Why are residential buildings not built on metal frames in Russia?

Traditionally, reinforced concrete is used for housing construction in our country, whereas in developed Western countries, metal-frame construction occupies a large market share.

The technology has a number of advantages: high speed of construction, the possibility of carrying out work at any time of the year, the ability to save on the foundation of the building due to the lower load on the base. Its unpopularity in Russia is explained by the fact that during the Soviet years all steel was used for the defense industry, it was not used for civilian purposes. There is no infrastructure for the use of metal structures in residential construction, there is no connection between developers and manufacturers, and it is difficult to find designers and installers working with steel. 
However, from time to time, individual developers decide to experiment with steel. For example, similar projects were implemented pointwise after the last crisis.

In Yekaterinburg, a 25-storey residential complex on a metal frame was built by the Uralenergostroikomplex company. Archproekt LLC acted as the general designer. We are talking about the features of the building with Alexander Romanov, the chief architect, and Yulia Milovidova, the chief designer.

- According to the Association for the Development of Steel Construction (ARCC), the share of steel-framed buildings in the total volume of multi-storey construction in Russia in 2013 was 13%. The UK, which is the leader in this indicator, has 68%. In your opinion, what is the reason for our significant lag?

AR: Today there is no infrastructure for the use of metal structures in residential construction, unlike other building materials. Abroad, the uniformity of the elements used in construction based on a steel frame is visible, and there is a connection with manufacturers of structural elements. The situation developed differently with monolithic construction. When small-piece formwork entered our market, the infrastructure quickly appeared: manufacturers, staff, standard solutions, etc. And she actually beat the panels.

HUME: Qualified organizations are required to install buildings on a metal frame. There are not many such companies, in Yekaterinburg, for example, Uralstalkonstruktsiya is well-known. Also, during the Soviet era, there were restrictions, there was a regulation according to which, in order to save steel, metal structures could not be used if the spans were less than, for example, 24 meters.

- It can be assumed that the infrastructure you are talking about would have been created if the steel frame was of interest to builders. Why did you experiment with Moskovsky?

AR: Before the previous crisis, there was a period when cement prices rose sharply and the use of metal became economically attractive. Therefore, this decision was made. Plus, we had experience building several administrative buildings on a metal frame. Our office is located in one of them, which, by the way, is ten stories high. A labor collective was formed that could solve this problem, and a chain of manufacturers and installers was assembled. This influenced the decision.

- What conclusions?

AR: Since we originally planned to build Moskovsky in a monolith, architectural and planning solutions were created for it. Redesigning to a metal frame has created some difficulties in the development of parts of the nodes. It was necessary to take into account the features of the metal – high heat and sound conductivity, inferior refractory qualities compared to concrete. There were no ready-made solutions for residential buildings, so elements such as additional insulation and others had to be developed independently.

- You mentioned a period when the use of a steel frame was economically attractive. Is this period over?

AR: Yes. Metal prices have increased, and it is difficult to talk about the benefits of using it now.

- Isn't this the answer to the question about its rare use in multi-storey construction? Is it just that other building materials are more profitable?

AR: The steel frame has advantages – shorter installation time, the ability to produce it at any time of the year, lower loads on the base, which make it possible to save on the foundation. On the other hand, due to the lower fire resistance, it is necessary to carry out structural protection of the load-bearing elements – to cover them with bricks, to use special plaster. When using a steel frame, we depend on the factory. Any problem in production can become a threat to the project. The risks are higher when using metal. It is more important for the developer to build square meters in a reasonable time and with an understandable cost. Monolithic reinforced concrete can offer this, but a metal frame cannot. Therefore, I think its advantages are not obvious at the moment. I believe that the main problem of metal structures today is that the infrastructure for their use has not been created, comparable to the infrastructure of monolith and other familiar technologies. If architectural and design solutions are developed, if manufacturers produce products adapted for civil engineering, the use of steel will expand.

- Do you have plans to build a metal-framed residential complex in the coming years?

AR: Not yet. In the case of Moskovsky, our investor was motivated by a desire to play on the price difference between concrete and metal, and there is no reason for this now. By the way, recently, in one of the residential complexes, in Solnechny, we built two houses almost identical in architecture. One of the stone blocks, the other on a metal frame. And again we faced all the problems that have already been identified. The construction was completed at the same time, but the metal frame house required more labor. More design solutions were needed for him. Although, it will be easier to launch it in series now.

- When, in your opinion, can we expect intensive development of metal frames in the segment of multi-storey civil engineering?

AR: I think that the message should come from the manufacturer, developers are still ready only for such experiments. If the production is upgraded, it will offer lighter structures for residential construction. In London, for example, I saw beams with voids, which are very economical in terms of metal consumption, while in Russia they are used to producing large, heavy structures. If manufacturers offer a new product, get involved in the process of personnel training, and standard solutions, then changes can occur fairly quickly.

- Do you identify high-rise construction as the main steel application site?

HUME: I think so.
AR: For the residential complex "First Nikolaevsky" we considered this option. Its height (two 64-storey towers with a height of more than 200 m) is at the limit of the rationality of using monolithic reinforced concrete. 
HUME: 25-40 floors can be built from a monolith. Then the interest shifts to other technologies. The loads on the first floors are very high. If we usually use concrete with a maximum of B40, buildings above 40 floors will need B60 and B80, and it is difficult to produce it in our factories. Reinforcement increases greatly, and the concreting process becomes more complicated. There is a boundary after which the search for a new technology begins, which can be a steel frame. If the infrastructure problems that we discussed above are solved.

A separate thematic block at the 100+ Forum Russia for high-rise and unique construction, which will be held on September 23-25, 2015 in Yekaterinburg, will be devoted to solving topical issues of the use of steel in civil engineering.

Text: Alexey Belousov