Improper Detailing Results in Delayed Commissioning

A 144 m × 60 m factory building (which is the largest span in India using cold-formed steel sections) was constructed at Cochin, India. The building is made up of portal frames spanning 60 m and placed at 6 m intervals. The portal frames are supported alternately on columns and on a lattice girder that was placed longitudinally at the midspan. The portals and columns were made up of four angles, which are laced to form a box section. The lattice girder and the central column were made of 4 channels, laced to form a compound section. The building was covered with asbestos cement (AC) sheets, which are supported by cold-rolled sigma sections. The sides of the building were also covered by cladding from 1.5 m above ground level. Due to improper detailing, all the purlins and side cladding girts twisted after the AC sheets were laid, resulting in cracking of some AC sheets. In addition, diagonal sag rods were not provided in the girts and this resulted in sagging of these members. The design, detailing, and other particulars of this factory building are discussed in this paper. The solution adopted for rectifying the problems is also discussed.