Reasons a steel frame may be best for your commercial building

When it comes to constructing commercial buildings, the materials you use make a difference. Choosing good materials is crucial for long-term durability and structural integrity. Out of all the building materials on the market, strong metals tend to be the top choices for commercial buildings. Steel is especially popular. Steel components can offer plenty of advantages over other traditional building materials, making it a great option.

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Commercial buildings are typically composed of many different materials. At the start of construction, though, you will need to select one material for the frame. The frame of your building is essential, as everything else will be built around it. For a building designed for commercial use, it is important to ensure that you have a very strong frame. When framing your commercial building, steel components may be the best choice. Learning more about the benefits of steel can illustrate why it is a top material for framing commercial buildings.

Benefits of using a steel frame for your commercial building

• Strength

  &#; Do you need a frame that can support a large building? If so, you may want to use steel. Steel is renowned for its durability and high tensile strength. The tensile strength of a material refers to the maximum amount of stress it can bear before breaking. Steel can withstand a lot of stress, making it a great choice for bearing heavy loads. It can also protect against extreme weather and seismic activity, improving the overall safety of your building. By building with a steel frame, you get the benefit of having a reliable and strong foundation for the rest of the structure.

• Versatility

  &#; Steel building products come in a wide assortment of shapes and sizes. Want to erect a small building for commercial storage? You can do that with steel frames. Want to build a large multistory office building? Steel frames work for that too. With flexible design, you don&#;t have to feel restricted by a limited set of options. Instead, you can select the steel frames and other materials that best conform to your vision. Steel building products can accommodate a variety of architectural styles and interior layouts. Being highly versatile, steel building products are designed to meet your needs regardless of the project&#;s specifications.

• Cost-effectiveness

  &#; Installing your new commercial building on a tight budget? Steel frames are among the most cost-effective options. The process for manufacturing steel is highly efficient, allowing for rapid production at a relatively low cost. This translates to major savings for people looking to buy steel products. With

  preengineered steel building parts

  , you can save even more time and money. Preengineered components cut down on the amount of assembly required during the construction process, meaning you can keep your timeline short and your labor costs to a minimum.

• Sustainability

  &#; If your company is oriented toward sustainability and eco-friendly practices, steel can be a great fit. Steel is a 100% recyclable material&#; the same steel material can be continually repurposed without losing its quality. The recyclable nature of steel can help reduce the environmental impact of your project, promoting sustainable construction processes. With the right insulation, steel buildings can also be highly energy efficient. Steel buildings can be equipped with energy-saving features such as specialized windows, reflective roofing and

  insulated metal panels

  . An energy-efficient building made with steel can continue offering long-term benefits in the form of a lowered carbon footprint and reduced energy costs.

• Adaptability

  &#; Business needs often change over time. With steel frames, your building can change with you. Steel building products are designed for easy adaptation and expansion. Planning for future expansions or renovations? Your building&#;s steel framing can be expanded to accommodate your changing needs.

• Fire resistance

  &#; Steel is inherently fire resistant. Unlike traditional framing materials such as wood, steel can help ensure that your building stays standing in the case of a fire. Fire resistance provides an additional level of safety for the occupants and assets within your commercial building. In addition to fire resistance, steel is also equipped to resist a variety of other issues. Steel is resistant to mold as well as pests such as rodents and termites. This resistance can help keep your maintenance needs to a minimum and cut down on repair expenses.

Metal commercial building prices

No two commercial building projects are the same. Because of this, there is no one correct answer to the question &#;How much will my commercial building cost?&#; The answer will depend on your particular project. The cost of a given commercial building is influenced by several factors. Understanding some of these factors can help you develop an accurate estimate. You can also reach out to the expert staff of a steel building company to get a quote.

• Location

  &#; The site of your planned construction can affect costs. If you are planning to build in a rural or otherwise difficult-to-access area, you may need to spend more on things like transportation and shipping. Local building codes and permitting requirements also vary by location. Depending on where you are, these regulations can lead to further expenses. If you are considering multiple locations, evaluating the benefits and downsides of each one can help you choose the optimal space for your commercial property.

• Materials

  &#; The type and quality of the materials you use will have an impact on your overall cost. When choosing materials, it is important to think about long-term expenses in addition to the upfront expenses. While top-notch materials might cost a little more initially, they can offer a great return on your investment. When you use high-quality steel, you can trust that your building will meet your needs for years to come.

• Labor

  &#; To ensure an efficient and proper construction process, it is important to work with professionals. Your building material provider may be able to connect you with

  expert construction services

  . The labor costs involved in construction will depend on the company you work with as well as the scale of your project. Fortunately, quality steel frames are designed for rapid, intuitive construction, so the construction process should be relatively simple, saving you time and money.

