Steel buildings can last easily for 50 years and up to 100 years. But it’s important to keep in mind that no matter where you are in the world, and what material you are using for construction, a building will start to wear down with time. Every building requires maintenance to protect the structure from cracks, water damage, wind damage, structural damage, foundation damage, pests, and more. However, with steel, that time is way more when compared to other building materials and it’s also resistant to almost all of the above-mentioned common damages.
We will discuss below some of the reasons that help steel to last such a long time in buildings and other construction projects.
Rust and corrosion-resistant
Stell alone is enough to withstand all sorts of moisture. Whether it’s from heavy rainfall, snow, or anything else. Its water corrosion-resistant property makes it an ideal choice for use in oil rigs, pools, water vehicles, bridges, and constructing buildings in humid and moist environments. It’s no wonder that more than 50% of the steel consumption in the world is in the construction industry. If you want more protection, then there are countless water-resistant add-ons that you can use to further reinforce it against moisture. It includes different coatings, paints, and sealants. These are all readily available in the market and will add an extra protective layer between water and your steel structure.
Environmentally friendly
Steel is arguably one of the few building materials that can be recycled completely and thoroughly. Unlike wood and bricks, it doesn’t rot, break, or shatter into pieces. Studies show that 80% of the materials that are made from steel come from recycled steel. The recycling process seems a bit long but is very simple at the same time. All you have to recycle steel is to separate it from other materials, shred it into smaller pieces, heat, melt it, refine it, and then solidify it into steel blocks or any other shape as per the requirements.
Low maintenance
Steel structures require little to no maintenance at all. They are engineered to be resistant to almost everything including but not limited to water, fire, weather conditions, strong physical impact, insects, and more. A well-built structure made from steel can last for years without deteriorating. However, experts still suggest performing light maintenance occasionally for a longer lifespan of your steel. These maintenances include cleaning the surface once a year, performing thorough inspections once or twice a year, getting a new paint coat once the factory-built coat wears down, repair any visible cracks as soon as possible. Apart from a yearly wash, none of the above are common issues but still can happen in rare circumstances.
Fire resistant
Wood and plastic, will burn and speed up the burning process, steel on the other hand is totally fire resistant. It won’t melt, burn, or bend in an unexpected fire. Steel can retain its strength up to temperatures of 370ºC (700ºF). It loses 30% of its strength when the temperature reaches when the temperature reaches 500ºC or 930ºF. As a comparison, aluminum starts to lose strength when the temperature reaches 100ºC (212ºF). And at just 204ºC (400ºF), aluminum loses 60 percent of its strength. There’s no doubt that steel is one of the most preferred materials when it comes to fire-resistant building materials. Also, just like water-resistant paints, you can always get your steel coated with fire and heat-resistant coatings, to make it almost invincible to fire.Pest resistant
No living organism or insect is going to eat out your steel structures. Wood, bricks, and other materials contain organic components which can attract insects. Wood in particular is very prone to insect attacks like beetles, termites, ants, and more. Steel on the other hand does not contain any cellulose and is 100% inorganic. It doesn’t need any additive or extra coating because it has nothing to attract or offer to insects.
High strength-to-weight ratio
Steel has played a pivotal role in today’s modern skyscrapers. It has a very high strength-to-weight ratio, meaning that it can support a lot of weight while still being relatively lightweight. This is very beneficial in building massive structures as it significantly reduces the overall weight of the building. Less weight means that the developer will have to use way less concrete and other materials in the foundation to support the steel-framed structure. No wonder that the largest structures we say today heavily depend on steel. The world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, heavily depends on steel. According to the official fact sheet, Burj Khalifa uses 39,000 tones of steel reinforcement along with another 15,500 square meters of embossed stainless steel. We can say that without the advancements in steel production, we would not have been able to achieve these architectural wonders.
Design Options with Flexibility
We all know that steel is very strong, durable, and reliable. But very few know that it’s very flexible too. It is an ideal choice for developers in creating innovative building designs. Normal building materials like wood, concrete, and bricks do not provide enough flexibility to go out of the box in designing a building. Steel on the other hand allows architects to construct long spans and curved structures, without compromising on strength and durability. According to the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI), 1/3rd of the total steel produced is used in constructing buildings. That is solely because of the freedom it gives to designers without compromising on strength, durability, and reliability.
Conclusion
All these are the reasons that make steel stand out from the rest of the building materials available in the market. The sheer strength, durability, and versatility help steel buildings in Nevada stay for longer periods than their counterparts. We are still waiting to see some other material in the future that can challenge steel but as of now, it keeps its place. If you too want to ensure that the structure or building you are constructing, remind for a lifetime, then go for steel construction every time.