Steel Buildings vs Traditional Structures: Which Is Stronger?

Steel buildings are among the most popular type of construction on the market today. Homeowners and commercial builders use them as storage buildings, barns, garages, home offices, workshops, guest houses and garden houses. The reasons that people choose steel buildings over other types of construction are many. Metal buildings cost less up front and have a lower cost of ownership throughout the years. They’re quicker to erect, and can be ready for occupancy while a stick built structure is still being framed. Considering how inexpensive they are and how little time they take to build, though, many people wonder if steel buildings are as safe as traditional wood structures. Let’s take a look.

Steel Buildings vs Wood Buildings

A quality steel building, when designed and put up correctly, is far superior to wood construction in both strength and durability. Steel buildings are engineered for a precision fit, and are designed to meet or exceed the code specifications of the region in which they’re being built. They’re constructed with specific tolerances and created to withstand the most extreme weather conditions of those areas in ways that wood-frame buildings can’t do.

Strong Materials Equal Strong Structures

Steel is generally acknowledged to be one of the strongest building materials used today. The methods used to design and construct a metal building take advantage of that strength and enhance it further. Because all of the building components are precision engineered and made in the same facility and on the same machinery, each piece fits perfectly to the next. The tight fit reinforces both the strength and the flexibility of a steel building.

Flexibility in Use

Because it meets specific tolerances and is engineered to meet local building standards, steel buildings will withstand high winds – even hurricane force winds – and stand firm and straight against the shifting and settling of the earth around them. Many steel building designs are rated for construction in areas that are prone to earthquakes, hurricanes and heavy snows without crumpling, folding or buckling.

High Durability

Not only is steel stronger than wood, steel buildings are also easier to maintain and more durable than wood buildings. A metal building won’t attract termites, carpenter ants or other vermin that like to chew on wood posts and beams. Steel buildings are impervious to decay and rot, and most feature rust-resistant coatings to prevent rust and corrosion. Because steel is not combustible, steel buildings are far less likely to be destroyed by fire, and, as noted above, they’ll stand against most natural disasters if they are properly constructed and built to code.

If you’re planning new construction for any use from storage buildings to garages, from guest houses to home offices, consider the many advantages you’ll realize when you choose steel buildings for your needs.