Structural steel has always been vastly preferred as a material for choice for structures, because the material is durable, strong, allows for a wide variety of uses in many shapes and forms, is resistant to rot, and overall is completely recyclable. Construction is fast and allows for the offsite production of parts that can be easily assembled to give you the complete structure. Manufacture of steel components is carried out in factories in controlled conditions that allow for a high degree of accuracy and quality that is highly appreciated by builders and owners alike.
Steel fabrication also allows for the production of standard kits that greatly reduce planning and design time and allow for convenient construction at a time and cost of one’s choosing. At the same time, you can easily create a customized steel structure to suit the exact needs that you have. For this selection of a custom-made structure, it is important that you correctly assess all the loads that the various parts of the building will have to cater for, so that the structural engineers can suggest you a design of a structure essentially made up of columns, beams and other elements that are needed to complete the desired structure. You can even make use of arches, cantilevers, and other forms to create unique and customized steel structures.
Imposed loads on a building will be determined by its usage, the stresses, and strains that any installed equipment or items stored in the building will impose on the structure. Moving equipment like cranes, forklifts and other transportation devices will impose different moving loads that can have an effect on the final design of the customized structure. Other things that can create problems for design are the needs for light, ventilation and any other facility that is required within the building. One great advantage with steel structures is that they allow for large spans in buildings that give you clear space, without the intervention of columns or other supporting components.
When you are customizing your steel structure, you will also need to know the local geographical and climatic conditions in the location, so that your steel structure can be built to resist any external forces created due to these phenomena. If the building is being used for processes that produce great heat, high humidity, and wet conditions, or chances of fire, your customized steel building must include protective treatment for the steel structural components that will be able to withstand this hostile environment.
Aesthetics is another thing that has to be taken into consideration for any customized steel structure. While it was earlier thought that steel structures are boxy and did not contribute to elegance, modern day steel buildings can be customized to any form of architecture with the vast variety of shapes, forms colors and sizes of the steel and other cladding materials. The building can be made as imposing as any other structure while still allowing it to be used for the purpose for which it has been designed and erected, as per the requirements of its owner.