Steel construction codes

The steel construction codes supported by Touchstone.

In Touchstone 2025, we support codes 151-159 for Verisk Bushfire Model for Australia and Verisk Typhoon Model for South Korea. For information about supported codes and limitations for specific models, refer to the model documentation that is available on the Client Portal.

For information about supported codes and limitations for specific models, refer to the model documentation that is available on the Client Portal.

Construction code Category Description
151 Steel Steel frame buildings consist of steel columns and beams. Use this if the other technical characteristics of the building are unknown.
152 Light Metal Light metal buildings are made of light gauge steel frame and are usually clad with lightweight metal or asbestos siding and roof, often corrugated. They typically are low-rise structures.
153 Braced Steel Frame Buildings constructed with steel columns and beams that are braced with diagonal steel members to resist lateral forces.
154 Steel MRF - Perimeter Buildings constructed with steel columns and beams that use only the frame members on the periphery of the structure to carry lateral loads. The internal beams and columns only carry the gravity load to the foundation.
155 Steel MRF - Distributed Buildings constructed with steel columns and beams to carry lateral loads distributed throughout the building. The diaphragms are usually concrete, sometimes over steel decking. This structural type is seldom used for low-rise buildings.
156 Steel MRF Steel MRF buildings consist of structural steel columns and beams. Lateral loads due to earthquakes are carried by the "moment-resisting frames," but the locations of the moment-resisting frames in the building are unknown.
157 Steel Frame with URM Structural steel columns and beams form "moment-resisting frames" to carry lateral loads due to earthquakes. Unreinforced masonry walls are used as infills between the columns to add lateral load resistance, but are not intended to serve as vertical load-bearing elements. Sometimes the steel frames are completely hidden in the masonry walls.
158 Steel Frame with Concrete Shear Wall Structural steel columns and beams form exterior frames, but the joints are not designed for moment resistance. Lateral loads due to earthquakes are carried by reinforced concrete "shear" walls. The concrete walls are continuous from the foundation to the roof.
159 Steel Reinforced Concrete Structural steel sections (beams and columns) are encased in reinforced concrete. The encased structural steel columns are sometimes discontinued in the upper portions of the buildings, making the columns in the upper floor regular reinforced concrete columns.
160 Steel Long Span Steel long-span buildings create unobstructed, column-free spaces greater than 100 feet for a variety of activities or functions. These include activities where visibility is important for large audiences (e.g., auditoriums and covered stadiums), where flexibility is important (e.g., exhibition halls and certain types of manufacturing facilities), and where large movable objects are housed. Two-hinge (made of a single member hinged at each end) and three-hinge (made of two members hinged at each end and at the meeting point at the crown) trussed arches are widely used.