Steel Yourself – Choosing the Strongest Building Material

What makes steel so effective in construction applications can be summed up in one simple sentence: It has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any building material. For many, many projects, there’s no more efficient or cost-effective solution. And for many system-built multi-family residence projects – any that stand more than four stories high – steel is the only real option.

For every steel project, Deluxe insists on post-and-beam tube steel for all of the load-bearing members. We complement that with lighter-gauge steel for studs in the walls. The overall effect is commanding strength and manufacturing flexibility, a combination that enables us to provide system-built multi-family structures up to 12 stories in height.

Our steel framed modules – like any we build – enable rapid jobsite installation. But there’s a whole string of serious additional benefits that go with steel – benefits to both the builder and the building end user.

One fundamental advantage: Steel doesn’t burn or add fuel to a fire. Put it together with fire suppression systems, and it will meet the requirements of building codes nationwide – and those codes are tough. For multi-family, multi-story housing, this demonstrated margin of safety is especially critical.

Steel is also highly stable from a dimensional standpoint. It won’t expand or contract substantially under normal conditions. In addition to maintaining essential structural integrity, this characteristic also helps retain the tight factory fit and finish we build into our buildings.

The inherent strength of steel creates buildings that are exceptionally strong, stable, and durable. In addition, that favorable strength-to-weight ratio I mentioned before makes it possible to carry longer spans than are possible with wood-framed construction.

The problems wood has with mold, fungus, or insect infestation are non-existent with steel. Bugs like termites can create serious maintenance and health issues in wood framed structures – so can mold or fungus. Steel construction is immune to all that, and it won’t rot, warp, crack or split.

Steel is green. A major portion of the structural steel we use is recycled – and that entails no sacrifice in strength or flexibility. On the other end, steel can be fully recycled at the end of its useful life. There’s also a big difference between the amount of scrap that’s generated with steel verses wood: two percent with steel, twenty percent with lumber. That’s an order of magnitude, and its environmental effect is huge.

The difference in overall quality that all this creates is impossible to ignore. Steel in system-built structures develops stronger, welded-frame, monolithic structures. The fact that steel is produced to national standards, without regional variations in quality, also contributes to consistent superior quality in the finished structures.

Comparing the cost of steel per square foot to that of other building materials is complicated. It depends on the project specs, so it’s hard to make a simple apples-to-apples comparison. Project analysis addresses the constraints on a given job, addressing questions such as time and the building’s footprint.

For a wide variety of projects, the benefits of steel are more than commensurate with the cost. When we’re building in urban areas, for instance, the structures must be taller to make the most of expensive real estate square footage. In those situations, being able to use system-built construction for mid-rise buildings – that is, maximizing the occupancy relative to the footprint – can make or break for the whole project.
In many ways, it all comes back to that unique strength-to-weight ratio. When you consider that, plus all the other benefits that steel confers, it’s a terrific option in system-built construction.