Benefits to Home Owners
- High strength results in safer structures, less maintenance and slower aging of structure.
- Not vulnerable to any type of fungi or organism.
- Less probability of foundation problems - less weight results in less movement.
- Not vulnerable to termites.
- Less probability of damage in an earthquake.
Benefits of Using Steel
- Highest strength-to-weight ratio.
- Non-combustible- does not burn and will not contribute fuel to the spread of a fire.
- Inorganic - will not rot, or warp.
- Dimensionally stable - does not expand or contract with moisture content.
- Consistent material quality - produced in strict accordance with national standards, no regional variations.
Benefits to Builders
- Lighter than other framing materials
- Easy material selection - no need to cull or sort.
- Straight walls.
- Square corners.
- Small punch list.
- Less scrap and waste (2% for steel vs. 20% for lumber).
- Price stability - steel prices have been flat since 1980 and are not volatile.
Benefits to the Environment
- More steel recycled in North America each year than aluminum, plastic and glass combined - with the industry's overall recycling rate of 64%.
- Every ton of steel recycled saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore.
- Green Building - Through the basic oxygen furnace steel making process, steel framing uses a minimum of 25% recycled steel.