Official Steelsmith Steel Building Brochure

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:01:20 +0000

The Official Steelsmith Steel Building Brochure is finally here! CLICK HERE to download.

Inside you will find useful information on what we have to offer when it comes to all things steel buildings.

Steel Building Framing Systems
Steel Building Secondary Framing Systems
Metal Panel Systems
Metal Panel Paint Systems
Steel Building Accessories
Mini Storage Steel Buildings
Metal Building Roof Replacements

The Steelsmith Steel Building Brochure has highlighted images and information regarding our self-performed construction services as well as some of our best recently completed steel building projects.

We want to keep you informed and updated on all the latest Steelsmith and steel building news, so don’t forget to like Steelsmith’s new Facebook fanpage.

Lloyd’s metal building goes Grade I

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:15:25 +0000

Lloyd’s building, a metal building otherwise known as the Inside-Out Building was recently given a Grade I listing in Britain. This metal building has become the youngest structure, only being fully erected in 1986, to have the Grade I listing (usually only given to metal buildings over 30 years old).

Lloyd’s metal building

3 main towers
3 service towers
14 floors
289ft to the roof
Each floor can be modified by rearranging partition walls
Staircases, lifts, electrical, and water pipes on the outside
Lutine Bell on ground floor
Underwriting room includes galleries over 197 ft high and barrel-vaulted glass roof

Architect Richard Rodgers had designed the metal building and also has elements designed by Renzo Piano. The metal building has three main towers and three service towers and consists of a variety of unique parts.

You can find this metal building in the city of London on Lime Street. The Lloyd buildings new Grade I status will surely bring more tourists to the UK for a better look at this modern piece of metal, concrete, and glass art.

Unidentified Object in Steel Building

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:37:32 +0000

Earlier last week in Plymouth, Massachusetts a flying metal object fell from the sky right through a steel building! The investigation continues, considering not one person knows where it may have originated from. What investigators DO know is that it came from really far up there, because again it punctured a hole in an innocent steel building’s roof.

All joking aside, thankfully, nobody was hurt.

An employee at the local business in Plymouth returned to his office to find a huge piece of metal lying on the floor. Debris was scattered on the floor, along with a nice new round skylight going through the steel bulding’s roof. The company’s owner had assumed that it may have come from an airplane, describing it as “…something round and solid steel”. Experts disagreed, as after the piece of metal was examined by the FAA and an aviation expert where it was determined that it was not in fact from an airplane. Aircrafts were not flying over the steel building around the time of impact.

At this time, the metal object that bludgeoned the steel building is being called an “object of unknown origin” until further notice.

We may never know what fell through the steel building. Is this a random coincidence or something straight out of the steel building twilight zone?

21st Century Oasis Metal Building

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:17:12 +0000

The “21st Century Oasis” metal building is truly going to be a sight to see. Otherwise known as the “Taiwan Tower”, this metal building structure will become a landmark for Taiwan and Taichung. This architectural dream concept was created for the Taiwan Tower International Competition by Sou Fujimoto Architects and Fei & Cheng Associates.

This metal building is meant to be an “Oasis unique for Taiwan”, which will be at the very center of the Taichung Gateway (the intersection of where all transportation, education, culture, and nature come together) thus becoming an “Urban Oasis”.

The unique metal building is designed in two parts, the grand structural frame and the rooftop garden.

Grand Structural Steel Frame

Inspired by a Taiwanese tree, the Banyan
Creates a comfortable, shaded, partially-outdoor space

Roof-Top Floating Garden

About 985 feet above the ground
Represents Formosa (Divine Island)
Green Garden

There are so many other details to this future landmark that are simply fascinating. The metal building itself is designed with the environment in mind, which will include renewable energy systems and passive design methods. The Taiwan Tower will be composed with Inner Columns, Intermediate Columns, Perimeter Columns, Roof Beams, and Spiral Beams.

Steel Building Green Architecture

The following systems of the tower will aid in the metal building’s load impact, in the reduction of energy consumption, and lower carbon emissions.

Green Roof
Rainwater Harvesting
Wind Turbine
Solar Hot Water Panels
Photovoltaics Cells
Ground Source Heat Pump
Desiccant Air-Handling Unit
Natural Ventilation
Solar Stack Effect

The wildest point about this metal building is that it is considered to be the “Light of Life”, never officially taking on any particular form. LED lights will be installed onto the beams. Similar to air, the colors will move from place to place as the natural light comes and goes. The tower will represent everything that is natural and life-like, which ties into all of the metal building’s other qualities. The project’s urban plan was approved back in the Spring of 2010, and soon we will see the exciting finished product!

Fire Resistant Steel Buildings

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:35:10 +0000

Steel buildings are fire resistant, mainly because steel is a noncombustible, durable material that includes excellent structural properties. In order for a steel building to withstand potential extreme conditions, such as fire, the steel itself has to be designed and constructed correctly using an appropriate process.

