The selection of structural steel for a building’s framing system brings numerous benefits to a project. Experts talk on if steel is steel the best material for building.

The advantages steel offers to the construction industry have long been recognised by designers and developers. The versatility of steel gives architects the freedom to achieve their most ambitious visions. Structural steel is an essential component of stadiums, shopping centres and commercial developments.

Chicago was the first city to have skyscrapers. Since the first skyscraper in the late 1800’s, steel has been the primary component in building construction. Prior to steel, cast iron was predominantly used. In the following years, it was observed that structural steel beams in concrete gave an edge to the builders. The construction from steel allowed the builders to have monumental structures that were not just tall, but also structurally sound and with improved fire resistance. With all these advantages, many experts look to the steel industry as an indicator of economic health. Let’s take a look at the benefits of steel in construction.

Speed of construction

The usage of structural steel has improved the productivity of construction. It is believed that the ability of steel for shop fabrication while maintaining tight maintaining construction tolerance proves to be a boon for steel.

In addition to this, high speed erections of the steel structure in all seasons producing minimal construction waste is possible only with structural steel.Newer technologies like 3-D interoperability and Building Information Modeling (BIM) are allowing designs to save time and money as it gives minute details before passing the design models, resulting in significant cost savings.

Ease of design

Structural steel remains the most desirable material for the structural engineer to design in. The structural steel industry is the poster child for collaborative Building Information Modeling. This innovative blending of technology is not just for simple boxes, but also for complex structures requiring innovative design approaches and the cost saving techniques of 3-D modeling with full steel specialty contractor involvement in the design process.

Sustainable

The middle name of any structure is sustainability. Structural steel is the most recycled material on our planet – today’s structural steel is made of 88 per cent recycled product, is fully recyclable in the future and can be reused without further processing. The carbon footprint of structural steel has been reduced by 47 per cent since 1990. Energy used in the production of structural steel has been reduced by 9 per cent in the past 10 years and over 30 per cent in the past three decades.

Durability

Durability is a major plus in the case of steel. The steel-framed structures are highly durable and do not age or decay as quickly as other construction materials, lasting longer before refurbishment is required. The buildings and structures that are easily adaptable in a way avoid costly and environmentally harmful demolition and redevelopment. In addition to all this, the inherent ability of steel to adapt and the flexible nature gives a clear signal that the future changes or extensions – even vertically – can be carried out with minimal disruption and cost.

When asked if is steel still the best material for building, Dr. Sandeep Gupta, Managing Director, Richa Industries Ltd said, “Since many years steel has been extensively used in construction and it has various properties which makes steel as the best material for constructing buildings. The properties like high tensile strength, higher deflection limit and more elasticity make steel more earthquake resistance over RCC. Hence steel is the most preferable material in construction and nowadays widely used in industrial and commercial sectors and gradually picking up the residential sectors as well.”

He further adds, “Steel construction has become popular because of its speed of construction, In house fabrication and delivery, which is possible within few weeks only after drawing approvals, Site assembly is also fast as all delivered building components are properly finished and ready to be bolted at site. Due to same PEB is cost effective solution for all construction needs.”

According to Gupta, Steel Buildings are also considered as eco-friendly, PEB concept of steel construction is 100 per cent in-house, under controlled environment with strict quality specifications and hence these buildings do not pollute environment and manufactured with high quality grade. He adds, “Also they are 70 per cent recyclable and various components utilise natural light and wind for functioning, Also it enhance the aesthetics of the building.”

Speaking about the advantages of steel in construction, Gautam Suri, CTO and Founder, Interarch Building Products Pvt Ltd says, “Steel construction has found wide acceptance over conventional methods in industrial and commercial sector. Steel buildings have proven to be way safer, stable, fire resistant, energy efficient, and take less time to build. Moreover, steel construction offers better design options along with greater safety than that offered by conventional construction types.”

Suri further says, “The biggest advantage in steel construction is that it does not cause any air pollution to the environment while construction is happening, and is 95 per cent recyclable. Due to this advantage even the government agencies are promoting steel buildings rather than RCC buildings for expansion or new construction.”

