Concrete vs. Steel: Which to Choose?

March 12, 2020 7:50 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

When it comes to commercial construction, two major building materials reign supreme: concrete and steel. When it comes down to it, if you’re going to construct a new building for nearly any purpose, one of your first (and most critical) choices is to build your structure from concrete or steel. The debate over the merits of these two materials rages on. Still, in a side-by-side comparison, there’s almost no debate about which is the better choice: steel.

In fact, there are so many benefits of steel construction in Indiana that it’s hard to know where to begin.

Fight back against Mother Nature

No matter what kind of weather you’re battling, steel can stand up to it. When the winds pick up speed, steel demonstrates its natural ability to bend without breaking. Even in tornado conditions, a steel building will fare much better than the alternative.

The same goes for earthquake activity. Steel’s ductility means that even when the ground is shaking, it can handle the rumbling without falling down.

Reduce the time on-site

When a concrete building is constructed, contractors have to haul their materials to the property and set up shop. That’s not the case with steel buildings. One of the benefits of steel construction in Indiana is the expedited construction timeline when compared to other materials.

Larger components of your steel structure are manufactured off-site, under the watchful eyes of professionals, and then transported to your location where they can be pieced together with comparatively less time.

Build your building

To deny that concrete has been used to create some gorgeous buildings would be a lie (just check out the Guggenheim in New York). Punch for punch, however, concrete can’t hold up to the impressive power of steel, the construction material with the world’s highest strength-to-weight ratio.

Looking for wide-open spaces free of columns? Want to build upward until you can’t reach higher? You can count on steel.

Embrace the environment

This one comes down to considering the environment. When you get right down to it, using concrete and steel doesn’t have a drastic environmental impact either way until the building itself reaches the end of its lifespan. When it is destroyed, a concrete structure isn’t suitable for much more than rubble. When a steel building is destroyed, however, it’s components can be recycled.

Some estimates indicate that as much as 85 percent of the steel used in construction is recycled. The act of recycling steel uses about one third of the energy required to make new steel. In other words, in the long run, modern steel is much kinder to the environment than concrete.

You can’t go wrong with steel

These are just a handful of the benefits of steel construction in Indiana. To get the whole story, get in touch with the pros at Benchmark Fabricated Steel. For nearly half a century, we have established ourselves as the state’s premier metal and steel contractor. From creation to design to installation, we can help.

For more information, contact Benchmark Fabricated Steel. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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