Do you wish to construct a large commercial complex and are confused whether to choose steel or concrete as your building material? Concrete and steel are the two most commonly used building materials. Structural steel products have their advantages and disadvantages and are quite popularly used building materials because of their endurance. Concrete is one of the oldest building material that is known to us. Let’s take a look at how both the building materials work and find out which type is better.
Pricing
Concrete is relatively cheaper than steel. Even though structural steel is costlier than concrete, its endurance and strength are remarkable. Therefore, if you invest in steel structures for the construction process, then it’s value for money.
Durability
The concrete mixture consists of sand, gravel, or stones. Concrete is considered to be extremely tough and can withstand external factors. Steel bars are used to increase concrete tensile strength. Steel at the same time is sturdy, durable, and ductile and that is a reason why people are increasingly choosing structural steel for construction purpose.
Recyclable
Concrete and steel both are recyclable. Concrete even though it is recyclable, it cannot be used again for the same purpose as a building material because it loses its properties. Structural steel is recyclable as its properties are not lost even after the process of recycling. Once a building is demolished, the same steel can be easily collected and used again for constructing other steel structures with little modifications.
Designing
With concrete, you can shape the structures the way you want. On the other hand, steel too is a very flexible material, and you can design the structures as per your requirements. The process of structural steel fabrication allows you to design the steel structures of any shape and size. You can use steel for multiple purposes such as the construction of bridges, building, large manufacturing units, etc.
As now you know what the primary benefits of both concrete and steel are, you can choose from either one of them depending on what kind of structure you want to build. If you are still confused about what type of building material you require, contacting local construction material vendors can help in gaining more clarity. If you are constructing your building with structural steel, you can contact us for assistance.
