Steel is an ideal construction material due to its unique combination of properties. Here are the key advantages of using steel in construction:
- Speed of Construction: Steel structures are largely prefabricated, requiring minimal on-site work, which leads to fast construction times and less congested construction sites.
- Safety: Steel solutions can result in up to 70% reduction in labor, making the construction site safer. Prefabrication and dedicated lifting points also contribute to defined and well-controlled erection processes.
- Value for Money: Faster construction means earlier handover and tenancy, and smaller member sizing can lead to greater net lettable space and more flexible internal spaces.
- Robustness and Ductility: Steel is a ductile material that responds to overload in a controlled manner, providing structural robustness not easily achievable with other construction materials.
- Prefabrication: Steelwork is typically prefabricated, bringing fabrication shop control over quality and dimensional accuracy, reducing waste, and preserving architectural intent.
- Reduced Weight: Steel structures are lighter than concrete structures, reducing load on foundations and enabling retrofitting onto existing structures.
- Architectural Expression: Steel offers versatility to architects, allowing for clear expression of function, slender members, flexibility of openings, easy forming of curved members, structural efficiency of tension members, and refined detailing of connections.
- Configuration Adaptability: Steel structures are assembled on site with bolted connections, making it easy to reconfigure elements for different purposes and allow for strengthening and retrofitting.
- Sustainability: Steel framing can contribute to sustainability through fabrication by members of the ASI Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC), the use of higher strength steel, and steels with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
In conclusion, steel construction offers a number of advantages, including speed, safety, value for money, robustness and ductility, prefabrication, reduced weight, architectural expression, configuration adaptability, and sustainability.
