Steel may not be your go-to material for a residential or office building. But, because of all the advantages of building with steel, it should be.
While many of us believe that steel is a material best reserved for garages or large agricultural buildings, there are clear advantages it presents. Steel can make an attractive building—and excellent construction material.
It’s SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE, and DURABLE.
However, because it can be a novel idea to consider it as a first choice, you may need to consider the following advantages of building with steel – ones that truly leverage all of the assets that steel has to offer.
The Attributes of Steel That Make It a Solid Building Choice
Steel (designs) are typically lighter than wooden ones.
This may come across as an odd statement because steel is denser and therefore heavier than an equal volume of wood; however, because of its strength, you can almost always design a more economical, efficient frame with steel. This results in a more lightweight building – and that has downstream advantages. For example, you will enjoy reduced shipping costs and a simpler building foundation with a lighter steel frame.
Projects go faster with steel components.
Fabricating a frame or part with steel involves a quality-controlled engineering process, especially when compared to the often human-error-riddled process of erecting a wooden frame. This adherence to high standards reduces mistakes or problems in a project – allowing the schedule for your project to proceed without a hiccup.
Steel is recyclable.
In fact, structural steel is among the most frequently recycled materials on the planet; the steel we use today is almost 90% recycled product. Aside from the environmentally-friendly impacts this has, you’ll also enjoy positive budgetary effects. You’ll save money when you work with steel because you’ll be able to avoid landfill fees. You’ll also be able to brand your project and resultant building as a sustainable one – a move that will attract and satisfy public interest.
Steel requires less long-term maintenance.
Over the decades, after your team finishes your building project, the repairs and replacements for your building will be minimal. This will end up saving the building owners substantial amounts of money.
Steel is durable.
Think about the stressors that your building will have to face: damaging winds, snow loads, even potential earthquakes or fires. But, even if all your building suffers is the natural aging process, and routine pest activity, the fact that it’s made from steel will keep it strong and sturdy. As an added benefit, insurance companies realize this – and often offer more affordable policies due to this fact.
Steel is versatile.
You can mold steel into any shape; it can withstand exterior elements; it can even camouflage itself into patterns and shapes that mimic wood and shingles. Alternatively, you can form steel into flexible sheets or even wires, as your project requires. The fact that it can be any number of things while being strong and durable at the same time makes it a desirable option for any building project.
Steel is tensile.
If you examine the physical properties of steel, you’ll realize that the strength-to-weight ratio of steel is very high. This means that the steel sections of your building will be more small and lightweight for their size than any other building material.
Steel is innovative.
As steel is so versatile, durable, and economical, it’s getting a lot of attention. The technology accompanying steel, the various ways that you can model and engineer it, is changing and upgrading faster than that of any other building material. If you want to be on the leading edge of construction innovations, steel must be your material of choice.
Steel is aesthetic.
Not only can it look like anything you want it to resemble, but steel in itself also has a natural beauty and simplicity that can add grace and modern design to any project.
Are you searching for a reliable contractor to help you with your next project? Peak Steel Contractors is ready to assist. From start to end, we’ll design your structure, handle construction, and more. Check out our past projects and contact us for more information.