From Guest Blogger Lillian Connors: Environmental Benefits of Steel Buildings

A large portion of environmental pollution can be attributed to construction and use of buildings. By opting for steel, you can contribute to a lower level environmental impact. Steel is becoming more and more popular in modern construction as modern buildings with steel frames offer a lot of benefits and chances of significant savings in all phases of their life, from component production, to dismantling and its reuse.

Here are several concrete reasons why choosing steel is your best option.

Recycling and waste reduction

All steel is produced industrially and under strictly controlled conditions, so there’s little or no construction waste. For a steel home, every piece is designed and created in advance with a specific purpose. It’s custom-made to fit the structure of your home so there is no waste on-site, like there is with traditional wooden frames. They often arrive on-site in bundles and need to be cut or adjusted. This creates a lot of scrap and waste that can rarely be reused, while 80% of all steel beams are actually recycled and made of scrap. And the amazing fact is that these beams still retain all their original properties and strength and are suitable for any high performance uses.

Energy cost reduction

By partially of fully integrating steel beams in the floor structure, you can get lower floor height, which further limits the volume of the building. Less volume means that less energy will be required for heating and cooling. Steel, as one of the strongest construction materials, can also bear a lot of weight, so putting thicker layers of insulation won’t compromise the structural integrity. This will also reduce the energy bill as less energy will be needed to cool/heat the building. In the long run, this can save you up to 30% off your power bill.

If this is not enough and you still want to push further in savings, adding solar panels is the way to go. Their weight is not a problem for a strong and durable steel construction and they will add significantly to the value of your home. In addition, it will also reduce your energy costs and your overall ROI will be around 15-20% with a tendency of increase.

Environmental resistance

In addition to all of its above mentioned advantages, steel prevents mold from developing and growing. Homes built with steel frames don’t need any kind of specific treatment for prevention of mold, vermin infestation and corrosion. They don’t absorb moisture either, so they can’t host any health-compromising bacteria.

One of the most desired and appreciated characteristics of steel constructions is their resistance to various environmental influences. They can withstand earthquakes, floods, fires and snowstorms. In consultation and planning, you should make sure that your steel structure fits its purpose, is optimised for all steel system benefits and uses every inch of available space. For this reason, finding a company that offers a comprehensive range of product and services is instrumental. For instance, the structural steel experts behind Wallandra offer professional design, construction and building solutions for industrial, commercial and agricultural use.

Steel-framed buildings are unparalleled in today’s modern construction and design. Their durability is guaranteed, maintenance costs are low and environmental resistance and recyclability are unmatched. Cold-formed steel also meets the highest sustainability standards and is recognised in all major green building programmes. It’s produced in much less time than other types of structures and can be assembled quickly on-site. Therefore, both the amount of resources and time needed for its production is greatly reduced. Also, steel constructions require smaller foundations, so the overall construction costs are lower. Finally, the fact that only 1% of all the steel in the world isn’t recycled significantly improves its environmentally-friendly reputation.