Prefab Buildings Or Concrete Buildings: Which Option Is Best For You?

There are a lot of building materials used these days. Some of the popular ones are steel, concrete & wood. Most people buy housing to shelter themselves and as a piece of investment. That’s why you need to consider the future of real estate and material costs when buying or installing a building on your property.

We have covered wood vs steel in another blog for you (Read Here). So, in this blog, we will focus on steel vs. concrete. Here, we will visit all aspects of metal buildings and concrete structures to see which one fits the bill. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

Both steel and concrete have things in common. When compared to wood, some of the advantages are:

• They can bear a lot of stress before they break.
• They can tolerate fire for a long.
• They are sturdier than wood.
• They can be designed as multi-floor units.
• They have a certain level of resilience to wind.

However, things change when you compare steel and concrete itself. Now, you may think there would barely be any noticeable difference, but let me stop you there. Metal structures are so versatile that they can beat even concrete when it comes to voting for the best. So, let’s see some advantages that you get when you choose steel over concrete.

Features Of Metal Buildings Than Triumphs Concrete Buildings

Strength

Steel is eight times stronger than concrete in tension and shear. It has better resilience to compression, stretching, and stress-bearing ability.

Steel has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than concrete. And to add to this, it is also pretty flexible and ductile (the ability to be stretched into thin wire without breaking). Now, concrete can also be molded into a specific shape, but there is a limit to it. Whereas with steel, you can virtually choose to make any design out of it.

Since steel is ductile, it can absorb much force, such as seismic or storms. Steel does not absorb water. So, your building is protected due to the rainy season. With concrete, you have to maintain the roof; otherwise, it might absorb water and start leaking. Once your concrete building is damaged, it will draw a large amount from your bank to be fixed. That’s no good.

Lightweight

Since steel is lightweight compared to concrete, according to a study, due to less weight of steel structures, shear force and bending moment acting on the buildings is less. The same research has concluded that steel is most suitable for large structures as it has high strength per unit mass.

This makes handling steel much easier than concrete. You must mix cement, sand, water, etc., with concrete to form a structure. But with steel, all cutting and drilling parts can be carried out at the factory unit. It just needs to be transported and assembled at the construction site. Now…isn’t that handy?

Less Installation Time

Since prefab metal building components are factory-made, they only need to be assembled at the site. This reduces the time of construction and requires less labor. So, you save time and money and will get your building ready as early as possible. Want to start a business or rent a unit as soon as possible? Call us [877-801-3263] now and get your first steel buildings installed. We also offer personalization. So, do check out our website for more.

Less Raw Material Used

When compared by weight, less steel is required than concrete. Since steel is lightweight, you will require less foundation for structural support. The point to be noted here is that the heavier your structure, the deeper and more foundation is needed to support it.

So, steel draws less bills for pouring concrete slabs than the concrete building itself. That’s pretty ironic! Finally, after installation, any steel shaving can be sold to the nearest scrapyard, which will be melted & recycled back for another building. For buying certified metal structures, contact Viking Steel Structures today.

Eco & Green Building

Even though both concrete and steel have recyclability, there is a drawback when it comes to reinforced cement concrete (RCC). You see…concrete can’t be recycled back to its initial constituents, whereas steel can be recycled repeatedly without losing strength or performance.

There are some questions about the pollution created during concrete production; at the same time, the steel industry has been trying to cut down its dependence on fossils and reuse water used to produce steel in factories and plants.

So, long story short, steel is more sustainable than concrete. Now, you can design your own 3D metal structure with the help of our metal building estimator.

Some Other Features Of Custom Steel Buildings Are:

• You can have a metal structure without load-bearing columns.
• These are affordable structures compared to concrete.
• You get versatile external designs.
• Your metal buildings can be designed to be energy efficient.
• You save money in labor costs.
• You get the freedom to design the interior.
• It helps to protect you from rain, snow, and other natural disasters events.
• Pre-engineered steel buildings are much cheaper compared to wood or concrete.

So, What To Choose, Steel Or Concrete?

Budget

Steel is less expensive than concrete as of today. So, if you are looking for a budget friendly building, custom steel buildings are the one you should go for.

Timeline

Are you in a time crunch? If yes, metal buildings are fast and simple to install. So go for it.

Location

Do your local building codes & guidelines involve a lot of complexity with concrete? Are you supposed to pay more in permit fees to get a concrete building? If yes, choose steel.

Size

Metal buildings are the first choice if you want a big building with a column-free interior.

Purpose

What are you looking to do with your structure? Go for metal if you want it for inventory, a storage rental unit, a carport, or a garage. They will serve you the purpose. You can even choose metal structures for church buildings, commercial offices, retail outlets, or sports centers. It will cost you less than concrete.

In The Final Analysis,

You can clearly see steel does not wrap, shrink, split, or crack during natural disasters or extreme events. It is an affordable structure that can be built anywhere in the world. So, choose steel as it is the future of residential and commercial buildings.

No matter what you compare steel with, it always outshines other structures. Get custom steel buildings from Viking Steel Structures. Call 877-801-3263 for exclusive deals.