The Benefits of Using Steel to Reinforce Buildings

When you are in charge of building construction, there are several different things that you think about during the construction phase—not only do you want to create buildings that are sustainable and affordable, you also want buildings that are durable and can stand the test of time. When it comes to construction materials, using steel reinforced concrete is the best way to achieve both. Here are some of the benefits of this building material.

Durability and Longevity
Any structural building needs to be both aesthetically pleasing and durable, and steel reinforced concrete, made with raw materials from Wasatch Steel, can be both. Because steel has extremely high tensile strength and can withstand many of the forces of time, it eliminates the need to build new structures in future years.

Safety
Today’s building codes require that any structure is able to withstand whatever natural disasters might come, which include floods, earthquakes, and (although rare) even tornadoes in the state of Utah. If you use another material, or just decide to use concrete alone without any additional reinforcement, the building will likely not meet building codes and will not provide the safety that its occupants want.

Resisting Fire
In addition to natural disasters, steel reinforced concrete is a great way to increase the ability of a building to withstand damage from fire. Steel and concrete can get extremely hot before melting, making them ideal for buildings that need to meet even stringent fire codes without requiring any additional fireproofing applications, which can add to the cost of your building project.

Good for the Environment
Steel reinforced concrete is a very efficient building material to use, since concrete has the ability to absorb more heat throughout the day and release it during the evening hours. The result is a reduction in heating costs for your building. In addition, since steel is one of the lightest metals available, getting it to and from your worksite is even good for the environment. It costs less to get the materials from Wasatch Steel to your building site, which means you can feel good about helping to save the environment and you can also help keep your project’s budget on track with steel reinforced concrete.

With improvements in the steel production and concrete manufacturing, many green building programs, particularly the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program, recognizes it as a good way to achieve environmentally-friendly building designs.

Minimal Maintenance
Its durability also means that steel requires very little maintenance in the long term. Your building will withstand the elements of everyday wear and tear without needing additional fixes or harsh chemicals for patching problems.

Building Aesthetics
Steel reinforced concrete also offers builders the opportunity to create beautiful designs without compromising in any area of maintenance, sustainability, durability, and energy efficiency. The strength of steel allows for buildings to have more open space for interior layouts and gives building owners the options to modify and expand the existing space, creating more or fewer offices to generate revenue and accommodate different tenants.

Materials from Wasatch Steel allow builders the opportunity to create the perfect space no matter what the building demands.