5 Reasons Steel Is So Widely Used
The advantages of steel are numerous and include its strength, flexibility, durability, ease of installation, and resistance to deterioration, making it one of the most used construction materials in the world. Several advantages of working with steel include:
- Ease of use
- Economical
- Architectural flexibility
- Sustainability
- Durability
Steel Is Easy To Work With
Steel products are roll formed into the exact shapes and sizes required for their construction needs making steel easy to work with. Detailed labeling of all steel pieces makes assembly fast and foolproof, while pre-punched holes make it simple to run wiring and plumbing. As a result, the steel frame construction time is shortened.
Using a Performance 1 Roll Former takes the ease of working with steel up several notches. The design of Performance 1 simplifies changeovers which reduces labor force challenges. As a result, Performance 1 is the most efficient and cost-effective roll former on the market today.
Steel Is Cost-effective
Steel is an economical choice for building materials in terms of construction and post-construction costs. Faster, easier installation with less material waste keeps costs down during construction. In addition, post-construction costs tend to be reduced because of lower insurance rates and maintenance costs.
Steel construction involves pre-fabricated items manufactured off-site and can be rapidly installed on-site with minimal problems. This creates savings that impact profitability.
Steel Offers Architectural Flexibility
No other framing material comes close to steel’s ability to allow for so much design creativity. With the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any building product, steel has longer span capabilities, wider on-center-spacing possibilities, and reduced foundation requirements. Buildings featuring clear-span framing can have open interiors that are completely customizable. Steel can be used for residential, industrial, and commercial purposes, including low-, mid-, and high-rise structures.
Steel Is Environmentally Friendly
Steel is 100% recyclable and is the most recycled material on the planet, with 98% of all structural steel being actively recovered and recycled or reused, according to The American Institute of Steel Construction. In addition, steel buildings are pre-engineered to the exact measurements needed leaving less waste than other building materials. These are some reasons steel construction can help obtain LEED certification for building projects.
Steel Is Durable
The list of ways steel buildings are durable is long. Because high-quality steel will not rot, warp, or twist over time, you can trust that your building will stand strong for years to come.
Steel is:
- Non-combustible
- Fire-resistant
- Impervious to rot, mold, mildew, and fungal growth
- Impenetrable to insects, termites, and vermin
- Stands up to high winds, heavy snow, and hail
Steel. It’s What’s Used For Building!
This quote from Donald W. Davies, PE, SE, president, Magnusson Klemencic Associates (an engineering firm with projects in 48 states and 62 countries) puts the benefits of steel in a nutshell, “Steel lets us optimize building designs in very materially unique ways. Steel’s ductility when pushed past its yield point is ideal for seismic applications, its strength-to-weight ratio is superior, and its potential for preassembly and disassembly can lead to reuse in ways that other materials really can’t touch.”
We would love to learn more about your business and tell you how International Steel Framing has what you need to succeed in the cold-formed steel industry.
If you would like to learn more about manufacturing using Performance 1 Roll Former, click here.
