Why Steel is Ideal for Construction

Steel is a major component of construction in the U.S. and around the world today. The steel market has steadily increased over the past century as more and more uses are discovered for the strong, lightweight, versatile, and durable metal. It is used in a variety of construction applications, ranging from residential and business buildings to industrial complexes, stadiums, landmarks, and more. If you’re considering new construction, take some time to determine whether steel would work for you.

Cost-Effective
Steel is one of the most cost-effective metals available for construction today. Part of the reason it is so inexpensive is that the process to make steel has been refined over hundreds of years, since the Bessemer process was invented in the mid-1800s, and today steel mills can quickly and efficiently create steel using iron, one of the most abundant metals on earth. In addition, steel is very lightweight, which means shipping it from the mills to your job site requires less fuel, and saves you money.

At places like Wasatch Steel, where you can find an array of steel products in their steel supermarket, you can also look at different types of steel—including new steel, excess prime steel, and used steel.

Durable and Flexible
Steel is an extremely durable material, having both a high yield strength (the force it can withstand before deforming) and high tensile strength (the weight it can bear before breaking). This durability also makes it ideal for construction projects, because it means the space can be flexible and adaptable. When you use steel for building columns, floor joists, and other support roles, it can bear a high load, which means you can have more open, airy space in the building.

Sustainable
Steel is also a very eco-friendly material, because it can be recycled almost indefinitely without losing any of its characteristics for strength and quality. More than half of all new steel produced today worldwide is recycled from previous steel, and the process to recycle and reuse steel produces little to no waste.

In addition to being earth-friendly, it is also a sustainable material because it offers many economic and social benefits too. Steel construction is a relatively dry process, with little dust, and is pretty quiet compared with other materials, so there is less impact on surrounding buildings or homes. Steel can also help create a safe working environment when it’s used to create support structures, scaffolding, and other materials for worksites.

Safe
One final reason to build with steel on any construction project is the safety factor. Unlike wood structures, steel has exceptional fire resistance capabilities, and after many decades of studying steel structures’ behavior during a fire, engineers can now build very safe homes and commercial buildings that are more fire resistant.

At Wasatch Steel, you can find a wide array of steel components for your construction project, including columns, beams, pipes, and more. Come see the selection available at the steel supermarket.

Shopping and Using Steel I-beams

Steel beams are a very important part of building when you are planning to use steel as the base of a structure. There are a lot of different options that you have when you are ready to buy steel beams at Wasatch Steel, and knowing how to shop for them and use them properly in your next construction project can keep your project moving.

Shopping for an I-beam

An I-beam can go by many different names:

• I-beam because it looks like a capital “I” from one angle
• H-beam because it also looks like a capital “H” when it is on its side
• W-beam, which stands for “wide flange”
• Universal Beam because of its universal application for construction
• Rolled Steel Joint
• Double-T, again because it resembles two capital “T” letters put together 

The breakdown of the I-beam includes the two horizontal elements, which form the top and bottom of the “I”, and are referred to commonly as flanges. The vertical part that spans between the two flanges is called the web. When you are shopping to purchase an I-beam, you are looking at three different dimensions: the width of the flanges, plus the depth (length) and thickness of the web. Steel I-beams at Wasatch Steel can be made from rolling (hot rolling, cold rolling, or extrusion), or they can be made from welding the flanges and the web. It’s important to know which you are getting when you are ready to purchase, so you get the one that is better suited for your application.

Using Steel I-Beams
The benefit of a steel beam is that the design can protect against both shear forces and bending. The web of the beam is what can protect against the shear forces, while the flanges are efficient at protecting against bending.

Because of the way they are built, steel I-beams are especially effective at spanning distances, for example when you are constructing a large building, creating a road, walkway, or other transportation application, or building platforms that need to be structurally sound. They are often used a reinforcement for concrete, and when used together these two materials make a very strong combination.

To find the right size of I-beams, you need to know several different things about the project, such as how you plan to use it, what size you need, and what kind of reinforcement is appropriate. There are tables that can provide you with information about available sizes to help you get the right beams, but there is more than just the size. You also need to know:

• Deflection (minimizing deformation)
• Vibration (preventing vibrations in sensitive construction projects)
• Yield stress and lateral torsional buckling (preventing bending failure from either of these issues)
• Local yield (for concentrated loads)
• Shear failure

To find the I-beams that you need, visit Wasatch Steel and check out the selection at the steel supermarket. If you don’t see what you need, you can even get custom sizes for your specific project.