Steel is one of the most commonly used building materials in modern construction. It is a versatile building material that has contributed to its application into almost every point of the construction process, from floor joists, framing to roofing and wall materials.
Types of steel buildings
· Agricultural Storage Metal Buildings.
· Airplane Hangar Metal Buildings.
· Industrial Facility Metal Buildings.
· Garage Or Workshop Metal Buildings.
· Commercial Center Metal Buildings.
· Residential Metal Buildings.
Among these types of steel buildings, some are made of heavy steel, and others of light steel structures, how to choose the right steel structure for your project? Here is a few tips for you to have some idea.
Difference Between Heavy and Light Steel Structures
1. Hoisting capacity of workshop: 25 tons or more, is generally heavy steel structure.
2. Steel consumption per square meter: 50KG / M2 or more is generally heavy steel structure.
3. The thickness of the main steel plate: 10MM or even thicker, are seldom used for light steel structure.
4. Other related factors : costs per square meter, component maximum weight, maximum span, structural form, eaves height, etc. These can also shed light on concluding whether a building is made of heavy or light steel. However, nowadays, many buildings are designed and constructed with both light and heavy steel.
Costs of Heavy and Light Steel Structures
Heavy steel structure building include heavy steel framing, flooring, wall, roof, window and door etc. Price generally ranges from $50 to $200 per square meter.
Application of heavy steel buildings : petrochemical plant, power generation plant buildings, large-span stadiums, large exhibition centers, multi-storey or high-rise buildings.
Light steel structure buildings include light steel framing, flooring,wall, roof,windows and door etc. Price ranges from $200 to $480 per square meter.
One thing worthy to mention is both light and heavy steel structural building have excellent seismic-resistant performance that concrete building can hardly reach.