ABSTRACT
A framework is a three-dimensional assembly of steel members that form a self-supporting structure or enclosure. The most common and economic way to enclose a space is to use a series of twodimensional frames that are spaced at equal intervals along one axis of the building, as shown in Figure 3.1(a). Stability is achieved in the two directions by the use of rigid framing, diagonal bracing, or through the supporting action of concrete shear walls or cores (see Section 3.2). This method of ‘extruding’ a building volume is equally applicable to any frame geometry, whether of single or multiple bays.
