Abstract
Structural efficiency is considered an important criterion for any sound design. It is, however, an elusive quality, currently lacking a rigorous definition. In this paper, an objective index, intended to measure structural efficiency and quality of design, is presented. The index is based on utilization factors derived from the Eurocode design expressions. To show the adequacy of the proposed metrics, a set of portal frames is used as a case study. This typology is chosen because it can be fully described with a limited number of parameters, and its design is highly influenced by instability, which is specific to steel structures. The portal frames are predesigned using well-known rules-of-thumb leading to realistic cases, thoroughly verified according to EC3, and the proposed metrics are then applied to assess the sensitivity of the design efficiency.
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