Metal Building insulation

HOW TO INSULATE A METAL BUILDING ?

In most applications, the primary feature of thermal insulation material is its ability to reduce heat exchange between a surface and the environment; or between one surface and another surface. The general rule is the lower a material’s thermal conductivity, the greater its ability to insulate for given material thickness and set of conditions. 

Before buying an insulation system for your metal building, you need to understand insulation R-value.

At its simplest, insulation R-value indicates the amount of heat flow through an insulation product.

The higher the R-value number, the greater the product’s resistance to heat transference.

The more effectively the insulation works, the greater your energy savings.

However, just buying thicker insulation and stuffing it into a wall does not increase energy efficiency.  The more air pockets in insulation, the better the insulation works.

Why Insulation R-Value is so important

Steel buildings have many benefits over other framing materials.  However, steel has one weakness: thermal transference.  In an uninsulated metal building, summer heat and winter cold can follow through the framing, affecting interior comfort.

Nevertheless, insulating metal buildings with a first-class insulation system renders steel’s thermal transference moot.

For example, Tekmetsan’s insulation panels breaks heat and cold transfer through the steel, creating a comfortable, cosy inside interior.

Starting with a Tightly Sealed Structure

Even the best metal building insulation is only part of the energy efficiency equation.

If the structure leaks air, it consumes too much energy in spite of a high insulation R-value.

As an organic material, wood framing twists, warps, creeps, and sags with changing humidity.  As lumber-framed buildings age, nails start to pull out and loosen, creating air leaks and drafts.

On the other hand, a pre-engineered steel building creates a very tight building envelope.

The steel framing will never move or change in shape.  The high-strength bolts and screws used in a TEKMETSAN metal building hold tightly.  Consequently, our metal buildings stay tight and draft-free for the lifetime of the structure.

Insulating Metal Buildings during Construction is the Smart Move

Customers sometimes consider cutting corners by eliminating steel building insulation from their order.  They think they can add insulation to the building later.

Insulating metal buildings at a later date is possible.  However, it is much more labour-intensive to add steel building insulation to an existing structure than to install insulation during construction.

In delayed insulation installation, some of the structure will require disassembly.

In addition, removing and replacing steel panels could cause leaks, if screws are not placed in exactly the same locations.

Conclusion

You need to consider how to insulate a metal building for maximum efficiency right in the early phase of the project design. Tekmetsan steel buildings come with great options of medium and high R values to provide an energy efficient insulated environment for your building.

Steel Helicopter Hangars

Steel Helicopter Hangars

Helicopters require the exceptional protection of pre-engineered steel hangars. No other building system guards helicopters and other aircraft as well as a durable steel prefab hangar.

Why Steel is the Only Sensible Choice for Helicopter Hangars?

To create the lift needed to fly, helicopters must be extremely lightweight.  The endless vibration of a helicopter in flight takes its toll on these machines. Consequently, helicopters require diligent maintenance— and heavy-duty protection.

Pre-engineered metal hangar buildings offer the best protection at the best possible price.

Tekmetsan metal prefab hangars are durable, waterproof structures for all types of rotorcraft, gliders, jets, and other aircraft. Designed to withstand mother nature at her worst, TEKMETSAN buildings promise built-in resistance to earthquake, fire, lightning, snow and wind damage.

Metal Hangar Buildings Benefits

TEKMETSAN helicopter hangars offer the benefits chopper owners appreciate most:

• Unobstructed space— TEKMETSAN hangars promise clear span, column-free interiors up to 45 meters wide.

• Towering heights— Choose hangars up to 12 meters at the eave height on a standard TEKMETSAN hangar design.  Even taller structures are available with additional engineering.  Taller hangars allow ample space for a variety of aircraft— and leave room for two-story offices, kitchen space, or pilot and personnel quarters.  Unlike arch shape buildings, TEKMETSAN hangars supply maximum usable space.

