Steel buildings, undoubtedly, score over conventional structures but there are certain important points that one must remember before going in for a steel fabrication. These are important to be addressed as they determine the lifespan and durability of your steel building.
Following are certain areas of concerns and their remedies:
- Corrosion - Being susceptible to corrosion, steel needs to be painted periodically. However, weathering steel could be an answer to corrosion but the use of this is not feasible at times; then under such circumstances, timely maintenance becomes a-must.
- Fireproofing - Although the steel members are incombustible but their strength is greatly reduced during disastrous fires. Therefore, it is important to protect the steel frame of a building by the materials that has certain insulating properties. Alternatively, a sprinkler system can also be installed for combating fires.
- Buckling – Buckling usually occurs when the structural member is subjected to high compressive stress that the material is incapable of withstanding. Use of an additional steel can save it from buckling.
- Fatigue – Steel is susceptible to fatigue, the progressive and localized structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic loading. Here, the dependable design helps to keep the stress below the threshold of fatigue limit.
- Fracture – Another material defect, fracture also occurs under stress concentration. To avoid such structural failures, it is important to assess the material on the basis of fracture toughness. The detailed study is known as fracture mechanics, that is quite relevant to the erection of steel buildings.
The discussed problems do spell disaster but can definitely determine snowball into a predicament of the steel building if not taken care of.
