Inner cities around the world are in varying stages of decay. Devoted city planners, elected officials, and preservationists are working overtime attempting to stabilize and then improve their oldest districts. But downtown developers and renaissance leaders face steep challenges in trying to revitalize inner cities. Many of these efforts require large, spacious buildings, but their budgets, city functionality, and long-term needs can prove to be more than feasibility will bear.
Fortunately, in recent years the steel building industry has answered the call from consumers of all types, providing solutions that play right into the hands of city planners. While the industry largely developed for applications like farms, churches, and public works, the breakthroughs that have been made are creating great opportunities for cities as well. Here’s how.
Less Disruptive Construction
One of the common features found in all prefabricated steel buildings and structures is that they are assembled from parts engineered and manufactured off-site. They are erected on a foundation or concrete slab that has been carefully planned to match with the structure’s design.
Given the notoriously problematic process of building construction and its creation of traffic jams, mud holes, and hazards from falling construction debris, this is a critical feature for structures in crowded urban areas. It drastically reduces construction time, meaning that any roadway issues are of shorter duration. The inevitable errors found in all construction projects are resolved elsewhere and can create no further delays upon delivery. As a result, the entire project creates fewer environmental and functional problems for busy, resurgent downtown areas.
Greater Energy Efficiency
Central to any plan for a new facility or business is the cost of its upkeep, and one of the largest components of upkeep is utilities. Especially when the building is a large one with high ceilings and heavy foot traffic, the cost of heating and cooling can quickly destroy budget projections.
Fortunately, the same innovation that has put steel buildings on the map for their efficient construction has also made them a flagship for energy efficiency. Modern steel structures are better insulated than older structures, and their ability to incorporate skylights, ventilation, and variable roof pitches further enhance their status as experts at saving both kinds of green.
More Durability
Of course, every advantage afforded to property owners by modern steel buildings is undercut if the buildings don’t outlive their expense. Rust, leaking roofs, and structural instability can soon create more problems than they prevented.
Modern steel buildings don’t have those problems. Advances in steel technology have improved the materials themselves, and the new finishes utilized in steel buildings can not only ward off rust, but they are also low-maintenance and don’t require constant repainting the way other materials do.
Getting these buildings in place quickly with low operational costs and long life expectancy is a very effective way for all kinds of urban projects to reach fruition in an environmentally and financially sustainable way. Growth in this type of use could pay dividends for generations.
Article Submitted By Community Writer