Engineering projects utilize a wide range of resources and materials. Buildings vary in design, from masonry to concrete, wood, steel, and other innovations that are gradually emerging. However, steel in civil construction has been gaining ground and application for over two centuries.
Engineers are always seeking innovation, striving to reduce costs and construction time while also increasing efficiency and performance. Steel plays a role in this, bringing numerous advantages.
You may already know a little about steel, but you may not be aware of the advantages of using this material in construction. Read this article and discover everything you need to know!
Steel is a product resulting from the alloying of iron and carbon, and may or may not contain other compounds. It has a wide range of applications in civil construction due to its strength properties. It is a material capable of spanning large spans, while having smaller, lighter parts.
In civil engineering, it can be used in two main ways: as the structural body of a building formed by several metal components (beams, pillars, trusses, etc.) or as the reinforcement that complement the concrete reinforced, which help to resist the structure's traction.
Now that you know the applicability of steel, learn some of the advantages it can bring to your project.
One of the main properties of steel is its high mechanical strength, which means that construction elements do not need to be large or robust to meet the construction demand, that is, the pieces are smaller and thinner, with a low relative weight, making it easier to handle and transport the material.
Another factor that brings great advantages in the application of steel Its high resistance to atmospheric corrosion is evident. To further enhance the material's efficiency, processes such as galvanization provide the compound with highly effective corrosion protection and four times its durability—compared to conventional steel.
When the entire project is based on metal structures, the parts are prefabricated and taken ready to the construction site — facilitating assembly, disassembly and transport of the entire structure, if necessary.
Furthermore, it's a material that can be recycled, achieving the same properties it had initially. Steel is also less harmful to the environment, as it reduces the use of wood and concrete in construction, preventing the formation of debris that is deposited in nature.
Because all steel construction elements arrive pre-assembled, construction time is reduced. This reduces costs and ensures a faster return on investment for the client.
Steel is present in many construction projects. It can be used in simple buildings, such as reinforced concrete structures, or as the structural body of the building, as demonstrated by the Steel Frame system; which consists of dry construction based on the assembly of steel structures and prefabricated walls.
However, it's not limited to this type of work: it's also present in bridges, viaducts, roads, stadiums, and even one of the world's most famous buildings, the Eiffel Tower. It's worth noting that the monument boasts 324 meters of steel.
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