Structural steel has become one of the most prevalent
construction materials of the century, often seen as an extremely
important component of modern buildings and housing. According to
the World Steel Association, over 1,600 million tonnes were produced
in 2016, 197 million more than the previous year. It’s become
viable for any kind of project and offers several benefits, which
many building plans rely on for structural safety.
Availability
The widespread adoption of steel has made it easy to find, both
as a raw alloy and pre-made components. Fabricated parts will often
be openly sold by suppliers (with many factories selling both
locally and overseas), allowing beams and frames to be purchased
directly. Thanks to this, companies can work under tighter
deadlines and access a supply of steel parts anywhere in the world.
Steel parts can be ordered as soon as the architectural plan is
agreed on, saving time that would be spent waiting for them to
arrive at the site. This provides extra time to check measurements
and find suitable storage, issues that could normally delay
construction by several hours.
Weight
Its lightweight makes steel easy to transport over land and lift
via a crane, reducing the amount of fuel wasted getting it to the
site. In addition, this can make buildings far easier to take down:
a prototype ProLogic warehouse was built at Heathrow to demonstrate
how over 80% of the entire structure was reusable, which could be
disassembled in a fraction of the time an average warehouse would
take.
Low weight can aid in moving and rebuilding structures, as shown
with the 9 Cambridge Avenue warehouse relocation: the warehouse
itself was dismantled and rebuilt 1 mile away, using almost no steel
except the existing components. This added mobility and versatility
makes steel a very desirable building material for structures that
have extra land for expansion.
Sustainability
As the desire for eco-friendly buildings increases, steel will
become more convenient for construction projects. It can easily be
recycled and doesn’t need to be permanently disposed of, so old
buildings or temporary supports can be repurposed into new projects
as needed. Roughly 97.5% of all steel from UK demolition sites is
recovered and reused, according to data gathered by Steel
Construction.
Recovered steel components that haven’t been damaged can be
re-used in other projects, removing the cost of getting the alloy
melted down and re-cut as a new part. If a building is being
demolished and rebuilt, existing parts could be stripped out and
repurposed to save money kept in storage for future projects or
simply sold to another company as components (or raw alloy, if sold
back to a steel fabrication company).
Strength
Due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, less steel is needed
in a single support or beam, reducing material costs and improving
its sustainable nature. It can withstand strong physical impacts and
forces, keeping building occupants safe, but won’t wear away or
need to be replaced afterwards. This extra strength can be retained
through the design, rather than the amount of steel used. Steel I-
beams are often used in modern construction since they’re lighter,
stronger and less wasteful than any wooden beam of the same size.
The natural fire and rust resistance of alloy steel makes it
viable for exterior structures, such as fire escapes or balcony
supports – MIMA also suggest possible use as external walls to
contain insulating materials.
Price
Modern regulations are very specific about how efficient
construction should be: these rules often have the added benefit of
cutting maintenance or material costs in the long run. Concrete
remains more consistent compared to the varying price of steel, but
the costs of repairing and reinforcing a concrete beam or pillar
will usually make steel cheaper over a building’s lifetime.