Commercial metal building contractors near you

Looking for a contractor to help make your steel building a reality? Connecting with a contractor in your area can be crucial for ensuring quality construction and timely completion. When looking for a good contractor near you, consider the credentials and experience of each contractor. A contractor with plenty of successful projects under their belt is more likely to have the experience and in-depth knowledge you need.

In addition to credentials, it is important to find a contractor who communicates well. Transparent, effective communication is essential to any major undertaking. A good contractor will listen to your requests and address your needs while also helping you stay informed as construction progresses.

Referrals are another important factor. Recommendations from industry professionals can be great indicators that a particular contractor is right for the job. If you don&#;t have a contractor selected, it can help to connect with one through your building material provider.

National Steel Buildings offers excellent steel frames for commercial structures

Ready to start framing your commercial building? National Steel Buildings is here to help you at every turn. At National Steel Buildings, we are committed to providing the highest level of service to each and every one of our customers.

Contact our team today for more information about our steel building options and pricing.

If you are leading a construction business that is framing up the way you&#;ve always done it - with timber &#; you may have been hearing a lot in the market about the benefits of cold formed steel (also known as light gauge steel).

Those businesses that have already made the shift to steel framing using offsite and modular construction techniques may have stolen a bit of an advantage and are already realising the difference it can make. 

But all is not lost! You may be surprised at how easy it can be to transition to modular offsite construction and light gauge steel (LGS) for framing. For those that make the effort, the benefits are numerous. At the basic level you will find you can start to deliver projects faster, which will help keep customers happy, potentially secure performance bonuses and help you gain more projects. 

With efficiency improvements, you will see far less wastage so your costs will be lower. Thanks to improved accuracy, your team will experience minimal re-work requirements or call backs, which adds to project profitability. And with LGS weighing in at less than a third of the timber used for framing, you may find your team are grateful for the change too. 

Steel vs Timber: 10 reasons why you should be building with steel.

The benefits of steel construction are significant. To get things rolling along, we have put together this comparison so people in the business can make a judgement call on how light steel construction weighs up against timber framing from a builder&#;s perspective. Note - You can also find a printable leaflet with all of this information here.

1. Steel construction: The fastest, most efficient option

Light steel framing is manufactured using &#;computer numerical control&#; (CNC) steel roll forming machines that deliver pinpoint precision. This means that all framing components are dimensionally accurate. The result is minimum rework. With more accurate construction methods, you get faster build times. 

You will also discover other efficiencies. Offsite panelized framing enables pre-assembled steel packages to be delivered and lifted straight from the truck in sequence. That means greater build efficiency on site too. 

Acerum complete school construction project in less than 3 months.

Examples of the speed of construction with modular, offsite and light steel framing abound. Click here to see how Acerum where able to build 8 classrooms, 2 laboratories, a cafeteria, offices and bathrooms for Colegio Santa Lousa in less than three months. You can also read about how offsite light steel construction has delivered fast to help the fight against Covid-19 in the UK and US here. 

2. Steel wastage is up to 10x less than timber

Typical timber wastage is about 20% in the US, based on one study. With light gauge steel, wastage is just 2% - a huge ten-fold reduction, which adds up to considerable cost savings. SCI Studies proved that waste reductions of up to 70% are possible with off-site light steel modular construction. 

With less wastage and more efficiency throughout the process, pricing can be sharper, so construction businesses can pass that benefit on to customers as reduced costs or increase their margins as they see fit. 

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3. Steel: The environmental benefits of being 100% recyclable

It is not just reduced wastage that is important, it is the environmental impact of what happens to waste. Unlike treated timber for framing, steel is 100% recyclable. 

When it comes to factory production, all steel off-cuts are recycled. Steel can be used time and time again, without losing any of its structural integrity or performance properties. Globally the steel industry reports a 66% recycling rate. Even with demolition jobs, 85% of steel is recycled. 

Finally, because light gauge steel weighs less than timber, transportation is easier, more efficient and lower cost too. 

4. Light gauge steel is the lightweight high strength alternative to timber

Interpod move modular light steel bathrooms into place in Australia.

Timber used in framing construction weighs in at three times more than its thin-guage, high-tensile steel equivalent. Because it is lighter, it is safer and easier to move around on site, and transportation costs less. And of course, with steel, lighter weight does not come at the expense of strength. In fact, cold formed steel offers the highest strength to weight ratio of any framing material. Self-drilling screws and glue are used instead of nails for skirtings, architraves and fixtures. There is no shrinkage and no more popping nails means stronger, more durable connections. 

All up, steel framing provides a lighter structure with stronger connections, which means great earthquake and wind load strength that meets even the toughest seismic rating requirements. 

