Structural steel

Characteristics - Structural steel differs from concrete in its attributed compressive strength as
well as tensile strength.

Strength - Having high strength, stiffness, toughness, and ductile properties, structural steel is one
of the most commonly used materials in commercial and industrial building construction.

Constructability - Structural steel can be developed into nearly any shape, which are either bolted
or welded together in construction. Structural steel can be erected as soon as the materials are
delivered on site, whereas concrete must be cured at least 12 weeks after pouring before
construction can continue, making steel a schedule-friendly construction material.

Fire resistance - Steel is inherently a noncombustible material. However, when heated to

temperatures seen in a fire scenario, the strength and stiffness of the material is significantly reduced.
The International Building Code requires steel be enveloped in sufficient fire-resistant materials,
increasing overall cost of steel structure buildings.

Corrosion - Steel, when in contact with water, can corrode, creating a potentially dangerous
structure. Measures must be taken in structural steel construction to prevent any lifetime corrosion.
The steel can be painted, providing water resistance. Also, the fire resistance material used to
envelope steel is commonly water resistant.

Mold - With the propagation of mold and mildew in residential buildings, using steel minimizes
these infestations. Mold needs moist, porous material to grow. Steel studs do not have those
problems.[12]

The tallest structures today (commonly called skyscrapers or high-rise) are constructed using structural
steel due to its constructability, as well as its high strength-to-weight ratio. In comparison, concrete, while
being less dense than steel, has a much lower strength-to-weight ratio. This is due to the much larger
volume required for a structural concrete member to support the same load; steel, though denser, does not
require as much material to carry a load. However, this advantage becomes insignificant for low-rise
buildings, or those with several stories or less. Low-rise buildings distribute much smaller loads
than high-rise structures, making concrete the economical choice. This is especially true for simple
structures, such as parking garages, or any building that is a simple, rectilinear shape. [13]
Structural steel and reinforced concrete are not always chosen solely because they are the most ideal
material for the structure. Companies rely on the ability to turn a profit for any construction project, as do
the designers. The price of raw materials (steel, cement, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, lumber for
form-work, etc.) is constantly changing. If a structure could be constructed using either material, the
cheapest of the two will likely control. Another significant variable is the location of the project. The
closest steel fabrication facility may be much further from the construction site than the nearest concrete
supplier. The high cost of energy and transportation will control the selection of the material as well. All
of these costs will be taken into consideration before the conceptual design of a construction project is
begun.
Combining steel and reinforced concrete
Structures consisting of both materials utilize the benefits of structural steel and reinforced concrete. This
is already common practice in reinforced concrete in that the steel reinforcement is used to provide steel's
tensile strength capacity to a structural concrete member. A commonly seen example would be parking

garages. Some parking garages are constructed using structural steel columns and reinforced concrete
slabs. The concrete will be poured for the foundational footings, giving the parking garage a surface to be
built on. The steel columns will be connected to the slab by bolting and/or welding them to steel studs
extruding from the surface of the poured concrete slab. Pre-cast concrete beams may be delivered on site
to be installed for the second floor, after which a concrete slab may be poured for the pavement area. This
can be done for multiple stories. A parking garage of this type is just one possible example of many
structures that may use both reinforced concrete and structural steel.
A structural engineer understands that there are an infinite number of designs that will produce an
efficient, safe, and affordable building. It is the engineer's job to work alongside the owner(s),
contractor(s), and all other parties involved to produce an ideal product that suits everyone's needs. When
choosing the structural materials for their structure, the engineer has many variables to consider, such as
the cost, strength/weight ratio, sustainability of the material, constructability, etc.