INTRODUCTION

New technologies for vertical transportation and high socio-economic levels of urban growth have given room to tall buildings. Further, large-scale industrialisation and exhaustive land cost resulted in the expansion of building programme.

Framed structures are comprised of series of frames with horizontal and vertical components. These framed structures concept are effectively used in the construction of multi-storey buildings.

Although timber, steel and RCC can be used for framed structures, RCC plays the topmost role in space frame technology. The idea of space frame was originally developed for airplane hangers in 1940s.

Apart from construction of framed structures using the conventional construction techniques, the technique of pre-fabrication has also been used to economise the cost and time.

These tall buildings and pre-fabricated buildings which are discussed in the following sections with introduction of framed structures.