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Steel has long been used in many applications, including construction, transport, and infrastructure because of its high strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to deformation under load. It’s also easy to work with and recycle, which makes it an ideal material for sustainable design. Over the past century, though, steel has begun to be replaced by other materials in some industries. However, due to the growing need for durable and cost-effective building materials, many designers are looking back to steel as the material of the future once again. Here are five reasons why that’s true.
1) Speed
Steel moves quickly through factory production. It’s easier to handle than other metals, which means products can be made faster and without specialized machinery. In addition, steel products are virtually ready to use as soon as they leave a factory—you don’t have to put them through a lengthy process of applying paint or textiles like you do with other materials. These speed benefits allow manufacturers to make quick product iterations for feedback from customers and turn around fixes on a dime.
2) Scale
Steel is immensely malleable, allowing it to be formed into a wide range of useful shapes. It can be annealed (softened) so that it can be stretched into wire. Its strength and durability means that it doesn’t require much maintenance over time—steel bridges and buildings, for example, can stand for centuries without much upkeep. The word steel even comes from Anglo-Saxon stele meaning metal bar or bright bars of metal.
3) Selectivity
Metals such as steel and aluminum have high physical strength, which means that only a small amount can be used to achieve great load-bearing capacity. This selectivity increases usage efficiency and minimizes material costs. Moreover, metals generally have higher thermal conductivity than other building materials, allowing for a more efficient transfer of heat from within your home to its outer walls. As a result, these homes tend to require less artificial heating or cooling.
4) Quality
The United States has been known for steel since its inception, and it’s easy to see why. U.S.-made steel offers a number of advantages over its international counterparts, with one being quality. Most companies today are all about saving as much money as possible, but if you really want to stand out from your competition in an industry where every penny counts, don’t skimp on quality.
5) Safety
Steel is one of safest materials for construction. Its strength, durability and workability make it more fire resistant and impact resistant than other materials. Given that steel buildings are typically larger than concrete ones, they’re also less prone to collapse in case of an earthquake. Also, steel isn’t combustible; so if there’s a fire in a building made from that material, it won’t spread nearly as easily as it would if concrete were used.
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