Steel or Concrete Structures – Which is better?
Of all the industries that are currently dominating the world, the real estate and infrastructure industry is perhaps the most rapidly changing and modernizing industry of all times. Infrastructure and the rise of real estate in the world have led to a major transformation in each and every city and have put many on the map of the world.
The transformation of the cities and towns and the betterment of connectivity and infrastructure has been one of the biggest revolutions. Steel is the primary driving force for this industry and to buy steel online in India is becoming one of the most popular options because of the exclusivity and the competitive pricing offered by sellers.
Steel is the primary material and is used in many forms and methods in the construction and manufacturing industry. One of steel’s biggest rivals would be its counterpart concrete which is a combination of materials sometimes also including steel and TMT Bars. There is always an ongoing debate between the two materials for their supremacy and usability.
Steel v/s Concrete
Steel is made as an alloy from Aluminium or Bauxite – a naturally occurring metal in the environment. Steel is used in many forms in construction, manufacturing, real estate, infrastructure, and other related industries. It can easily serve as one of the building blocks or the backbone of these industries.
Steel is used as bars, precast beams, columns, plates, trusses, and sections. Steel is one of the highest demanded raw materials in the industry and is practically impossible to ignore because of its versatility, strength, and usability in this industry.
Steel in fact used even in concrete structures for strength and durability, therefore making it indispensable. There are many countries in the world that manufacture and export steel and India is one of the major players in steel production and export.
Buyers are now also keen to buy steel online in India where sellers can promote their products, compare quotes and provide competitive prices for clients.
Concrete on the other hand is an amalgamation of many things such as cement, water, air, gravel, and other aggregates. Concrete structures are the norm in the industry and have been around for ages as most of the buildings and structures that are seen around are all classified as concrete structures.
They offer excellent strength, durability, and versatility and can be used in any form for varying structures. The best part about concrete is that it also contains Steel bars and TMT bars to provide the much-needed strength and durability and to connect between the structures and columns of structures.
Concrete has excellent qualities that make it unavoidable in the industry and basically it is depended on for making big reinforced structures that can accommodate unlimited weight and load.
Comparing Steel with Concrete
Steel and concrete both have their pros and cons and can be used for different purposes which do not supersede each other because of their unique characteristics.
- Steel is more suited for structures that will carry less load whereas concrete can tolerate and handle more load and weight.
- Steel is more suitable for lightweight construction structures such as open gyms, warehouses, factories, single-story buildings, logistical houses, etc whereas concrete can be used to make multi-story high strength building structures.
- Steel is economical, environment-friendly, has a speedy rate of setting up, and is very convenient to install, unlike concrete which takes a long time and has complicated setting up.