• Limitless lengths— Pre-engineered steel buildings and hangars can achieve any length required.

• Watertight protection— TEKMETSAN’s fasteners with built-in sealing washers, die-formed ridge caps, sealed eave closures, and formed-based trim keep the hangar dry in all types of weather.  

• Bolt-together system— No welding, cutting, drilling, or painting is necessary with a TEKMETSAN hangar.  Our pre-engineered system reduces the erection time significantly.  

• Bird-proof ceilings— Unlike truss-type buildings, TEKMETSAN’s rafter-and-beam portal frame buildings offer no place for birds to rest or nest overhead, fouling your chopper, equipment, or the crew!

 

Building a Hangar that Suits Your Specific Needs

Customize your helicopter hangar with stairs, overhead cranes, mezzanines, vents, gutters, or skylights and wall lights
whatever you need to make the building ideal for your helicopter or other aircraft.

Choose from an array of exterior panel options.  Finish the exterior with stone or brick accents for an upscale look.

Conclusion

Keep your chopper or aircraft safe from the elements with an affordable, long-lasting, low maintenance TEKMETSAN prefab hangar. 

When building a hangar for your aircraft, you can trust TEKMETSAN Steel Building Systems.  TEKMETSAN ships competitively priced steel helicopter hangars and aviation support structures all over the World.

Quick Facts about Steel Buildings

Quick Facts about Steel Buildings

Why do so many people choose metal for building? The pre-engineered steel building facts speak for themselves.

Almost all the industrial buildings and majority of the commercial structures are being constructed with steel frames.

1. Prefab Metal for Building is the deal

The return on investment is one of the major criteria in decision making and steel buildings offer lowest cost per square meter. Like any other business, building owners focus hard on the bottom line. 

Steel certainly could not hold such a lead in commercial and industrial construction if metal buildings were not affordable.

Using steel for building costs less over time, too.  For example:

• Heating and cooling is significantly cheap in a well-insulated steel building 

• Metal structures require very little maintenance

2: A Steel Frame Building Creates a Stronger Structure

Steel has the highest strength to section ratio which provides strongest structures with minimum material usage. Neither concrete, nor timber can provide this performance.

3: Span Farther When Using Steel for Building

Many commercial and industrial buildings require huge, open interiors.  Steel frames enable to build spans over 30 meters without any columns inside the building. Even for the spans less than 30 meters, steel frames offers the cost advantage compared to the concrete and timber frame structures. Steel is the ideal frame system for structures like these;

• Airplane and helicopter hangars
• Barns
• Workshops
• Metal Auto Repair Workshops
• Large restaurants
• Manufacturing plants
• Vehicle showrooms
• Warehouses and distribution centers
• Other large commercial and industrial projects

4: It is Simpler to Build Steel Frame Buildings

Prefabricated steel components make a prefab metal building kit very easy to erect. 

No steel work is left to the construction site, everything arrives cut, welded, shaped, drilled, painted, and marked. After the offside fabrication each part is clearly marked and delivered ready to assemble without further processing.

5: Fast Fabrication and Quick Delivery

Thanks to developments in machining technology, steel parts are all fabricated with state of the art CNC machines providing quick lead times and high quality control.

Tekmetsan optimizes its building design to provide fast and safe erection works, eliminating possible risks and threats beforehand.

6: Sustainable Buildings

Steel buildings also outperform other frame type building in terms of sustainability as well.

When you build steel frame structures, they last decades longer than other types of buildings. Steel framed buildings have longer lifetime, require less maintenance and have a value even when its lifetime is over. 

7: Green Buildings with steel

Steel is also an eco-friendly material, and its 100% recyclable.

No matter how many times steel is recycled, it remains just as strong as it was in its first time.

Steel Workshop Building

Steel Workshop Building

Whatever your ideal workshop, TEKMETSAN metal building workshops can create the perfect workspace for you.

Tekmetsan offers a choice of prefabricated workshops suitable for most types of businesses, large and small.

