As a consequence of climate change, natural disasters are occurring more frequently and in more parts of the world. In recent times, different countries have been affected by wildfires, flooding, and hurricanes. It’s predicted that this increase in major disasters is likely to continue in the future. As well as human lives, buildings are often a casualty of these incidents. The damage caused can be both expensive and traumatic. However, evidence shows that steel structures are typically more likely to survive natural disasters. This blog looks at how steel detailing can help buildings to withstand natural disasters.
Choose steel for strength
Much of the reason why steel structures are more likely to survive a natural disaster is down to the material itself. Commercial steel is stronger than any other construction material available, which immediately gives a steel-framed structure an advantage over buildings made from other materials. Steel is non-combustible and flame retardant, which gives it a major advantage against wildfires. Commercial steel also has a coating to prevent corrosion caused by moisture, which protects it against other natural disasters like flooding. If a structural steel building is flooded, only the parts of the building made from other materials need to be replaced rather than the entire building and its frame.
As building regulations become increasingly more stringent, steel is one of the few materials that can meet the changing requirements. If regulations continue to become more demanding to cope with an increase in natural disasters, steel and steel detailing services are likely to be in higher demand.
How quality steel detailing helps
Structural steel detailing services are important for helping buildings to withstand natural disasters. Detailed and clear structural steel drawings are a fundamental part of creating a strong, reliable, and accurately sized steel frame for a building. Structural steel drawings are essential tools for fabricators and construction workers to guide them in manufacturing and assembling the parts of the frame.
A structural steel building frame that is accurately rendered by a structural steel drawing company, and then accurately fabricated, will be strong enough to support the building and remain standing even during a natural disaster. If you’re designing or constructing a building that needs to be resilient against natural disasters, working with professional steel detailing services is essential. Problems at the steel detailing stage that aren’t identified later could lead to significant damage or destruction if a natural disaster occurred.
Other things to consider
A structural steel building frame is a significant step towards protecting a building from natural disasters. However, there are other important points to consider to ensure that a building is as well-protected as possible. A strong foundation and roof design are also vital to withstand powerful winds and impacts. Again, steel can be a real advantage here.
A strong commercial steel roof can help to keep the top of the building secure, combined with a frame that reinforces the corners to prevent damage. To ensure that the building’s foundation will be stable during a disaster, working with a specialist engineer and understanding the soil you’re building on will help you to design an appropriate foundation that can support a structure that might be rocking or swaying.
Contact a structural steel drawing company
To make sure your building can stand up to the most extreme weather conditions, use a professional structural steel drawing company. Restoric Design are steel drafting specialists with extensive experience in structural steel drafting, including steel building frames. To discuss your steel detailing requirements and find out more about our comprehensive computer-aided design services please get in contact.