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Steel vs. Aluminum

Steel is a Safer, More Cost Effective Building Material

Many of our rivals utilize their wall panel aluminum connecting posts as columns to support beams for two-story modular offices, storage roof applications or wider spans. This may seem to be a novel feature... however we have found it to be a costly one... Allow us explain this by asking a question.

Why aren't storage mezzanines made with aluminum?

When this question is asked - almost always the answer is: "Because it would cost too much..." 

That is a very obvious observation.

Aluminum is more expensive and it takes more aluminum to equal the strength of steel... yes, it would cost too much.

This same logic applies to modular offices with aluminum components.

Aluminum costs more... and if the material cost more, so does your structure. Higher prices do not dictate better products, value engineering does. This is one of the reasons why National Partitions manufactures steel components for its wall systems.

National Partitions steel components are:

  • Galvanized for corrosion resistance
  • Painted with baked on acrylic enamel to match the walls
  • And cost less...

With National Partitions value engineering our customers get a great looking - long lasting - high quality product, for less money.

That's the National advantage... "Value Engineering makes the difference" (sm)

 

Fire Safety and Building Code Issues:

Another reason aluminum should NOT be used as a structural column is fire safety. Aluminum melts quickly in a fire, much quicker than steel, which causes safety issues in structural designs. Fire rated structural building elements are addressed in Chapter 6 of major building codes. Using aluminum as a column would not meet the requirements for type 1 & 2 construction... it states load bearing walls and components must carry hourly ratings. Here are some facts to consider:

 

  Metal Thermal Conductivity Melting Point (°C)
  Steel 52 1500
  Aluminum 190 620

 

Conclusions:
  • Aluminum is a better conductor of heat; this is not what you are looking for in a fire resistant structure.
  • Aluminum melts much quicker... steel is better... so much so, that we have a patent for a 1 hour and 2 hour fire resistant design. Aluminum can't even pass the 1 hour fire resistance test.

Don't be fooled into paying more for less... More people choose National Partitions because we have: "Better Products ... Lower Prices" (sm)

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