Concrete vs Steel Staircase. Why use Steel?
Published on February 24th, 2020A staircase is an integral part of any kind of building, be it residential or commercial. When designing a staircase, the creative process of functionality, form and selecting the right materials are extremely important. The material of your staircase should be structurally sound, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing. Architecturally there are two main contenders steel and concrete.
So, what are the advantages of a steel staircase?
Strength & Durability
Steel has extremely high tensile strength, it is made from iron and carbon, which together make an exceptionally strong material and has a high strength to weight ratio. In external conditions, the long-term durability is increased by galvanizing, galvanized steel is quite impervious to corrosion; therefore, Steel can hold up to varying weather conditions and is almost 5x stronger than concrete or timber staircases. Therefore, steel creates a stronger structure with far less material than concrete. Less material equals less material costs. Modern offsite pre-build installation means less time on site increasing site safety and speedy erection of structures.
Versatility
Steel offers architects a far greater array of options when it comes to staircase design. When designing a staircase, thought should be given to the usage of the staircase, location, layout, finishes, cladding, treads, handrail, balustrade, connections and importantly designed to meet the relevant building regulations & specifications. These are sometimes overlooked when concrete stairs are being used.
The staircase and balustrade can be 3D CAD modeled in full for illustration prior to manufacture.
Steel can be designed & manufactured into various shapes and styles to create a traditional, spiral or helical staircase alongside other designs. As with any staircase, it’s important that the design works with the space available. During the design stage considerations should also be made to allow for details such as lighting, for example adding open stair risers allow the flow of light, something that is not an option with concrete.
Concrete structures can be difficult to cast with great accuracy, designers often overlook this fact. Whereas, when using Steel, the staircase would be designed including treads, balustrade and handrail. Manufacturing tolerances are accurate to millimeters, resulting in an overall fit for purpose installation.
Economic
Structural steel is often cheaper than concrete, wood or other materials that can be used to manufacture staircases. All the components such as the treads, handrails & balustrades are single sourced, fabricated and arrive on-site together, ready to be assembled or can be delivered in pre-build modular format reducing installation time on site. The entire process keeps labour costs and time on-site to a minimum.
Why Steelway is the perfect choice for you
We have produced both complex and simple steel stairs to meet architects requirements and can manage the whole project from conception to installation. Available in a range of materials including mild steel, stainless steel, finishes include hot-dipped galvanized or powder coated/painted. Our laser cutting technology can create the most intricate and bespoke designs along with our in-house installation department, we can complete a project with ease. With all our steel staircases, safety is combined with good design to provide a building with an enduring feature.
Please contact us here or call 01902 451733 if you require assistance.