Steel buildings and metal framed buildings have become the preferred construction types for today’s commercial, industrial, institutional and agricultural markets. Even home building is a growing market for steel or metal frame construction. And it’s no wonder!
Steel offers a large number of benefits to today’s building consumer. From economic (for some, the most important single factor) to functional versatility and flexiblilty, environmental, safety and even health factors, steel buildings provide purchasers with a comfort level that other construction methods can not match.
Below are 20 of the many benefits of steel and metal components in your new building:
1. Steel building components are manufactured to consistent quality and exacting tolerances.
2. Steel is manufactured to precise and uniform shapes.
3. There is no need for ‘culling’ or inspecting steel components for crown or twists.
4. Metal studs start out straight and stay straight without the warping, bowing, twisting, splitting, shrinking and popping knots.
5. Steel building components do not rot like wood construction can.
6. Steel is impermeable to termites, insects and rodents.
7. Steel does not promote mould and mildew.
8. Steel has one of the highest strength to weight ratios of all building materials.
9. Higher strength means that on-center distances can be wider in steel buildings reducing the amount of material and labor required – thus reducing costs.
10. Steel and metal framing can reach greater spans than other materials creating larger open spaces.
11. Steel strength allows for taller walls.
12. Metal and steel frames are lighter than traditional concrete and masonry leading to reduced footing and foundation requirements.
13. Steel and metal building components can be as much as 50% lighter than wood.
14. Steel can work well on its own or in combination with other materials.
15. Steel is non-combustible and will not add fuel to a fire.
16. In many cases your insurance premiums will be lower because of this.
17. Steel framing connections are much stronger than wood connections.
18. Steel can be engineered to meet the heavy seismic and wind loads required by building codes.
19. A steel or metal framed building produces much less waste than wood. An average wood framed home generates about 50 cubic feet of waste in the landfills compared to about 1.5 cubic feet for steel or metal.
20. Steel is 100% recyclable. 60 million tons of scrap steel are recycled every year which is more than paper, aluminum, glass and plastic combined.