ABSTRACT
Preliminary structural design, in what many people refer to as the feasibility stage, is more often a recognition of the type of structural frame, which is best suited to the form and function of a building, than the structural design itself. The creation of large 'open plan' accommodation giving the widest possible scope for room utilization clearly calls for a column and slab structure. Vertical elements may be designed as continuous, but because the beam and slab connections are pinned there is no global frame action and no requirement for a frame stiffness analysis, apart from the distribution of some column moments arising from eccentric beam reactions. Differential movement between wall panels and between walls and floors has resulted in major serviceability problems for more than a 25-year life, often leading to a breakdown in the weatherproof envelope and the eventual condemnation of buildings which are nevertheless structurally adequate.
