Industrial sheds in Portland need to be made from robust materials to withstand demanding working conditions. However, an industrial shed is only as good as its frame, which is why we only use Australian-made cold-rolled steel materials in our sheds. Not only is it extremely tough, but it’s super easy to work with as well in smaller-scale sheds.
Here are some of the key benefits for industrial users:
Light But Strong
Arguably one of the best things about cold-rolled steel framing is its impressive strength-to-weight ratio.
To illustrate this, let's compare the strength and weight of wood to cold-rolled steel.
A 2.4-m-tall, 2x4 wood stud can support about 1 134 kg, whereas a similar-sized 2.4-m-long 12-gauge metal stud can support about 3 629 kg. That's more than double the capacity! In terms of weight, the wood stud would weigh about 6.4 kg, whereas the metal stud would clock in at about 9.1 kg.
What this means is that the strength-to-weight ratio is steel much higher for cold-rolled steel at 400 compared to only 178 for the wood stud.
It Won’t Burn
Nobody wants a fire to break out on their industrial site. However, when working with industrial machinery, chemicals and other hazardous materials, there is always a risk of your shed going down in flames.
This is why it would be foolish to build an industrial shed out of a combustible material like wood. On the other hand, cold-rolled steel is at no risk of catching fire and is therefore safe for use in various high-risk industrial applications.
Capitalising on Its Cost-Effectiveness
Industrial clients know all too well that labour can be a major cost. This is especially true when it comes to something like shed-building, where as much as 70% of the cost of construction is in the labour rather than the materials themselves.
Thanks to the prefabricated nature of cold-rolled steel sheds, they can be erected really quickly, meaning that you need to hire fewer guys to get the job done.
Although it might be true that cold-rolled steel is more expensive than alternative frame-building materials like wood on a cost-per-tonne basis, its relative strength and low labour requirement make it more compelling in terms of cost.
Minimal Disruptions
Constructing an industrial shed needn’t be a disruptive process for your operations. Any downtime caused by onsite construction activities should be mitigated as much as possible.
That’s what makes cold-rolled steel so great. The components required for building an industrial shed are measured and manufactured offsite, requiring only assembly onsite. This makes the whole process of erecting the structure quick and painless.
Normally, all the components required for the structure can be fit on the back of a single flatbed truck and are delivered on the day of construction, thereby reducing the construction footprint on your site and minimising the possibility of disruptions.
Corrosion Resistance
This is quite simply explained. Imported zinc-coated materials are simply not on par with Australian-made materials, and this is very evident in cold-rolled materials, especially in a coastal environment. Using virgin zinc, better application processes and stringent quality control will clearly prove its value. Investing in quality today may save you spending more again in a few short years.
If you’re looking to build robust cold-rolled steel industrial sheds in Portland, then contact the experts at Blackbird Industries today.