Lightweight Steel

WHY YOU SHOULD USE STEEL

Today it is clear that there is a need for a new building material. Despite the myths that still surround the use of light gauge steel framing, it has come to the forefront as the best and most feasible alternative building material for residential and light commercial construction .

• Steel is a superior construction material
• Erection time up to 50 percent less than conventional building methods
• e.g. 274 m2 double storey home erected in 12 weeks compared with 24 weeks for conventional building method
• Between 20 to 30 percent saving on costs
• Choice of building the same home for less money or building a bigger home for the same amount as a conventional brick and mortar
• Highest strength to weight ratio of any building material
• Consistent material quality
• High strength results in safer structures, less maintenance and slower structural ageing
• Not vulnerable to termite damage
• No toxic chemicals are used to treat steel
• Less probability of foundation problems
• 5 times lighter than wood which results in less movement
• Easy material selection
• Straight walls and square corners
• Completed house as rugged and sturdy as a conventional house
• Range of finishes used inside and outside are identical to those applied using conventional building methods
• Alterations, maintenance and repairs easier to implement then conventional building methods

THE WAY OF THE FUTURE

Alternative building methods are the way of the future for all aspects of the local construction industries. The steel frame building method is not only suitable for residential applications at all levels, but in the commercial and industrial markets as well. Lightweight steel frame construction is both a new concept and a new building system in South Africa – one that has been in use in the USA for about 15 years and in New Zealand, Australia and a number of European countries for more than ten years.

The recently screened, M-Net “Extreme Makeover” programme, showed construction teams pull down and rebuild houses in the USA in a seven-day period using steel and wood – as is the accepted norm overseas.

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