What Are The Different Types Of Steel Used In Commercial Building Construction?

Technology has changed how construction projects are built today. Before modern engineering, wood, thatch and adobe were used as primary building materials. Today high-rise buildings are all around us. Skilled architectures and builders manipulate the use of steel and concrete to erect these tall structures that almost touch the sky.

Steel has always been the desired choice for today’s metal buildings. Let us learn about the common types of steel that are used in constructing pioneer steel buildings in Canada.

Carbon steel

Carbon steel is a mixture of carbon, silicon, manganese, sulphur and phosphorus. The content of carbon determines the strength and ductility of carbon steel. If the carbine content increases, the alloy becomes more robust and harder.

Pros
• Resistant to corrosion, heat, scaling, and fire
• Greater durability and strength
• Tougher than mild steel
• Easily fabricated to create different forms
• Highly used for plumbing
• Available in various formats to fit every client’s needs

Alloy steel

This is a combination of metals, including manganese, silicon, copper, nickel, chromium, and aluminum. Depending on the percentage of metals, properties such as corrosion, ductility, and resistance can vary. Alloy steel has unique components better than carbon steel.

Pros
• Superior hardenability
• Tougher and stronger material
• Less cracking and distortion
• High resistance against heat and temperature
• Cheaper alternative

Structural steel

Structural steel is a well-known building material for modern steel buildings. It is fabricated to suit the application requirements of the consecution project.

Structural steel is used to create various shapes, including Z-shape, L-shape, I-beam, T-shape, HSS-shape, rods, and more. These shapes are created by the hot and cold rolling method.

Pros
• Resists harsh conditions
• It can be transformed in any shape and size
• It is strong and ductile
• Resistant to temperature caused by fire

Rebar steel

Steel reinforcement is known as rebars. They are steel bars that are coupled with plain cement for construction purposes. Since plain concrete is weak in tension but rigid in compression, the tensile property of rebar steel is achieved by integrating steel reinforcement.

Pros
• Offers strength to concrete buildings
• Resists the induced tensile and shear force with concrete
• Can take up the compression forces

Mild steel

Mild steel is no different from plain carbon steel. However, it is a bit more flexible and does not crack if it is bent. This material contains carbon and a relatively low amount of alloying element content.

This distinguishes it from higher alloy and carbon steels. This material has less tensile strength as compared to carbon and alloy steel. However, it has a high amount of ferrite and iron, which makes it more magnetic in nature.

Pros
• Easy to weld
• Can be bent, twisted and cut to give any shape]
• It is recyclable

If you are looking for high-quality steel fabricators for your next steel construction project with Iron Span Canada, your search comes to an end. We take pride in having the experience and skills to construct pre-fabricated steel buildings to suit your commercial or residential needs.