Thursday, February 15, 2018

Welding: The harmony of steel gauge


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Welding involves the skillful manipulation of metal or like mediums by joining softened pieces using a heat source and melded together by means of compression to yield a metallic bond. In many ways, the artistry behind welding can be likened to a sculptural work of art involving attention to detail and advanced demonstration of precise hand-eye coordination. The slightest misstep or miscalculation can mean sudden disaster. That is why at SteelHomes our welders are versatile in working with various steel fabrication, in addition we have specialized teams particularly skilled in the use of gauges (thickness) 10- 22 Light Gauge Steel(LGS) fabrication, and our masterful team of welders who has a combined industry experience of more than 20+ years. All steel fabrication products play an important role if construction, what sets a specialty steel company apart is the ability to understand the strengths and uses to create the harmonious balance. The advantage of using a mix of both LGS and welding fabrications is to create a structurally engineered cost affective and sustainable project. Such as our tower extension at Lauderhill Mall and A+ Storage installation, by creating a design built project and producing it at our facility minimizing extra job hours and errors.

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The engineer, architect, the builders, the contractors, the real estate agents, and certainly the interior designers will all receive recognition in their roles in new construction. What is often forgotten are the contributions of the unsung heroes in construction fabricators-the welders who form the building blocks upon which everything is made. In fact, we realize that the success of our operation as a manufacturing company rests heavily on the skill and dedication of our welding and fabricating team and the smooth process of our project management, which separates us at SteelHomes from the rest. Welding and light gauge steel is stepping to the forefront once more as a powerhouse.

To find out more about our houses, please continue onto our website. www.steelhomes.us




Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Don’t Get Burned: Steel for Fire Safety and Insurance Savings


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For non-combustibility and insurance savings, one building material has an edge. 5 reasons why cold-formed steel framing stands out for fire safety.

Every 20 seconds. That’s how often firefighters in the United States respond to a fire. Fire is the nation’s fifth leading unintentional cause of injury and death. No wonder North American building codes require materials and assemblies that limit fire hazards. In this area, one material stands apart from the others: steel.

For superior fire safety, wall and floor construction should feature cold-formed steel (CFS) framing. Here’s why:

1. Steel is non-combustible

Steel can’t burn, because it contains no elements that can serve as fuel. Steel provides no means for a fire to start, it does not contribute to fire growth or fire spread, and it does not contribute to the generation of smoke and toxic combustion products in fires.

Building codes recognize steel framing as non-combustible construction. The codes make CFS eligible for use in Type I buildings, which have the most stringent fire-resistance requirements. CFS framing is also common in Type II buildings, which are required (with few exceptions) to be built of non-combustible materials. Buildings of non-combustible construction Types I and II are permitted to have larger areas and heights compared to buildings of combustible construction types, because non-combustible construction contributes to reduced risks of fire ignition, fire growth, and fire spread.

2. Steel maintains its non-combustibility

Steel remains non-combustible throughout the entire lifecycle of the building — during building construction, occupation, and future renovation and repair.

The melting point of steel is approximately 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit. Since building fire temperatures average 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and rarely exceed 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, the steel in structures will not melt. While the stiffness and yield strength of steel are reduced at ultra-high temperatures, modern building codes and fire protection methods take these reductions into account.

3. Steel-framed buildings lower the fire risk to workers and occupants

Decades of research into understanding the behavior of structural steel components when exposed to fire has given designers the confidence to engineer buildings that will provide optimum fire safety.

Fire resistance-rated walls and floors help limit or slow the spread of flames in a building and maintain the integrity of the structure. Tests conforming to ASTM E119 (Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction) have proven that CFS-framed assemblies are fireproof up to four hours.

A Guide to Fire & Acoustic Data for Cold-Formed Steel Floor, Wall & Roof Assemblies is a searchable directory of fire-rated assemblies for both load-bearing and non-load-bearing conditions. The directory is based on fire test data from Underwriters Laboratories of Canada, National Research Council of Canada, Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Gypsum Association, Factory Mutual Global Research, and Intertek Testing Services NA Inc.

