For centuries, steel has been a mainstay in almost any building site and manufacturing industry around the world. Not only is steel versatile in nearly any environment, but it is also malleable. It can be shaped into an optimal shape for any construction project. For large urban centers, steel is a preferred building material since it is fireproof, safe, and flexible for any construction site.
One of the reasons that steel has been such a popular building material is that the raw materials used to manufacture are quite abundant. It only takes some iron ore, limestone, and coal to create this widely-popular alloy. While the process of making steel is a bit time-consuming and sometimes arduous, the high demand of the product usually pays off in no time. The abundant nature of steel, coupled with the rising trend of minimalistic modern designs, has made it the king of any construction materials. Many reliable steel suppliers can be found in several areas.
Steel isn’t only used as a construction material for buildings. It is also used in manufacturing cars, components, and even artistic ornaments. But for now, we’ll focus more on how steel is used to maintain the structural integrity of buildings, bridges, and other forms of infrastructure.
Types of Steel Products
Metal has a wide variety of uses in the construction industry. Steel beams, frames, sheets, utility steel, and fittings all have their own unique purpose in creating a structure.
Steel Frame
Just like the human body, a building will need to have a skeleton of its own. A steel frame is one of the most widely used frames for buildings. It accounts for around a quarter of the steelmaking industry’s products.
Reinforcement Columns
Understandably, skyscrapers and large buildings will put on a lot of weight into the lower levels of the building. Compared to concrete support structures that might crack during earthquakes, steel reinforcements can easily adapt to a variety of changes. Moreover, this type of reinforcements will not have a problem expanding from temperature changes. Most modern buildings will use this material as the main one for foundations as it efficiently dissipates weight evenly towards the ground.
Steel Sheets
Steel sheets can be used for a variety of different purposes. In most cases, they are used for walls for industrial buildings that don’t put a lot of emphasis on aesthetics and roofing for warehouses. They come in a variety of different forms, usually as corrugated metal roofing and standing seam roofing. Around 31% of the steelmaking industry produces sheets for numerous markets around the world.
Utility Steel
As the name suggests, this form of steel is not necessarily used for construction, but it is still used for the maintenance of the building. It is usually used for HVAC equipment, such as air conditioning and heating components. It is also used for vents and other essential machines to regulate the building’s temperature.
Fittings
This component is used to make sure that roofings, seams, steel beams, equipment, ventilation shafts, and other supporting structures of the building are riveted in place. Steel nails, bolts, and rivets are great ways of patching down your house. These might seem like small things to care about, but high-quality fittings can hold down roofs and any support structure from winds as strong as 100 miles an hour.
Steel Suspension
Just like steel beams, steel suspensions are one of the older forms of steel construction materials that are still used today. Often, these are used for bridges and other structures of infrastructure. An excellent example of steel-wire suspension is the ones used for the Brooklyn Bridge. This type of steel has been holding the bridge intact for decades while resisting some of the coldest winters and hottest summers in the United States. That is a testament not just of American resilience but also of the material’s durability.
There are a plethora of different steel products in the market. No matter what the construction project may be, steel will account for a good percentage of the building’s composition. Contacting a trusted steel supplier should be the first thing in any engineer’s to-do list when acquiring materials.
Compared to other building materials like wood, concrete, and bricks, steel comes up on top as one of the most versatile alloys used in building. While there are certainly more lightweight, durable, and flexible metals in the market, steel is known for having a balance of both cost-effectiveness and quality. Having a perfect balance of both has earned its place in the construction industry as the most in-demand of building materials.
Meta Title: Essential Steel Products for Any Building Project
Meta Description: Are you looking for steel-based building products for your project? Know the essential products that will help expedite the construction.
Tags: supplier,manufacturer,building sites,construction sites,materials,building materials,construction materials,recycle,production,support,earthquake,versatile,alloy