Figure 1 : A modern auto workshop

We can supply the perfect solution to suit your needs from individual stand-alone buildings to blocks of commercial workshops suitable for rental to small businesses.

Our prefabricated buildings are used all over the world as production workshops, vehicle servicing and warehouse units, paint spray shops, valeting bays and many other uses.

We can also provide office & workshop combinations incorporating stairs, mezzanine floors and partition walls.

Our steel framed buildings can incorporate insulated wall and roof panels, with fire resistance as required, which are perfect for energy efficient workshops. Single skin panels are also available for unheated buildings or more price sensitive projects.

Expert Advice

Our expert advisors are on hand to guide you through your building options and to help you realize your concept building design.

Engineer’s Drawings

A full set of General Arrangement drawings will be prepared by structural engineers and a full set of calculations will be supplied on request.

Accessories

You can choose combinations of windows, personnel doors, roller shutters or double sliding doors (other doors available by request) from our range of quality accessories.

Why Choose Steel Prefab Workshops?

TEKMETSAN metal building workshops promise:

• Commercial-grade steel framing with a high-recycled content
• Affordability— especially compared to concrete or timber structures.
• Clear span interior for complete freedom from unwieldy interior columns
• Fast and simple framing erection
• Resistance to damage from high winds, earthquakes, and mould
• Fire-resistance— which is especially important in workshops
• No overhead webbing that attracts messy birds
• Easy expansion
• Increased property value— and sales appeal
• Flexibility of use, as your interests and needs change
• Virtually maintenance-free ownership, so no wasted time on upkeep
• A strong, lasting workshop that retains its beauty and value for decades
• Customizing options to complete your workshop to your specific needs

Conclusion

TEKMETSAN can deliver metal workshop buildings and prefab garage kits to exactly fit your individual need and budget.

Designing Metal Buildings

Designing Metal Buildings

Many Customers new to the pre-engineered building concept often call us asking for a product catalogue of our metal building plans. 

New building buyers think they must choose from a list of available models. They expect to go through a limited number of metal building floor plans, and then settle for the one closest to what they really want.

Unfortunately we do not offer such product catalogue due to the customized nature of our business. Every TEKMETSAN order is designed and manufactured to the customer’s specific ideas and location.

TEKMETSAN provides you a custom-designed structure at a catalogue design price! 

We design the steel structure according to your own floor plan.

You provide us the size of the building you need— length, width, and height.  You decide the exterior siding, the options and accessories, the roof pitch and style, the door and window styles and placement— everything. 

A TEKMETSAN metal building will reflect your unique vision— not someone else’s idea from a catalogue of metal building plans.

Based on your choices— in coordination with your architect or engineer— our structural designers go to work to custom-draft your structure. 

Once you approve the design and place your order, we send detailed fabrication drawings for final confirmation.

The entire metal building kit ships to your job site— ready to assemble— in a matter of weeks.

Limitless Possibilities for TEKMETSAN Metal Building Plans

TEKMETSAN allows great freedom for metal building floor plans thanks to its design engineering and the strength of structural steel.

Steel boasts the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any structural material.  Relying on the predictability of that strength, designers create the strongest possible structure with optimum amount of material. 

In other structural systems, load-bearing columns or walls limit your floor plan options.  However, a clear span TEKMETSAN metal building supports its own weight without interior structural supports. 

With TEKMETSAN clear span metal prefab buildings, you layout the interior any way you want— and change if needed— without worrying about compromising the structural integrity of the building.

Sketch your metal building floor plans. For complex commercial projects, you may opt to work with an architect that is highly experienced with metal prefab buildings. 

Work with the TEKMETSAN to design your steel building plans
TEKMETSAN metal prefabricated buildings offer a number of advantages over other construction choices. TEKMETSAN’s custom steel buildings are:

• Affordable
• Attractive
• Damage resistant
• Durable
• Easy to erect
• Eco-friendly
• Energy efficient
• Inexpensive to operate
• Strong
• Versatile
• Weather resistant
Conclusion

Trust your building project to TEKMETSAN, the metal prefabricated buildings company that stands out from the rest.