4. Steel-framed buildings lower the impact on municipal fire services

Recent building code changes that permit increased building heights and areas for wood framing have had devastating results. A rash of catastrophic, multi-story, wood-frame building fires in Canada and the United States have destroyed entire building complexes.

The three-story, wood-framed Marshall Square Retirement Community in Evans, Georgia, was completed in December 2014. Six months later, a fire broke out that destroyed much of the facility. The blaze displaced more than 80 residents and killed one elderly woman who was trapped in her third-floor apartment. Most of the destruction took place within three hours.

In December 2013, a massive fire broke out at a wood-framed multi-family residence under construction in Kingston, Ontario. So sudden was the onset and spread of the fire that a crane operator had to climb to the top of his crane’s boom and hang there until he could be rescued by helicopter. The fire forced the evacuation of nearby buildings, which remained uninhabitable for months.

Such fires have challenged the resources of fire services. They have prompted several municipalities to implement site-safety regulations during the construction of combustible buildings that will ultimately increase the construction costs and timeframes of projects. Other cities, such as the affluent Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs, are working to ban combustible framing above three stories.

5. Steel-framed buildings tend to cost less to insure

Insurers traditionally offer steel-framed structures lower builders risk and general liability premiums compared to structures framed with wood.

For example, CFS framing saved $1.32 million in builders risk insurance premiums for the 24-month construction of a four-story, 400-unit hotel. Thereafter, CFS framing saved $66,000 a year in property insurance premiums in comparison to framing the hotel with wood.

The builder of a four-story, 190-unit condominium was able to save $300,000 in general liability insurance premiums by using CFS framing instead of concrete. The builder also saved $100,000 in builders risk insurance and worker’s compensation policy premiums by using CFS.

How is this possible? Because steel can’t burn, and it melts at temperatures far above the temperatures of typical building fires, steel-framed structures tend to suffer less internal damage and cause less damage to adjacent properties in fires.

Indeed, the performance of steel components in fire has been researched and documented extensively. Steel wall assembles won’t burn, remain non-combustible throughout a building’s life, improve safety, and lower insurance costs.

A fire may occur every 20 seconds, but steel can help you avoid getting burned. Steel-framed walls lead to safer outcomes and can even put insurance money back in your pocket.


article by: buildsteel.org

To find out more about our houses, please continue onto our website. www.steelhomes.us




Monday, November 13, 2017

We had the pleasure to host Professor Canaves and his students




We had the pleasure to host Professor Canaves and his students from FIU's School of Architecture for an interactive seminar on the benefits and uses of steel. It is our privilege to educate these future leaders on the fore fronting product of the construction industry. We continue to look forward to collaborating with these bright minds for the development of excellent infrastructures. Steelhomes grows as South Florida's driving force of innovation for steel modular homes.


To find out more about our houses, please continue onto our website. www.steelhomes.us



Sunday, November 12, 2017

Storms threatening to damage the Caribbean and South Florida




In the midst of the storms threatening to damage the Caribbean and South Florida, the people of these communities find and take solace in the wave of hope washing over them post-hurricane. Already we have seen the national efforts to supply our brethren in Puerto Rico with the necessary equipment needed for restoration. But yet, and most importantly, we have witnessed the collectiveness of human nature. Strangers are donating their sweat and possessions to assist other strangers, connected only by that single, distinctive strand of humanity that urges us towards compassion.

At Steelhomes, we believe in reflecting those same values exhibited by these selfless Samaritans, in our visions, goals, and work ethic. The travesties of these hurricanes only worked to further deepen our pledge to our cause, dedicated to the pursuit of constructing safe, light gauge steel homes, resistant to winds and the disasters that accompany it. Our architects, engineers, and executives execute the perfection of detail in our work for these reasons. Our passion lies in securing your homes, and thus, securing your family- an honor we seek in our craftsmanship.

To find out more about our houses, please continue onto our website. www.steelhomes.us