Durability of steel buildings – keeping you safer in the event of a fire

Steel buildings are the only types of buildings that will not fuel a fire. Buildings made of other materials have wooden frames that actually act as fuel for the flames. Steel gives your local fire department more time to respond before your entire building burns down. I know that no situation seems ideal; But if you, your loved ones, or your employees were inside that building, wouldn’t you want that extra time to ensure your safety?

The fires are a horrible tragedy that I do not wish on anyone. My family’s house burned down about 5 years ago. Fortunately, everyone was able to get out on time; but the fire started in the garage, went up to the attic, collapsed the garage, destroyed the roof and sent residual heat to the rest of my house that destroyed the structural beams of most of the rest of the house. Now I told you to tell you this; If a fire like this occurred in a steel building, the repair costs would have been much lower. The building’s structural supports would have been easier to repair and the overall damage would likely have been more localized to the garage with supports that did not stoke the fire.

Steel buildings are not only more durable against heat, but they also do not absorb the harsh chemicals that fires cause. With wood structural supports, any wood that does not burn and is recoverable usually has significant smoke damage, keeping hazardous fumes in your building. The smoke that wood produces is particularly harmful to humans because it produces fine particles of matter in the smoke that are almost impossible to expel. The toxins and carcinogens that wood produces enter the lungs and go directly into the bloodstream causing cancer and lung disease. You don’t have to be a health freak to want to keep these toxins as far away from you as possible. Unfortunately, most insurance companies do not pay to replace these smoke damaged beams. Rather, they are covered with a sealant. Steel, on the other hand, exposes you to fewer toxins. It itself does not burn and produces the toxins and carcinogens that wood does and is non-porous, so it does not absorb the chemicals produced in a fire.

Durability and safety are undoubtedly two of the main reasons to choose steel frames over a wood frame building.