Whether you’re building a new warehouse or other location for your business, a riding arena, an airplane hangar, or even your house you have many choices in construction design. Steel, wood, concrete, and others all vie for the opportunity to be used in your project. Steel has many advantages that other building materials, and for many projects such as warehouses and hangars it is the top dog for a multitude of reasons.
Construction Cost
Steel buildings are among the least expensive structures to erect available today. Choosing a steel building may save you 60% in construction costs over other materials. In terms of costs per square foot, at least one source states that steel frame buildings cost roughly $12 to $18 per square foot, as compared to $20 to $38 for post frame and $23 to $40 for stud frame. The difference in cost is largely due to the lower cost of labor associated with construction of steel frame buildings. This is because the steel parts are pre-fabricated using automation at a factory and designed to fit together well. This reduces the amount of time needed to erect the structure, as well as the number of specialized workers needed on the job.
Strength
For centuries Steel has been a symbol of strength and toughness. This perception is true of steel buildings. A steel building can handle anything that nature can throw at it; rain, high winds, intense cold, scorching heat, snow, ice, and more. It also has advantages over wood because it will not rot or split easily, and is coated to resist rusting. Steel’s advantage extends over concrete as well because it is highly resistant to cracking and will not chip and erode over time like concrete will. It is also much simpler to replace a worn out section of a steel building by simply replacing the panel, stud, or other part than it is to repair concrete or wood buildings.
Construction Time
If you need a building built fast, steel is for sure the way to go. A steel building can be completed in just six to twelve weeks, depending on its size and complexity. This is much faster than other building materials. Steel holds this advantage because of the nature of the material itself; because the steel parts are pre-fabricated in the factory, they require little to no tooling at the worksite. This allows them to be installed into the growing structure nearly as soon as they arrive at the building. Additionally steel does not require any time to dry or cure like concrete does. This dramatically reduces the amount of time required to construct your new building and allows you to use it sooner.