Building materials have advanced a long way from the days of using mud and sticks, and each new type brought its own advantages and disadvantages. Wood was a plentiful source but highly flammable and inflexible. Bricks are sturdy and can bear heavy loads, but they crack if there’s movement in the foundations. In recent years the construction industry has moved towards steel as its preferred building material, either on its own or in combination with concrete and breezeblocks.
Why Steel?
Steel has a number of advantages over other traditional building materials. It is incredibly reliable because it is constructed in a factory, meaning there are no blemishes or weak spots. Factory construction also means that it arrives on site already cut to the exact sizes and shapes needed, decreasing overall construction time.
Steel by nature has high levels of elasticity and ductility, meaning it bends and stretches under pressure rather than cracking and fracturing. In areas where earthquakes or high windspeeds put buildings under stress, this is a very important consideration. Most forms of steel are also 100% recyclable, so with modern constructions under pressure to be environmentally friendly, using steel ensures the best way to prevent having to source completely new materials.
Types of Steel
Because steel is manufactured, there are a number of changes that can be made during the process to produce different steels with different properties. This makes them more suitable for different aspects of the construction process. For example, steel supports need to be made of a different alloy than thin steel sheets because they are going to be used in different ways. Here are some of the most common types of steel used in construction.
Structural Steel
This steel is sturdy, durable, and ductile, and is moulded into several different shapes including I Beam, Z Shape, L Beam, C Beam, and T Shape. These beams arrive at the construction site already cut and ready to be assembled and can be erected quickly to create the skeleton of the building. The disadvantage of structural steel is that the components will need fireproofing and coating with corrosion protection to avoid damage over the years, but this is easily done and doesn’t take away from the many other excellent properties.
Rebar Steel
Rebar steel is used to reinforce solid materials like concrete. Rebar rods are made from carbon steel and given ridged edges, then inserted into wet concrete blocks to give them a backbone. Concrete has weak tensile strength, meaning it cracks when pulled or twisted, even though it can withstand a lot of pressure under compression. Adding rebar rods or mesh to concrete significantly improves its tensile strength and means that the building will hold up better under stress.
Light Gauge Steel
Light gauge steel is often used for smaller constructions and those requiring panels, like these versatile steel huts. Unlike the other steels mentioned here, light gauge steel beams and panels are formed while the steel is cold, making light gauge steel resilient, durable, and cost-effective. Structures made from this material are non-combustible, and do not shrink, warp, or rot. However, they carry sound easily and lose strength under heat, meaning they must be clad with other substances if used for home or office construction.
Conclusion
Steel is a wonderfully versatile construction material that can be formed into many different shapes and strengthened by the addition of different elements like carbon. Steel is not only strong but elastic and ductile, meaning it can withstand pressure from different angles and directions. This makes it the best material to use for buildings under stress from high winds or earthquake as it is unlikely to suffer damage. Steel is also environmentally friendly because it is completely recyclable, so new structures can be created without creating new carbon emissions from the production process.
