STEEL

WHAT IS STEEL?

    Steel is an alloy of iron and about 2% or less carbon. Pure iron is soft, but carbon greatly hardens it. Several iron-carbon constituents with different compositions or crystal structures exist such as austenite, ferrite, pearlite, cementite, and martensite where they can be combine in complex mixtures depending on temperature and carbon content.

    The steel industry has about 2000 grades of steel developed of which 1500 grades are high grade steels. There is still potential in developing new grades of steel with varying properties. The large number of grades gives steel the characteristic of a basic production material. However, the degree to which it maintains its dominant position will depend on if steel can exploit its potential by developing new higher grades and adaptable grades.

HOW STEEL CAN BE APPLY IN CONSTRUCTION?

    There are many different types of construction materials in Malaysia and all over the world. In modern construction, steel structures used for almost every type of structure. For example, like heavy industrial building, high-rise building, equipment support system, infrastructure, bridge, tower, airport terminal, heavy industrial plant, and pipe rack. Therefore, the ultimate choice of the construction material depends on the kind of building you are constructing. It is important to choose a suitable material because it affects the quality of the building and the success of the overall project as well.

    Steel structure is a metal structure where the components connect with each other to carry loads and provide full rigidity. This structure is reliable and requires less raw materials than other types of structure like concrete structure and timber structure because of the high strength grade of steel.  

WHAT IS THE BENEFITS OF STEEL?

1. It is reusable and endlessly recyclable.
2. Contains at least 25% recycled steel. 
3. Enables energy efficiency in buildings and construction projects. 
4. Strong, requiring fewer beams and providing more usable open space.
5. Light, requiring reduced foundations.
6. Less material implies resource saving and a lesser impact on the environment.
7. Flexible in combination with other materials.
8. Earthquake resistant due to steel’s ductility.
9. Fast on-site build for prefabricated buildings.
10. Durable.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STEEL AND TIMBER STRUCTURE?

Steel Structure	Timber Structure
Stronger	Not lasting
Lightweight and flexible in terms of design	Easy damage
Better fire resistance	Easily exposed to fire
Sections come in desired form and length and are easily transported	Several pieces of wood
Greater span	Standard spacing
Less labor	More work to do