Design and Research on Light Steel Frame Structure of Prefabricated Rural Houses

In the backdrop of rural revitalization, dual carbon targets, the upgrading of the construction industry, and the trend towards prefabricated construction, China′s rural economy has experienced a remarkable surge in development. Fueled by the boom in residential construction, the development of rural housing has shifted its focus from mere quantity increase to a substantial improvement in quality. The enhancement of living conditions and construction standards has become an inevitable imperative for the next phase of rural housing development. The lightweight steel frame structural system stands out for its characteristics of lightweight components, easy transportability, and excellent seismic performance, making it a suitable choice for low-rise residential buildings in rural areas. However, existing welding and bolted connection methods fall short of meeting the demands for cost-effectiveness and simplified construction procedures. To address these issues, this paper presents a novel rural light steel frame structural system, taking into account the challenges posed by the backward transportation and construction conditions in rural areas. This innovative system incorporates self-tapping screw connection nodes and rectangular steel tube special-shaped composite columns. Through a comprehensive study on the structural and node design methods, this new system was applied to the prefabricated steel structures in Desheng Village. The article elaborates on the key technologies adopted during the design and construction processes, which include BIM forward design for prefabricated rural housing, the straightforward assembly of composite-shaped columns, the assembly of spiral steel pile cap nodes, and simplified node connection and installation techniques. The results demonstrate that this novel structural system meets all the relevant regulatory requirements and ensures safety and reliability. The calculated shear resistance of screws using modified British standards and pull-out resistance of screws using European standards are slightly conservative, ensuring a secure engineering application. The proposed key technologies not only fulfill the intrinsic requirements of green and eco-friendly construction, simplicity in execution, and cost-effectiveness for rural housing but also make them well-suited for broad implementation in rural areas.