Common Steel Building Fire Protection

Insulating; spray-applied to steel buildings
Energy Absorbing; gypsum-based or concrete-based material which releases water when steel building is exposed to fire
Intumescent; applied as paint and expand upon fire to a steel building, creating an insulating layer

Steel members in steel buildings can be insulated through a variety of processes, including concrete encasement or filling, spray on fire resistive materials, intumescent coatings (a layer of paint applied with the coating system on structural steel members), and a gypsum-board enclosure (a box made of fireproofing materials). Steel building fire protection can also be achieved in a variety of ways by using, High effective heat capacity, Low thermal conductivity, Heat-absorbing chemical reaction, Heat-absorbing physical reaction, Intumesence, and Radiation or reflection.

Steel building fire protection starts a long way before the actual material, which includes everything from minimizing ignition sources to proper emergency evacuation procedures. Please make sure that life safety is first priority when installing your steel building.

Benefits of Steel Framing and Steel Roofing

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:34:13 +0000

Many homes and commercial buildings today are built with steel framing and steel accessories. Using steel materials for your building make it last longer, includes durability, and are more environmentally friendly. Consumers enjoy steel framing and accessories because of the fire safety, termite protection, durability against wind and seismic loads, and most of all its affordable.

Benefits of Steel Framing

Steel framing has more than 28 percent recycled steel, and can be recycled again
40 or more trees are used to build a wood-framed home. About 4 recycled cars are used for a typical 2,000 sq.ft. steel-framed home
Steel pricing doesn’t increase as the cost for board increases (like wood)
Greater design flexibility due to lighter weight, higher strength to weight ratio, greater spans
Steel framing is termite proof
Easy to install (pre engineered)
Steel framing does not burn; fireproof
Lower insurance premiums

Benefits of Steel Roofing

Excellent protection against fire, hail, ice, snow, wind, and rain

Asphalt weighs twice as much as steel roofing

Little to no maintenance

Non-combustible; like steel framing

Galvalume coated steel roofing panels are protected by layers of polymer coatings, which protects against corrosion and rust

It most cases, a metal roof can be installed directly over the old one

Good thermal activity: keeps it warm in colder areas and cool in warmer areas

Other steel accessories, such as steel doors, also come with great benefits. Steel doors are also fireproof, and can provide up to 10 times more protection against potential intruders. After all, why wouldn’t you choose steel as your building material?

Check back to www.SteelsmithInc.com for more benefits on steel roofing, steel framing, and other steel accessories for your metal building.

Recycled Steel

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:29:00 +0000

Pre engineered steel has been on the rise in popularity for homeowners and commercial use due to its very attractive properties (cost effective, easy to construct, and lightweight). The best part is that steel is also mostly recycled and can also be recycled once again! Check out these amazing facts from the American Iron and Steel Institute about recycled steel.

Facts on Recycled Steel

80 million plus of all steel is recycled each year in North America.
North America’s average steel recycling rate has been above 60 percent since 1970.
Millions of tons of iron and steel are diverted from waste to recycled due to steel’s magnetic properties that make it the easiest material to separate.
For every ton of steel recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved.
Steel can be recycled again and again with no loss in strength.
When steel is recycled, it saves the equivalent energy to power about 18 million homes for one year.
More than 95 percent of the water used in North America to make steel is recycled.
14 million plus cars in North America were recycled in 2006
One recycled car makes more than four steel utility poles.
95 percent of steel from demolition sites were recycled and made into new steel products in 2002.
100 percent of steel roofing can be recycled (asphalt – zero percent).
More than 40 trees are used for a wood-framed home. Takes about four recycled cars for a 2,000 sq. ft. home. Steel framing is recyclable.
600 steel cans (tin) are recycled every second.
When you buy steel, it is always recycled!

Steel has very much become a universal building material across the world. Many of the modern day marvels that people travel miles to see are built with steel which emphasizes the importance of recycling steel. Be sure to check back soon for more fun facts about steel, pre fabricated steel, metal buildings, and more.

Steel Building Conference

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:37:53 +0000

The Hong Kong Institute of Steel Construction (HKISC) is preparing for their 10^th international conference on the steel building topics that involve, “Advances in Steel Concrete Composite and Hybrid Structures”. The conference is to be held July 2-4, 2012 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel in Singapore.

Many practitioners, academic professionals, researchers, manufacturers, product providers, fabricators, and contractors from around the world come together at this conference to discuss important advances in steel building technologies. The conference, held by the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Structural Steel Society, will cover steel building topics varying from cold formed steel to wind engineering and more.

Steel Building Topics

The organization is calling for written findings regarding information on steel building advances from its participants, allowing the possibility of it being published and/or presented at the ASCCS conference.

Composite slabs
Members and joints
Hybrid structures
Composite use of steel with CFRP
Buckling and stability
Fire engineering
Fatigue and fracture
Lightweight structures
Plates and Shells
Vibrations and Controls
Dynamic and seismic performance
Experiments and instrumentations
Computational analysis and modeling
Codes
Case studies
Constructions
Fabrications and erections
High-rise buildings
Large span structures
Sustainable developments

Attendees can also enjoy Singapore beyond steel buildings. The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore is a 5-Star Hotel, including some of the city’s best dining, views, and entertainment. Attendees can also view some of Singapore’s marvelous steel structures, such as the double-helix pedestrian bridge with Duplex Stainless Steel and composite deck and the 165 mile-high Singapore flyer.

