FOUNDATIONS/FLOOR SLAB There are various foundation types. These include monolithic foundations integrated with the floor slab in a single pour and foundations where the slab is structurally independent. What is critical is that there are piers as column supports and a perimeter footing to support the non-structural wall framing. FRAMING The building utilizes two distinct types of steel members – hot formed steel for columns and beams and cold formed steel for the nonstructural wall framing. The structural steel consists of columns (hollow tube or I-beams ), beams and trusses, all formed under heat. Lightweight steel framing (LSF) consists of thin galvanized metal formed at room temperature, usually as C-channels. https://www.aisc.org/why-steel/architect/ UPPER FLOORS All the floors above the slab are formed by steel decking covered with 3 inches of light-weight concrete. Composite decking uses steel pins to bond the steel deck and the concrete to the beams and joist that support it, making for a monolithic structure that resists torsion. https://www.steelconstruction.info/Floor_syste ms ROOF The roof itself is flat. It uses the same steel decking and may or may not have a concrete topping. The roof deck is covered with sheets of rigid insulation. Additional tapered insulation provides a low slope for drainage. There are roof drains that collect the runoff and piping that carries the runoff out to the ground below. The roof is covered with a single-ply membranes for impermeability Roofs typically have parapet walls to shield the roof-mounted mechanical systems from view below.