According to Suri, steel proves to be relevant and beneficial to several construction verticals offering longevity of structure life span.

Anjan Dutta Roy, Vice President, Tiger Steel Engg India Pvt. Ltd says, “In construction, steel is actually gaining popularity. In the past, users preferred timber over steel for framing residential buildings, but its durability forced some users to start looking for steel as an alternative main building materials. However, steel has a higher strength to weight ratio than timber, meaning that steel components are stronger without adding much weight. Steel is also fire- and termite-resistant, making it more durable than wood.” He further adds, “Green builders use steel in eco-friendly construction projects because of its durability and renewability. Steel is long-lasting, and combined with other eco-friendly building materials, it is often used for green building projects. There is also less waste associated with steel construction compared to wood, because one can weld small ‘offcuts’ together to do smaller jobs. Despite a few drawbacks, steel is still the preferred material for framing commercial buildings and is gaining popularity for residential construction.”

Best supplier for procurement

Suppliers play a crucial role in the metal industry. Also, many a times, the metal buildings are taunted to have lower maintenance and durability. Gupta shares his thoughts on how should one find out the best supplier. He says, “If we talk about the PEB, there are many suppliers available in market, but prime one can be those who act as a one stop shop for all customer requirements and follows strict quality and safety standards by honouring time frame of the project.” He further states, “The supplier must have his own manufacturing set up equipped with all latest machineries and construction techniques and offering the most innovative, hi-tech and quicker methods of construction ensuring efficient, speedy and cost effective solutions to their customers. In addition to this, PEB supplier must have desired experience in same field with all financial assistance.”

Finding the best supplier in case of metal buildings is a tough job. Suri has an eleven point strategy. He feels that an owner or architect should check the following before placing an order:• Company’s last 5 years turnover. • Details of plant and machinery with actual visit to the plant and head office.• Check design and engineering centre.• Number of employees on pay roll of the company.• Details and specification of raw material being used by company.• Schedule and transparency in terms of finished goods inspection at factory and at actual site.• Site visit to a project under execution.• Check list of large projects executed over last few years.• Quality procedure followed by company. • Presence of local marketing and projects office in various locations. • Copy of purchase order and completion certificate awarded by the company.

According to Roy, best supplier does not mean anybody having a factory with the required facilities and stock of input raw materials. He says, “There are many metal building supplier who are dependent on outsourcing the key activities like design and detailing followed by producing manufacturing drawings.”

Selecting the best supplier means checking the following points as per Roy:• Long term and adequate knowledge of in producing metal buildings • Ability to model the building without disturbing the process layout. • Design the building strictly following codification guidelines. • Producing uncompromised high standard quality components. • Flawless high standard construction methodology and management at site.

Speaking about the company’s offerings in Pre-Engineered Buildings and EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) sectors, Gupta said, “We at Richa are always dedicated towards high quality and safety standards and firmly committed to deliver projects on time. We have custom built and designed in accordance with the use of latest technologies. We offer hi-tech solutions to our customers by utilising MBS (Metal Building Software), Staad Pro (3D Structural analysis and design software) and Tekla (Model-based software) with highest precision to meet the structural requirements of the pre-engineered steel buildings, Also our detailing is 100 per cent automated with zero defects.”

Sharing about the company’s solutions and their offerings in this area, Suri says, “Interarch pre-engineered steel building have unmatched advantages over a concrete building. They include large clear span structures up-to 100 metres and clear height of up to 30 metres are possible. He further says, “Our buildings are Fire and earthquake resistant which gives them a very low or negligible maintenance cost and thus saves in overall  cost of the building. If a complete life cycle is seen of a PEB and RCC, then it is observed that a PEB is much more economical to a RCC building.”

In case of Tiger Steel Engg India Pvt Ltd the technical specifications of the PEBs are:• New design and modelling concept to ease out difficult building shapes and configuration. • Continuous improvement with different sheeting profiles for better aesthetic get ups. • Latest run of the mill production techniques and erection methodology.