Steel Building Misconceptions

Steel buildings are everywhere, but historically speaking, it’s a relatively new construction material. Many people are laboring under misconceptions about steel and how it functions in a building. In short, it’s an extremely durable building material that offers excellent benefits, making it very popular in modern construction. As always, the higher-quality steel you get, the longer your building will last. Here’s what you need to know about common myths about steel buildings in Indiana:

• Steel frames will rust: Building steel is often dipped in a protective coating, which safeguards the material against rust and corrosion. Most building steel comes with a warranty of at least 50 years, ensuring that the construction will not need attention for half a century.
• Steel interferes with TV, radio and wi-fi reception: Most of us rely on cell phones and wireless internet for everyday life, and many people still use antennas for radio and TV—if steel interfered with these signals, no one would use it in modern construction. Radio waves can pass through the spaces between the studs in a steel frame, allowing the signal to come through just as easily as if the frame were wooden.
• Steel is dangerous during a lightning storm: We all know that metal conducts electricity, which is likely how the idea that steel frames are dangerous—or even attract lightning—originated. It’s actually safer to be in a steel-framed home during a lightning storm, however. The steel conducts the energy from the lightning down into the ground, safely dispersing it before it can harm anyone.
• Steel expands and contracts more than other building materials: All building materials expand and contract with heat, which is why architects and engineers design their products around this inevitability. Steel has much less thermal movement than other building materials, making it easy to keep your building crack free.
• Steel frames are noisy: If your building is properly constructed, steel frames are quieter than wooden-framed buildings of the same size and design.
• Steel buildings are unattractive: Steel buildings can be customized both externally and internally to create the look you want. Most people who think steel buildings are ugly are thinking of industrial buildings, which are often fairly utilitarian in appearance. You probably have seen plenty of steel-framed buildings and didn’t realize that’s what they’re made out of—there are plenty of exterior options that hide the fact the building is made from steel.
• Steel is dangerous when exposed to live wires: Most steel buildings are equipped with circuit breakers for the occupants’ safety. If a live wire somehow touches the frame, the circuit breaker is tripped, allowing you to avoid injury.
• Steel buildings are cold: This is one of the biggest misconceptions about steel buildings in Indiana. Many people associate metal with coldness, but steel buildings are actually excellent at preventing heat transfer, particularly when constructed with a metal roof, too.

When you need assistance with constructing steel-framed buildings, call Benchmark Fabricated Steel today. We look forward to learning about your project and showing you how we can help!

Categorised in: Steel Construction

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