannot easily access the installation area
The building plan is relatively regular
The structure includes large roofs, stadiums, or open-sided buildings
The sliding method can significantly shorten the installation period.
However, several technical factors must be carefully controlled, including:
Selection and design of sliding tracks
Sliding resistance
Synchronization between multiple sliding points
Sliding speed
Structural deformation during movement
Temporary stability
Integral lifting involves assembling a large structural section at ground level and then raising the complete structure to its final elevation using hydraulic lifting equipment or other synchronized lifting systems.
This method is commonly used for:
Large-span roof structures
Single-layer grid shells
Double-layer grid shells
Large roof trusses
Heavy spatial steel structures
Its major advantages include:
Reduced temporary supports
Less high-altitude assembly work
Improved construction efficiency
Shorter installation periods
Better working conditions at ground level
The main technical challenges include:
Accurate positioning of lifting points
Synchronized lifting control
Stress and deformation control
Structural stability during lifting
Real-time construction monitoring
Integral lifting is often combined with other installation methods according to project conditions.
Integral tensioning is mainly used for cable structures and tensile membrane structures.
During construction, multiple hydraulic jacks or tensioning devices are used to simultaneously tension cables or membrane systems until the required prestress and design geometry are achieved.
This method is particularly suitable for large cable-supported and membrane structures.
Its advantages include:
Precise prestress control
High synchronization
Efficient construction
Reduced manual workload
Lower temporary support requirements
Improved installation accuracy
Because cable and membrane structures are highly sensitive to prestress, synchronized tensioning and real-time monitoring are critical to ensuring structural performance.
The progressive expansion method is an advanced installation technique commonly used for large grid shell structures.
The typical construction procedure is:
Assemble the central section of the grid shell at ground level.
Lift the assembled section to a predetermined height.
Install additional grid shell sections around the perimeter.
Raise the enlarged structure again.
Repeat the process until the entire grid shell is completed.
This construction method offers several advantages:
Reduced temporary supporting structures
Large amount of assembly work can be completed at ground level
Improved construction quality
Reduced work at height
Improved worker safety
Easier control of connection quality
Because of these benefits, the progressive expansion method is increasingly used in large-span spatial steel structure projects.
In the cantilever installation method, relatively small structural units are first assembled at ground level.
These units are then lifted by cranes or other lifting equipment to their final positions and connected progressively to the previously installed structure.
This method is generally suitable for relatively small or less complicated spatial structures.
Its advantages include:
Reduced temporary supports
Lower temporary construction costs
Flexible installation sequence
However, the method also presents several challenges:
Greater structural instability during installation
Higher risk during cantilever erection
Difficult deformation control
Possibility of additional secondary stresses
Greater requirements for temporary bracing
Before using this method, the installed structural units must be verified to ensure sufficient geometric stability and stiffness.
Construction-stage structural simulation and analysis should also be carried out to predict deformation, stress redistribution, and temporary stability.
Large-span steel structures can adopt many structural systems, including space frames, grid shells, membrane structures, cable-suspended systems, and thin-shell structures.
Each structural form has different characteristics in terms of load transfer, span capability, architectural flexibility, material efficiency, fabrication, and installation requirements.
Similarly, construction methods such as high-altitude in-situ assembly, sliding installation, integral lifting, synchronized tensioning, progressive grid shell expansion, and cantilever erection should be selected according to the structural system, project scale, construction site conditions, available equipment, safety requirements, and construction schedule.
For large-span steel structure projects, a successful construction solution should not only focus on installation efficiency but also consider structural stability, deformation control, temporary support design, lifting synchronization, construction-stage analysis, and worker safety.
Professional engineering design, accurate steel fabrication, strict quality inspection, and well-planned installation procedures are essential for ensuring the safety, quality, and long-term performance of large-span steel structures.
