Advantages of building steel structures

Steel is one of the most widely used construction materials in the world. A structure cannot withstand seismic shocks such as earthquakes and other natural disasters without steel. Steel provides a more robust framework for the building and adds tensile strength to the concrete. Steel is also used in many non-structural applications in construction, like heating and cooling equipment and interior ducting. Internal fixtures and fittings, such as shelving and stairs, are also steel-made. It is a great collaborator that works together with all other construction materials.

Why is steel used so much in the construction of any building? Continue reading to find out.

1. Reliability – Buildings made from steel are incredibly dependable. The reasons for this dependability are uniformity and consistency in its properties, better quality control due to factory manufacturing, elasticity, and ductility. For instance, when various specimens of a steel type are evaluated in a laboratory, the variation is much lesser than in other materials like concrete and wood.

2. Lightweight - Steel is not only robust but also a lightweight construction material. This is attributed to steel's stiffness and high strength. Steel is also easy to transport. Its high strength-to-weight ratio simplifies the design of a structure's foundation and other structural support systems. However, steel needs to be firmly bolted to the foundations to avoid blowing away the material by the wind.

3. Versatility - If there is any material that one can get creative with, it is steel. Steel lets you change anything you like since the walls attached to steel framing are simple to remove, making renovation easier. With steel, you can also create free-form combinations or segmented curves. If you have steel beams installed, you don't need interior supporting walls, allowing your building to be used for anything you'd like. You can break up the space by adding interior walls to divide the room, and you can tear them down when you decide to change something.

4. Durability – Steel needs little to no maintenance. It can withstand earthquakes, high winds, fire, and other seismic activities. Steel buildings are also more resistant to weather and moisture. However, that depends on the carbon content of the steel material you use for construction. A powder treatment or hot zinc coating can help enhance corrosion resistance. 

5. Quick construction time – Steel allows you to save an immense amount of time during construction, especially if your project is time-bound, by incorporating pre-engineered structural designs. Pre-engineered buildings can be installed in one-third of the time taken to complete the erection of a traditional building. Moreover, the fabrication process undergoes quality control, so one doesn't have to worry about human errors.

6. Ductility - A material's ductility is defined as its ability to endure significant deformation without breaking under high tensile pressures. Steel, by this definition, is highly ductile. This property of steel allows the steel to deform without collapse or even bend out of shape if there is a risk of breakage, thus giving a warning to the residents or occupants of a home or a building to vacate in time. Besides breakdown of steel structures doesn’t happen over time and steel structures rarely collapse.

7. Temporary Construction - Steel construction is always chosen for portable buildings. The structures are readily disassembled by removing a few bolts, and the components are transported to other locations for the structure's simple reassembly.

Consider how different our world would be today if there were no steel-based structures and buildings. There wouldn't be any skyscrapers poking out of the skies, and the tallest buildings would only have a few hundred stories. The safety and durability of such buildings would be another question, as only a few could withstand earthquakes or fires. Steel is the ideal building material thanks to a unique mix of the above-stated characteristics. Steel is also an excellent building material when it comes to withstanding natural disasters. A building’s strength, life, stability, and resistance to disasters, all depend on the steel deployed in its construction. Therefore, it is essential that the steel used in any building is quality tested and certified. Shop for premium quality structural steel online at www.jswonemsme.com. We are the market leaders when it comes to providing high-quality structural steel products like angles, beams & columns, and channels.

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