5. Price benefits of steel over timber

Timber and steel in general terms are similarly priced, and while there are many factors to material pricing (volume discounts and design requirements among them), framing cost differentials on a like-by-like basis are in all probability similar. 

There is no impact on the cost of building consents either, since consent processes are determined by the cost of the build, not the materials used.

However, there are many pricing advantages to steel over timber that may help secure more profitable projects: 

• Steel framing is significantly faster to construct, so resource costs for labour are reduced 
• The improved accuracy of light-gauge steel framing manufacture means less re-work, less call-backs and less wastage, all impacting final costs
• Over the longer term, steel framing remains straight and true. This means less issues with cracking to plaster linings and other fixtures and fittings over time, so the cost of ownership is reduced.

6. Steel is surprisingly easy to work with

Many people tied in to traditional construction believe it is easy to work with wood and finding trained builders and hammer hands is easy. 

However, this is simply an industry myth. Many builders who have worked with timber all their lives find it surprisingly easy to switch to steel framing. What is more, it is now an integral part of every good carpenter's training.

7. Steel framed houses look just like timber framed houses, yet they are more durable

Low-rise light steel framed homes in Hawaii, USA

There are no restrictions on the type of cladding that can be used with steel framing and the finished houses look exactly like their timber alternatives. 

Indeed, even when architects design in timber, because most steel frames are made to the same dimensions as their timber alternatives, steel can be used instead. 

Steel also offers better long term durability on a number of levels, not least of which is lower condensation. 

8. Steel offers improved condensation performance over timber, increasing durability

Because steel has high degree of thermal conductivity, thermal bridging is used in construction. This allows steel framing inside the thermal bridging to remain above the temperature that condensation forms in the wall cavity. This protects studs and wall linings. 

With timber studs however, condensation is attracted during winter months increasing the moisture content in the building irrespective of the cladding used. This damages the linings and compromises the longer term durability of timber framing. 

Timber has a residual water content of 10-18%, so over time there are issues with mold and wood rot, even with treated timber. Unlike timber, however, steel does not absorb water, so it cannot promote mold, making for healthier homes in the long run. 

It also means zero issues with the dimensional changes so common with timber framing. Light gauge steel framing stays straight and true, irrespective of age.

9. Steel buildings offer big advantages in fires

Steel's improved fire rating is another advantage of steel construction.

Electrical faults are the most common cause of fires in wall cavities, but cannot ignite steel framing. Steel is non-combustible, so when a fire does burn through wall linings, it will not spread within the framing cavity. 

The fire load of a building is a measure of how intensely it would burn if a fire should break out. A higher fire load equals a more destructive fire. Fortunately, steel does not increase the fire loading of a building. However, timber is combustible with at least 20kg/44lbs per square metre of floor area in a typical timber framed house. That is 75% of the total fire load, meaning that a timber house has at least a 1.75 times greater fire load*. 

Should a fire break out in a steel framed house, so long as the framing is not visibly distorted, it can be cleaned, left in place and recoated if necessary. It does not need to be replaced.

That all adds up to a pretty reassuring situation for the owners of steel framed buildings, particularly in the more fire-prone regions of the modern world. 

10. 60 years of steel construction and counting

Of course, many trust timber simply because people have always built with it&#; Well, that is true, but older timber houses were constructed with heart timber, and clad in building paper with roof and wall cavities to create space for the timber to breathe. 

Most modern timber homes today are built with younger Pinus Radiata, which is less durable. Walls these days tend to be highly insulated too, so airflow is restricted. As a result, cladding and building wraps employed now do no protect against condensation in the same way. 

Light gauge steel construction is no new idea. It has been tried and tested for decades now, and has truly stood the test of time. In residential and commercial construction, it has been used successfully for over 60 years. 

Steel is more durable than timber. And as we have seen, with steel there is no water absorption and there are no dimensional changes, so it does not cause gypsum board linings and plaster work to buckle or crack. 

Globally, the construction industry is embracing the benefits of steel

The trend towards steel has been gathering momentum for many years. Today steel construction accounts for 40% of all building in Hawaii alone. In Japan, over 150,000 steel framed homes are built every year. In Australia, 15% of all new houses are light gauge steel framed, and in South Australia, it is now more than 30%. 

Time to re-think your framing options? Shift to steel today.

All up, steel framed homes are more durable, stronger and faster to build. The advantages are manyfold, and many companies in the construction industry globally are already realizing the benefits. Is it time to put yourself in the frame for light gauge steel? 

If you are considering the future for your construction business, steal a commercial advantage. Talk to Howick today.

*Source: National Association of Steel Framed Housing (NASH) https://www.nash.asn.au/nash/

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