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Metal Buildings For A Healthier Environment

The first major use of metal for the construction of buildings was large steel-framed buildings, which appeared a little over 100 years ago. Until then, the main building materials were bricks and wood. Metal is becoming more popular as a building material, particularly for small buildings. It is used for roofs and walls as well as for frames. Completely metal buildings are becoming rather commonplace.

For many years steel was known, but was so expensive and hard to make that it was only used for special purposes such as sword blades. The Bessemer steel making process from 1855 changed this by dramatically reducing the cost of steel. It was now cost effective to use steel as a framing material for buildings.

Alloys of steel have been developed for many different applications. Some are moisture resistant, but tend to be rather expensive, such as stainless steel. Treatments such as galvanizing, plating with zinc, can be applied to other kinds of steel to protect them from rusting. Paints have also been developed to make steel somewhat water resistant.

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Aluminum was also very expensive until about 100 years ago. Its cost today is quite reasonable. It is not as strong as steel, but it is easier to work with for most applications. Future steel buildings are naturally resistant to most forms of corrosion, so it doesn’t require surface treatment. For some applications, aluminum will be painted or otherwise treated for cosmetic effects.

Copper is not known for its structural strength, but it can make a very attractive wall or roof. It will develop a thin oxidized layer, but this does not generally go deep enough to compromise the material. It does create an attractive green patina.

The Quonset Hut, which was used very widely during World War II, was one of the earliest large scale use of metal for smaller buildings. Its distinctive shape, a curved metal shell combining the roles of walls and roof, flat ends, and a flat floor, is a distinctive image of that era. It’s walls, roof, and framing were all constructed of galvanized steel. They were easy to ship, since the wall roof units could be stacked on top of each other. They were also very easy to assemble.

Utility storage buildings and larger auxiliary structures, including garages, are commonly completely built from steel today. Steel is durable, strong, and low cost. The buildings are straightforward to put together. One will still sometimes encounter a quonset hut, but future steel buildings are more popular. They provide more usable space in the same foot print as a quonset hut would.

Steel, or aluminum in some cases, can be used for framing when building houses. Steel is stronger, but aluminum is easier to work with. Computerized equipment that can custom make aluminum framing at the construction location does exist. Most factory built mobile or modular homes are framed with metal. Metal framing is not used as much in more traditional home building, but it is becoming a viable option.

Sheet metal is a practical material for roofing. It can be made into surrogate shingles, or used in larger sheets. It can be treated to give it a better appearance and more resistance to the weather. It can also be used for walls, even made into pieces that look like old school wooden clapboards.

More and more construction is being done with metal. Metal buildings reduce the use of wood. Since wood supplies are under pressure this is an environmentally good thing to do. Metal building materials are usually recyclable. Anybody doing construction should consider the use of metal.

These future steel buildings provide storage solutions that can withstand extreme weather conditions. Choose from a wide range of future steel buildings designs at affordable prices. Future steel buildings do not require prior construction experience.