Nuts and Bolts of Metal Buildings

Nuts and Bolts of Metal Buildings

Structural bolts are one of the key elements of a steel building system. Their manufacturers and suppliers form an important part of the steel construction supply chain.

Structural bolts play a vital role in steel construction, as the majority of steelwork projects will always have an abundance of bolted connections. For this reason, bolts or fasteners are considered to be one of the key structural elements in a steel frame and vital to a structure’s safety and speed of completion. 

Every building is only as strong as its connections. Structural Fasteners are characterised by strong, heavy-duty materials that facilitate the construction of structures employing steel to steel connections. They are an ideal choice of tool for connecting one metal structure to another.

Structural fasteners come in a variety of types and are used for a wide range of applications. They are widely used in bridge and building construction, to connect metal columns and beams. To qualify as tools employed primarily for “structural” purposes, fasteners need to be made of quenched and tempered steel.

Heavy Hex Bolts

Heavy hex bolts are characterised by a distinct hexagonal head, making them larger and thicker than standard hex bolts. Heavy hex structural bolts are ideal for steel-to-steel structural connections. They are typically very short. The A325 and A490 specifications are not intended for general applications, including anchor bolts. A449 for A325 and A354 grade BD for A490 are a more suitable choice in these applications.

Heavy Hex Nuts

Also known as Finish Nuts, Heavy Hex Nuts are used along with bolts – both for strength and for a thick finished look.

Flat Washers

These are high hardness and low deformation plain washers, punched washers, or flat washers, used as spacers and load distributors.

Bolts and Cap Screws

They include carriage bolts; Grade two, five, and eight plow bolts, and more.

Construction Screws

They are heavy-duty fasteners that include weld studs, concrete anchors, and more.

Threaded Studs

Whether you’re going with an all-thread rod or an all-thread stud, they are perfect for heavy-duty projects including manufacturing equipment, motors, and construction.

As seen above, there is a wide variety of structural fasteners, each suitable for specific applications. When used properly with the right hardware elements, they perform their functions successfully. Insisting on the highest quality when choosing structural fasteners is essential, as they will hold together heavy and crucial structures.

Thus, structural fasteners should be durable, sturdy, rust-proof and corrosion-free, and serve their purpose over a long period of time. Using poor quality structural fasteners not only reduces the strength of the structure but also puts lives at risk.

Conclusion

Tekmetsan provides first-class steel prefab buildings— right down to the nuts, bolts, and screws. 

