steel vs wood
- Thread starter cyprusx
- Start date
There are pro's and cons with both timber and steel framed buildings.
Obviously using steel will protect against Termites but it's arguable whether or not steel framing has better performance in fires. Steel has a high coefficient of expansion and has been known to push over or buckle walls in when it's subjected to the heat of a fire. On top of this it loses two thirds it's tensile strength at around 550 degrees centigrade. The way to protect against these problems is to protect the steel with an intumescent paint or box the steel sections in with some form of fire resistant panelling.
Timber will probably be cheaper and has good resistance to insect attack so long as it's treated and moisture levels are maintained below 20%. Large timber sections can also perform better than expected in fire situations and this is due to the charring effect. Once charring reaches a certain depth it endows the timber with a degree of fire resistance.
Obviously using steel will protect against Termites but it's arguable whether or not steel framing has better performance in fires. Steel has a high coefficient of expansion and has been known to push over or buckle walls in when it's subjected to the heat of a fire. On top of this it loses two thirds it's tensile strength at around 550 degrees centigrade. The way to protect against these problems is to protect the steel with an intumescent paint or box the steel sections in with some form of fire resistant panelling.
Timber will probably be cheaper and has good resistance to insect attack so long as it's treated and moisture levels are maintained below 20%. Large timber sections can also perform better than expected in fire situations and this is due to the charring effect. Once charring reaches a certain depth it endows the timber with a degree of fire resistance.
Currently building the house, but don't know what the structure will be - now thats what I call 'just in time' procurement.
If the house is going to be in a bush fire, I would suspect it to be toast whatever its made of. How often do houses catch fire from electricals ..... not many times.
I suppose its just a cost decision
If the house is going to be in a bush fire, I would suspect it to be toast whatever its made of. How often do houses catch fire from electricals ..... not many times.
I suppose its just a cost decision
This is a UK website, so we aren't the best people to ask.
Organic building is the buzz phrase, donchano
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