Steel and concrete need to be considered as building materials based on design options, material availability, and construction scheduling availability. This article looks at all of those factors.

The primary bonding agent in concrete, cement, has recently been in short supply in many states nationwide. This season’s spate of hurricanes throughout the South have resulted in more demand but less supply. The limited availability of transport ships for importation and rising shipping rates have also negatively impacted supply. This is due to the fact that imported cement is now needed but it comes with higher shipping costs and less availability. This impacts smaller builder and contactor companies adversely. Cement company expansion, however, is resulting in increased capacities which is good news.

The lack of steel domestically has in large part been seen as a result of the burgeoning Chinese economy. Many people say that, in fact, there is no shortage. Many experts say there is more than adequate capacity to produce steel in the United States in the near future.

Scheduling for construction is also a factor when considering whether to use concrete or steel. Concrete buildings can be rapidly assembled. In fact, cast-in-place reinforced concrete buildings have the capacity to rise one complete floor every other day. This is a boon to developers who can finish projects quickly, earn a profit, regenerate capital, and be able to move on to the next project swiftly. Up to 20,000 square feet of floor space can be poured every two days utilizing concrete with the implementation of the “two day cycle” construction process.

Steel has several construction benefits of its own. An accelerated construction schedule can be achieved with the use of steel. Steel products are of premium quality because fabrication is done off-site at the factory. There is also less on-site labor overhead because all component parts are pre-cut. The accelerated process is seen as a result of state-of-the-art technology in design, pre-engineering, and fabrication of the steel. A 40% savings in construction time can be seen in the use of steel versus other building materials.

Concrete affords many design possibilities. Concrete offers space advantages and design enhancement capability. There is more rentable space achieved with the use of concrete because lower floor-to-floor heights are possible with the use of cast-in-place concrete for office buildings. There can be uninterrupted floorplates as a result of the use of concrete when proper engineering is applied.

Steel is a design-friendly material for any building. Steel touts the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any construction material in use today. Steel buildings are a popular choice for multi-family dwellings and office complexes because of new construction techniques. There is no need for interior load-bearing columns in steel construction because extremely long spans and open-bay footprints are possible. Steel’s inherent strength and durability is combined with its flexibility to offer myriad design possibilities.