Common Metal Building Terminology

Common Metal Building Terminology

Anchor Bolts
The bolts or rods that fasten components to the foundation or other support. Anchor bolts are usually set in concrete, but they may also be drilled and then set with an epoxy.
Approval Drawings
Product drawings sent to the customer to verify the dimensions and design. These drawings are also used to verify the services and materials the manufacturer will provide.
Bay
The horizontal space between the main frames or primary supporting members. A structural steel system with rafter beams that are supported by columns.
Bracing
Rods, cables and angles used in the plane of the walls and roof for the purpose of transferring loads to the foundation.
Clear Span
Describes a building with no internal supports. This makes the entire space under the roof usable.
Clip
A metal fastener that holds a component or panel in place.
Corner Column
Corner columns are usually “C” shaped and are placed along the corner of a bearing frame endwall.
Curtain Wall
These are perimeter wall panels that only carry their own weight.
Dead Load
Describes the weight of the structure as well as any permanent stationary loads.
Deck
A structural surface in which the insulation, roofing or waterproofing system is applied.
Eave
A line that runs along the sidewall. Eaves are formed by the intersection of the wall panels and the roof.
Eave Height
Refers to the distance between the finished floor and the top of the eave strut. The roof panel height is not included in the eave height.
Eave Strut
A structural member located at the eave. The strut supports the wall and roof panels.
Endwall
The exterior wall that runs parallel to the building’s primary frame.
Envelope
Separates the interior and exterior of the building. Screws or clips used to attach panels to frame members or other panels.
Flashing
A piece of metal that seals edgings along walls, drains, expansion joints or gravel stops.
Footing
A mat or pad, usually made of concrete, that sits underneath a wall, column or other structural member. The footing distributes loads from the member onto the supporting soil. The substructure that the building rests on. Foundations are typically made of concrete and has footings for columns to rest on.
Frame
A series of columns and rafters that support the secondary framing.
Framed Opening
An opening in a wall formed by flashing and framing members.
Gable
A triangular area of the building’s endwall that sits above the eave height and below the sloping roof.
Girt
A horizontal structural member that attaches to endwall or sidewall columns. Wall coverings are attached to girts and supported horizontally.
Haunch
Sometimes referred to as “Knee.” The haunch is the roof’s lowest point, and it’s designed to handle the stress of where columns and rafters connect.
Joist
Open web beams used for support in the floor or roof of a mezzanine. They can effectively carry large loads or span large distances.
Live Load
A varying or moving load that the structure supports. A roof live load, for example, usually refers to snow load.
Main Framing
Consists of steel frames that support secondary framing members, such as purlins, eave struts and girts.
Sandwich Panel
Insulation panels cover the roof and wall areas.
Pier
Concrete structures that transfer a vertical load from a column’s base to a footing.
Pitch
A slope or incline measured by percent or degrees, or by the rise and run ratio.
Purlin
A horizontal structural member in the roof that supports sheeting and is supported by the building’s primary framing.
Rake
Where the plane of the endwall and the plane of the roof intersect.
Rafter
A primary structural member that runs from haunch to apex. Rafters are any beams used in the main framing to support purlins.
Ridge
The highest point of the roof; a horizontal line that runs along the length of the building.
Secondary Framing
Structural members that carry loads from the surface of the building to the primary framing members. Girts and purlins are both considered secondary framing.
Self-Tapping Screws
A special fastener that taps, or creates, threads inside a predrilled hole.
Standing Seam
A standing seam is an upturned ribbed that has a watertight seal.
Trim
Used to finish a building. Trim is typically applied to framed openings and where surfaces intersect. Light gauge metal is used for trim.
Truss
Consists of three or more members. Each member carries a tension or compression force, therefore acting as a beam.
Wall Covering
Exterior wall panels or sheets and their attachments, trim and sealants.
Wind Load
Refers to the load from wind blowing in a horizontal direction.
X-Bracing
Provides additional strength and bracing through the use of rods, cables and sometimes, angles.

Steel Building Foundation System

Steel Building Foundation System

Regardless of what type of steel building you choose, you will need to consider steel building foundation options before construction your building 

This selection should be carried out cautiously for any type of steel building.

Durability and sustainability of the building are very much dependent on how well the foundation is designed and how well it is constructed. An ideal foundation should transfer the dead and service loads of the buildings effectively to the soil beneath without incurring any structural damage. This includes avoiding settlement and/or tilting of the walls and building frame.

lnitial Building Foundation Considerations

Before initiating the selection process, below variables should be taken into consideration. There may be some additional considerations that your building expert will ask you about, but these are a good starting point:

1. The type of soil and its bearing characteristics. As the soil having immediate contact with the footing would be bearing a greater share of stress. So ensure to excavate any dirt poor soil and replace it with a high-quality soil if required.

2. The loading conditions depending on the type of usage. You must be clear about how many vehicles would be parked on the foundation and any other heavy items being stored on it.

3. Wind, Snow, and Earthquake conditions. As the steel building would be anchored with the foundation, any lateral or uplifting load is directly transferred to the building. Because of this if you live in an area prone to earthquakes, then this is something to let your building rep. know. Also if you happen to be in an area with heavy winds, or snow loads then those need to be factored in since any pressure put on the building is transferred down to the foundation itself.

