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Safety
The use of steel cannot prevent a natural disaster; however
by using steel the damage they cause can be dramatically minimize.
The inherent strength of steel along with the thousands of screw
connections and/or fasteners provides a far higher level of security
to you and your family during hurricanes and high winds. In North
American, statistics show that the traditional wood used in framing
structures is the third most commonly ignited material. The non-combustible
properties of steel means that the framing material will not cause
a fire, or add fuel to a fire once it has started. Steel also provides
a direct path to the ground in case your home is struck by lightning,
reducing the chances of explosions, secondary fires, and personal
injury to you and your family.
Strength
Steel offers the highest strength to weight ratio of any
residential framing material. This strength allows for the use
of less material while framing a stronger home. The strength of
steel makes it the material of choice in areas subject to natural
disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. A steel-framed
home can be designed to withstand wind forces of 150 MPH (240 KPH)
and can be further designed to meet and exceed code requirements
regarding other types of natural disasters in any part of the world.
Another way in which steel improves not only your homes strength
but its value as well, is in the simple fact that Steel is impervious
to termites and other wood boring insects, thus eliminating the
structural damage that can be caused by these insects.
Energy Efficient
Steel is a very is dimensionally stable material. What
this means is simply that the damage normally associated with the
normal settling of a home such as cracks and gaps does not happen.
Using steel also allows you to better insulate your home as compared
to the use of concrete and brick so commonly used in many parts
of Europe. All this means what ever energy you are you using to
heat or cool your home is staying in your home and not escaping
through the walls or air infiltrations and cracks and lowers the
utility bills.
Environmentally Friendly
The Steel used by Amsteel International is composed of
approximately 68% recycled material, and the little material that
is wasted on the job site is 100% recyclable, making it an extremely
environmentally friendly material. An average wood framed home
of 2,000 square feet uses 50 to 60 old growth trees, whereas the
same home built with steel uses 6 scrapped cars. Steel is recognized
by The Healthy House Institute as the framing material
of choice because it does not contain resins or other chemicals
found in other framing materials. In addition, steel does
not out-gas as other materials do. Steel is the most recycled product
on earth today.
Design Flexibility
The strength of steel allows for a greater flexibility
in design and larger spans, creating more open floor plans. Remodeling
when using steel is also much simpler due to the reduced need for
interior load-bearing walls. Connections are made with screws/bolts
and can easily be taken apart and reassembled allowing for home
expansions or remodeling with far greater ease than any other material
in use today.
Quality and Value
Unlike virtually all framing materials on the market today,
steel will not warp, crack, twist, bow, rot, shrink, or swell.
Every piece of steel used in your home is of the same quality which
leads to tighter fits, increasing your home resistance to the elements
and substantially less structural maintenance. This benefit means
that your home retains it market value for a much longer time than
those built with traditional type materials. In comparison to other
construction/framing materials the price of steel has been extremely
stable over the years making steel a more cost-effective method
of building. |
