Push-up Steel Construction

Abstract

For the past few years a team of researchers, architects and engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have directed their efforts at finding methods for reducing the cost of multistory steel-frame construction. This research, which has been sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation, was initially directed to examine the structural frame of high-rise apartment houses. Our choice of this restricted area of investigation was based on: social need for housing; the possible market for apartment houses; and the competitive position of steel-framed construction vis-á-vis other possible materials of construction. The push-up concept offers significant potential forreducing project cost for multistory steel-frame buildings. No alteration in building quality is necessary to achieve these savings.