4. The area of the building and the size of the plot: The land can be surveyed for grading and area. This may seem simple, but be sure to get the tape measure out at the very least and ensure you have enough space. Not only space for the building itself, but for a perimeter around it as well.

Steel Building Foundation Options

Slab Foundations (Floating Foundation)

Slab foundations are also sometimes called floating slabs or floating foundations. This is because of the fact that it literally floats over the undisturbed soil. If large enough, it can span patches of poor bearing soils. This feature makes it an ideal choice for softer soils, like in coastal areas that could sink or settle unequally.

If you’re working on a budget then a slab foundation is likely your best choice. As an economical solution, this floating type of slab foundation is very popular and common. It can be poured easily and quickly. If you’re planning to construct a shed, a garage or some extension work which is not wider than 15 meters, than this is the most suitable option. Unlike other types, it does not require any extensive excavation and also fewer labours are adequate.

Often, on the exterior perimeter of the slab foundation, a thickened reinforced edge beam is added. It’s referred to as a grade beam. The thickness of the slab would be decided by the engineer of record, keeping in view the above-stated inputs. Typically a slab in between 12-18 cm would be enough.

Reinforcements are embedded in the concrete. If you intend to store a particularly heavy load on the steel building foundation then you must use concrete of high compressive strength i.e. about 4000 psi. For normal usage, 2500 psi could do the job.

If you have a problem fixing the reinforcement mesh in the concrete slab; you can use fiber reinforced concrete which has considerable tensile strength when compared with that of un-reinforced concrete.

Pier Foundation

There are two main ways to go about a Pier Foundation. You can either construct your steel building directly on pile or pier, or you can embed the pier in the floating concrete slabs. It looks similar in style to the foundation of decks for the building. In slab foundation type, the top of concrete slab serves the purpose of the floor while in this type the floor is left as dirt or rough gravel.

This type of foundation is ideal for agricultural sheds and open pavilions where an enclosure is never a need. The most common type of pier foundation has a grade beam which ties together all the piers which help in resisting horizontal column reactions. Pier foundation is comparatively expensive than slab foundation but it offers resilience against wind uplift pressure and seismic stress reversals.

Perimeter Wall Foundation

Referred to as standard foundation, this type is used for steel buildings wider than 15 meters. You can also call it a T-wall foundation, perimeter wall foundation or frost wall foundation. The strip which is wider than the width of the perimeter wall provides stability by distributing the load over a larger area. The columns of the steel buildings are anchored trough embedded bolts in concrete pedestals in the strip wall. This type of footing should run below the maximum anticipated frost line.

You can cast this foundation in three stages; first, the strip is cast followed by concreting the perimeter wall. After curing, the plinth of the building is backfilled and the floor is afterward cast. This type of foundation requires labor force and is time-consuming as you’d require fixing formwork and waiting for the curing of the concrete.

Who Designs a Metal Building Foundation?

You will need to hire a local concrete engineer to design your steel building foundation.  They will be best qualified to determine the specifics for using perimeter walls, piers, or a concrete slab for metal building foundations.

TEKMETSAN provides the anchor bolt plans and technical information for your foundation engineer and contractor in order to plan the perfect foundation for your steel structure.  This allows your foundation to be poured and cured in advance, so construction can begin immediately when your steel framing arrives.

Why to choose a steel building system ?

Why to choose a steel building system ?

The best metal buildings are made with high quality, pre-engineered, commercial-grade steel, like Tekmetsan steel buildings.

In addition, TEKMETSAN metal buildings include built-in features that add value and convenience to your building project.

Why Are So Many Builders Choosing Steel Building Systems?

Prefabricated steel buildings offer so many advantages over more traditional construction methods.

Pre-engineered steel buildings are the strongest, lightest, fastest, safest, and smartest way to build.

