Good design

A steel-framed building maintains its modern appearance and appeal for longer. Steel doesn’t age or decay as quickly as other construction materials, so steel buildings have a longer life before needing to be refurbished.

Steel buildings are aesthetically pleasing, easily and cost effectively incorporating the architectural features that set good design apart, and retain their modern feel for many years. Users of steel-framed buildings appreciate the pleasant work environments and the light and airy spaces that can be provided. Steel buildings can be easily adapted, and changing cladding systems can ensure that they remain modern looking throughout their extended lives.

Efficiency in design, taking advantage of the high strength-to-weight ratio of steel, means foundations are lighter than might otherwise be the case, and flexible internal column free spaces much larger.

Steel designs are economic, minimising material use and allowing flexibility and adaptability in the future use of buildings.

Architects increasingly value the freedom that steel allows their creative vision, as many designs can only be achieved in steel. Modern building often takes place in congested and restricted inner city sites where replacements can only physically be built by using steel.

Service integration within the structural depth of steel frames reduces cladding costs and heat loss through building envelopes, and also means that additional floors can be provided within buildings with no increase in overall height.

Designers in steel can accommodate the growing desire for structures that can be easily dismantled and relocated, as is evident in designs for some London Olympics structures. Steel designs also allow for the integration of future changes in technology.

Responsible design includes consideration of eventual demolition. Steel piles are easily removed whereas redundant concrete piles leave a legacy problem that threatens to blight some redevelopment sites.