When you look at buildings being constructed today, it’s no longer just wood and concrete that are used as common materials. Steel is earning its spot, too, as a favored material in construction. This is true, almost globally. There are only very little construction projects where concrete is still favored over steel.
If you have a construction project soon, perhaps, you’ve also long contemplated whether or not you’re also going to use steel. While steel also comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, there’s no denying how the advantages still seem to reign supreme over its cons.
Truth be told, it’s quite hard to imagine a world today where steel doesn’t exist in the construction industry. Here are reasons why steel is emerging in popularity as a material of choice in construction:
1.It Boosts Aesthetic Appeal
While strength and functionality top the priority factors builders consider for structures, the aesthetic appeal also can’t be taken for granted. Surely, no one wants to build and come up with a structure that doesn’t have an appeal. You’ll want your building to stand out and look great.
Along that line, these are some of the areas of expression that architects can significantly enjoy:
- Visual effects, like a metal building finish, which are achieved through the finish of coating steelwork
- Function expression through the externally exposed steel structure
- Ease of ability to curve or mold the steel into the desired design
With steel, the boosting of aesthetic appeal is another promising advantage. Architects love how easy it is to work with steel to mold it into the desired look. In fact, it’s also touted as one that enables architects and contractors to enjoy a greater degree of creativity and expression than most other construction materials.
2.It’s Cost-Effective
When compared to other framing materials, using structural steel is often the more cost-effective choice. The first part of the savings comes in during the initial cost of materials acquisition. When you’re able to source your steel from a good supplier, you can have a reasonable and competitive price.
On top of the materials acquisition, there are also other areas of cost-savings you can enjoy when you use steel. Because steel is often pre-fabricated, this can effectively shorten the length of your construction period. This advantage aligns with other cost savings pertaining to labor. When you have a shorter construction period, it follows that you’re also paying for fewer tradesmen or laborers.
3.It Speeds Up Your Construction Period
Before the steel used in construction is taken to your construction site, it’s already pre-fabricated in the warehouse. This fact results in another advantage: that your construction period is sped up. When the steel makes it to your construction site, there’s only very little work that now needs to be done, other than assembly using bolted connections. This is the main factor that contributes to a faster construction period.
With the ease that comes with working with steel, it’s safe to consider it as an innovation that’s consistently improving the speed and efficiency of construction projects.
4.It Has High Tensile Strength
The third reason here as to why steel is now a compelling material used in construction is its high tensile strength. Perhaps, in the past, you’ve thought of steel as one that easily gives in to parasites, corrosion, and mold. However, today, this may no longer hold true. Steel materials today are covered by refractory agents and materials that protect against those effects.
5.It Increases Usable Floor Space
One of the disadvantages of traditional, concrete buildings is that they can often limit the degree of usable floor space. The taller the building, the bigger the concrete columns have to be. When there are multiple columns, they can instantly take up square footage in your structure.
This is no longer the case with steel buildings. Because steel is both already light and strong, you can have a long span of space with open, column-free areas.
6.It Can Withstand Outside Weights
Outside weights refer to the outside forces that may hurt or impact the strength and durability of your structure. The good news for you is that steel structures have strong ability to withstand outside weights, like cyclones, thunderstorms, and cyclones.
Your contractor should give you inputs on how best to maintain your building. When you’re able to abide by those standards, your building can last you at least 30 years.
Conclusion
As you can see, the use of steel as the top main material in the construction industry is backed up with data. You can’t go wrong with using steel, whether your purpose is residential or commercial. It goes without saying that using steel for construction is more than just about the aesthetics of a modern building. Most importantly, to enjoy the purported reasons above, don’t skimp on your supplier. Be sure you’re using only top-quality steel, with the aid of a good and reputable contractor.
