Journal of Constructional Steel Research 61 (2005) 1009–1024 www.elsevier.com/locate/jcsr Development of Brazilian steel construction Eduardo de Miranda Batista a , Khosrow Ghavami b,* a Civil Engineering Programme, Applied Mechanics and Structures Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, PB 68506, 21945-970, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil b Civil Engineering Department, Pontificia Universidade Católica, PUC-Rio de Janeiro, Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, 22453-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Abstract This article presents a concise short overview of the development of the steel industry in Brazil, with the emphasis on civil construction. The relatively rapid increase in the application of steel structures for both low and tall buildings and the modern bridges in Brazil are the results of an extensive effort of the steel producers and the improvement of steel courses and research programmes in several universities and institutions during the last two decades. The steel industry in collaboration with the universities, which have provided the results of their recent studies, contributed to the improved steel technologies and composite construction. Data, supplied by the Brazilian Institute of Metallurgy, IBS, is presented on the actual steel production and fabrication with regard to application in civil engineering. Case studies of steel structures, such as multi-storey buildings, space structures, light gauge steel construction and bridges, are presented and commented on. Further, steel structures subjected to corrosion or to fire, as well as steel and composite semi-rigid joints, are mentioned and finally the Brazilian experience with steel architecture is introduced. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Steel production; Steel structures; Steel construction in Brazil; Composite steel construction; Multi- storey buildings; Low cost residential construction; Steel bridges; Steel architecture 1. Short historical review The exploration of iron ore was initiated in 1587 in Brazil by Afonso Sardinha in the mountain region of Cubatão, situated on the banks of the Jeribatuba, in the old settlement * Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 213114 1188; fax: +55 213114 1195. E-mail addresses: batista@coc.ufrj.br (E. de M. Batista), ghavami@civ.puc-rio.br (K. Ghavami). 0143-974X/$ - see front matter © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jcsr.2005.02.011