CHAPTER 4: WHY A STEEL FRAME IS BETTER THAN A TIMBER FRAME
For decades, if not centuries, timber (i.e., wood or lumber), along with bricks, blocks and stone, have been the traditional materials for building our homes. They are all tried and tested materials, and any builder worth their weight understands the benefits and disadvantages of each when it comes to property construction. Today, however, we have a new
option—steel. Or, to be more precise, cold-formed steel, (i.e., light gauge steel) used for framing. Of course, steel is not a new material when it comes to construction. If you wanted an example or two of steel structures that have stood the test of time, we can think of three you might know.
First, we have the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most famous landmarks in the USA, which opened in 1936 and connects San Francisco with Marin County. Going back a few years, in 1890 the Forth Bridge (a railway
bridge) opened in Scotland. The bridge is approximately 2.5 km long and spans the Firth of Forth, creating a connection between Edinburgh and Fife, as well as shortening the route to Dundee and Aberdeen.
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