Can Steel Buildings Withstand Tornadoes?

Indiana residents know that springtime means tornado season. While everyone needs to have a safety plan for a tornado touchdown, anyone building a structure should consider using tornado-proof materials. Choosing the wrong construction materials can lead to severe property damage, injuries or even death.

When it comes to avoiding catastrophe, building with steel is your best bet. This post from your structural steel erection service providers in Indiana will cover why steel is such a great option:

• Wind: Whipping winds are likely the first thing most people think of when it comes to tornadoes, and for good reason—an F5 tornado can produce winds of over 300 miles per hour! Although an F5 would level practically any structure, a steel building can handle winds of up to 170 MPH.
• Rain: Tornadoes also bring torrential rains that result in homes and buildings flooding. Steel buildings can resist even the heaviest rains, and they won’t rust or foster mold growth down the road.
• Debris: Believe it or not, the scene of cows flying through the air in the movie Twister isn’t that far-fetched. F2 tornadoes are known to lift small structures and uproot trees, resulting in tons of debris flying through the air. Because they’re so strong, a steel building can take a beating from most airborne debris.
• Fire: Due to falling power lines and broken gas lines, tornadoes are also known to start indoor and outdoor fires. Anyone or anything in a metal building will be protected from these flames because steel structures are fire resistant.

Other benefits of steel

The advantages of hiring structural steel erection services in Indiana for your building project go beyond tornado protection. Here are a few other reasons to choose steel for your building:

• Time efficient: If you need a building erected fast, steel is often your best bet. Pieces of steel structures can come pre-manufactured and be bolted together and erected on-site. This process takes about a third of the time of building with wood or other materials.
• Cost effective: Nobody has an unlimited budget to erect a building. That’s why many people choose steel over wood. Due to lower labor costs, a steel building can be 30 percent less expensive than a traditional structure. And, as long as it’s well insulated, your steel building will be much more energy efficient than a wooden one.
• Low maintenance: Depending on the type of siding, maintaining a traditional structure can be a challenge. Between painting, cleaning and making repairs, there’s a ton of work to do! That’s not the case with steel. The paint on steel buildings never fades, and the material never rusts, so there’s practically zero upkeep required.

Hire our team to erect your steel building

Regardless of your building’s size or purpose, choose Benchmark Fabricated Steel to construct it. With 50 years of industry experience and a wide range of services available, we’re one of the best structural steel erection service providers in Indiana. Contact us today to get a quote for your upcoming steel project and learn more about what we can do for you.

Categorised in: Steel Construction

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