ECONOMICAL:  Efficient designing, engineering, production, and distribution make steel buildings affordable. Your TEKMETSAN metal building system arrives ready to assemble.

STRONG:  In addition, steel has the strongest strength-to-weight ratio of any construction material.  Therefore, you can build a much stronger structure and use far less material with steel.

FAST:  Pre-engineering metal buildings dramatically streamlines construction.

Fewer framing pieces mean speedier construction, less chance of weather delays— and money saved on your construction time.

All designing, cutting, welding, and drilling is done at the factory. Every TEKMETSAN building arrives clearly marked and ready to erect.

EFFICIENT:  Sandwich panels with different insulation thickness will enable different levels of insulation. Climate-controlled steel buildings with Tekmetsan sandwich panel’s offer great utility savings.

SAFER:  A steel structure provides built-in protection from winds, snows, fire, lightning, earthquakes and aging.

ENDURING:  Steel buildings last longer, require little maintenance, and adapt to various uses easily.

TEKMETSAN’s steel building systems are also simple to expand and renovate.

 

Why Do the Best Metal Buildings Come from TEKMETSAN?

TEKMETSAN provides exceptional buildings with built-in features. We not only believe in delivering quality steel buildings, but also in delivering first-class service.  We build relationships with our clients on the strength of our product— and our service.

Conclusion

TEKMETSAN not only claims to provide the best steel buildings but also guarantees free of charge top quality service during the erection works and lifetime of its structures.

Should You Choose a Concrete, Timber or Steel Structure?

Should You Choose a Concrete, Timber or Stell Structure?

Concrete, timber and steel are three of the most common building materials used today. The material you should choose for your structure depends on many factors, such as the type of building, your budget, and the capabilities of your worksite. Concrete, timber and steel each comes with their own advantages and challenges, so which one should you choose?

Concrete

Concrete has been used since ancient times, and today it’s often chosen for its durability, versatility, thermal mass, and low maintenance.
For high-rise buildings or long-span bridges, structural concrete provides maximum strength, durability, and the ability to withstand a high level of tensile stress.
Concrete is environmentally friendly because it is made from readily available materials – sand and limestone – and it’s also fire and weather resistant.
Choosing a concrete structure also provides a wealth of aesthetic possibilities.
Concrete can be easily incorporated with other materials to create colours or patterns, and it can be moulded into any number of shapes, because it starts in liquid form.
Compared to steel, concrete requires less skill to erect.
However, because of the many steps involved in erecting reinforced concrete, the final strength can sometimes be affected if there has been poor workmanship.
Another risk with concrete is that shrinkage can cause cracks or loss of strength.

Timber

Timber is cost effective, naturally durable and has a high structural efficiency as carried load per unit.
If it’s sourced from sustainably managed forests, it can be a more environmentally friendly choice than steel or other building materials.
Timber is ideal for use internally as it maintains a pleasant level of humidity inside a dwelling, and it absorbs sound – preventing echo and noise inside.
The natural beauty and warmth of wood creates an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, as each tree has its own colours, smells and patterns, depending on how it was sliced.
Timber is lightweight, easy to work with, and adaptable to offsite manufacturing, so it is often used in low-rise residential structures.
However, timber can deteriorate over time due to decay, mould, bacteria, insects, weather or fire.
This means a timber structure may require more maintenance than concrete or steel.

Steel

Steel has a high strength to weight ratio, making it a better structural material for low and high-rise buildings, long-span bridges, or buildings on soft ground. Steel is often used in major construction to speed up development, reduce onsite risks, and minimise waste. Computer modelling can be used to ensure components are manufactured correctly the first time, minimising rework. Buildings with steel structures are often lighter and have smaller foundations because steel is structurally efficient. Steel structures can be erected quickly and with fewer workers needed onsite, reducing labour costs. Compared to concrete, erecting a steel structure creates less noise and dust on a worksite and surrounding areas. Steel is fire resistant, termite free, and a large portion of steel can be recycled.