Metal Building Materials

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:56:15 +0000

There are several types of metals that go into metal buildings. Architectural metals are composed of a variety of specific metallic materials. Metals such as lead, tin, zinc, copper, copper alloys, nickel, nickel alloys, iron, iron alloys, and aluminum all fall under materials used (or once used) in metal buildings. Some of the metal materials are not used as frequently anymore, like lead-based paint due to health hazards.

Lead in Metal Buildings

Did you know that “plumbing” is derived from Lead’s Latin name plumbum (Pb)?

Used in water pipes until the late 19th century due to health hazards
Popular metal roofing material due to low cost/mass production
Banned in U.S. residential paint in 1978
About 300 years ago, “terneplate” (made up of sheet iron and lead-tin alloys) frequented metal roofing materials
Was used in stained glass, skylights, home décor, and paint
Lead-based paint is one of the most durable, yet is restricted in most current metal buildings due to health hazards

Tin in Metal Buildings

Tin is the smaller portion of metals used to make Bronze.

Is alloyed with other metals, like copper (to form bronze)
Coats other metal materials (steel or iron)
Tinplate, a type of metal roofing material, was once used for armor and decoration
Tinplate is now more expensive than the typical asphalt shingles, but lasts much longer

Zinc in Metal Buildings

Zinc oxide paint is nontoxic and resistant to pollution.

Used in its pure form for metal buildings in Germany, France, and Belgium
Zinc coated metals used in roofing are otherwise known as galvanized sheet roofing
New York was one of the first U.S. cities to have galvanized roofing and gutters in their metal buildings
Earlier in the 20th century, zinc roofing declined but is now back on the rise

Copper and Copper Alloys in Metal Buildings

Copper is the larger portion of metals used to make bronze.

Durable; withstands corrosion for metal buildings
Sheet copper used in roofing is lighter than most other metal roofing materials and can be easily shaped
Statue of Liberty contains decorative copper
Cost is high, but lasts
Turns into a light blue/green color with age

Nickel and Nickel Alloys in Metal Buildings

About 65% of the nickel that is produced is used to manufacture stainless steels.

Was rarely used in metal buildings
Contains Copper, Nickel, and Zinc
Monel metal used in metal roofing is an alloy of Nickel and Copper
After World War II, stainless steel and aluminum replaced Monel due to lower costs

Aluminum

Aluminum is a good conductor of heat and is often used to make cooking pots.

Expensive in beginning of 20th century
Used more in metal buildings in the 1920’s – mainly decorative
Tower of the Empire State Building is Aluminum

Iron (which comes in forms of wrought iron, cast iron, sheet iron, and steel) is very important and plays an essential part in most architectural designs of metal buildings today. Wrought iron was once used for mainly decorative elements of metal buildings. Cast iron was popular during the Industrial Revolution and could once be found within the structure of metal buildings including decorative uses as well. Presently cast iron is used in plumbing, piping, and historical restorations/preservations. Sheet iron was not as popular, due to its rusting tendencies.

At the end of the 19th century, Steel was introduced. This introduction brought about the installation of taller, stronger metal buildings. New processes of manufacturing steel allowed higher and more cost-effective mass production for metal buildings, bridges, and railroads. Steel is not only used to make metal buildings, but is also produced for products like knives, machines, train rails, cars, motors and wires.

The benefits of steel in metal buildings are almost endless. One hundred percent of steel roofing can be recycled, steel doors are fireproof, steel-built homes are termite resistant, and steel hinges on refrigerators can support over 140 pounds. So when deciding what materials to use for your metal building, you can always depend on steel. Steel wouldn’t be what it was today without the history of innovations, including the many other materials that went into metal buildings.

Steel in history: Ancient Steel

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:48:29 +0000

Steelsmith appreciates the history of the steel products we provide to our customers. Steel wasn’t always produced by way of machines, but once was crafted by hand.

Steel was first introduced in antiquity about 4,000 years ago, with the first known production of ancient steel being a piece of ironware excavated in Anatolia (western part of Asia).

Most of this historical metal was produced in bloomeries. A bloomery was a type of furnace used to smelt iron into a steel product, which was eventually replaced by the blast furnace.

In East Africa, ancient steel weapons were widely used dating back to 1400 BC. The Falcata, a sickle-shaped sword, was a popular steel made weapon of the Iron Age made by the Celts who popularized iron technologies. Roman armies were later surprised by the quality of these weapons, but mainly utilized Noric steel.

Noric was a high quality ancient steel from Noricum during the Roman Empire and mainly used also for weaponry in the Roman military. Other origins of the world, such as China had used quench-hardened steel which followed a mechanical process in which steel and cast iron alloys are rapidly cooled to maintain certain properties.

Early modern methods of steel-making were labor intensive and considered a highly-skilled art. Stay tuned for Steel in History: Industrial Revolution.