Building security is increasingly important as people are concerned about things like home invasions and natural disasters. Fortunately, these concerns can be addressed with features like safe rooms that are designed to withstand certain forces.
Construction material selection is a crucial part of building design that affects a structure’s functionality, durability, longevity, energy efficiency and sustainability. To improve material selection, use data-driven tools to make informed decisions.
Steel
Steel is one of the most durable materials in the construction industry. Pre-engineered steel buildings are built to withstand severe weather like hurricanes, tornadoes, heavy snowfall and flooding, offering occupants safety and security. Steel also resists rusting, warping, twisting and shrinking, making it the ideal choice to build long-lasting, high-quality structures that will last for decades to come.
Additionally, steel doesn’t attract pests like termites and rodents, eliminating the need for costly maintenance to address damage caused by these unwanted critters. Steel is also fire-resistant, which offers a significant advantage during emergency situations when it comes to preventing the spread of flames and reducing property damage.
As the demand for steel construction continues to rise, it is important to consider the many benefits that these structurally sound buildings provide. For instance, steel buildings can be easily customized to include advanced security features, such as reinforced entry points and access control systems, to protect sensitive inventory, equipment and information from unauthorized individuals or threats. This is particularly critical in the wake of growing safety and security concerns in today’s society, where businesses and individuals prioritize the protection of their valuable assets. For these reasons, YourBuildingTeam is proud to offer steel buildings as a solution for enhanced building security. For more information, contact us today! Our team of experts will be happy to assist you.
Concrete
Concrete is a tried-and-true construction material that is used to build everything from sidewalks to skyscrapers. It is an engineered composite of aggregates bonded together with fluid cement that hardens over time. This durable material is used in a wide variety of building projects because it is affordable and versatile. It can be poured into almost any shape and reinforced with steel bars or mesh to increase its tensile strength and durability.
Typically, concrete is mixed on-site using a batch mix or ready-mix. The mix is proportioned and engineered to achieve specific properties. Aggregates are the main ingredients in concrete and can be made from natural sand, gravel, or crushed stone. Recycled aggregates like air-cooled blast furnace slag and bottom ash are also common. The cement, aggregates, and water are combined with a chemical additive known as an admixture to alter its properties. For example, a cement admixture known as crystalline can lower permeability by reacting with water and un-hydrated cement particles to form insoluble needle-shaped crystals that fill capillary pores and micro-cracks to block pathways for the flow of water and contaminates.
Concrete homes are popular because they can withstand severe weather, earthquakes, and fires longer than wood or adobe structures. In addition, they provide occupants with peace of mind by offering resistance to forced entry and penetration from weapons.
Glass
Glass is known for its transparency and ability to transmit light, making it a popular material choice for windows. However, it has a variety of other properties that make it a great material for security applications.
Glass protects people and property from bullets, hurricanes and other threats. It also contributes to the sustainability of a building by helping it meet energy efficiency standards.
Making glass starts with heating a mixture of raw materials — typically soda ash, limestone and quartz sand — until they turn into a liquid. Once the liquid cools, it solidifies with an atomically disordered structure, which gives glass its unique strength.
The resulting glass can be made into windows, mirrors and bottles. It can also be used in building envelopes to help control heat, sunlight and humidity, as well as for security and acoustic attenuation.
Safety and security glazing is available in a wide range of shapes, sizes and tints to fit virtually any design or functional need. To maximize its performance, consider choosing glass that has been tested and certified to UL 752. This certification is important because it ensures the product you’re selecting meets all of the required safety standards. For example, ArmorPlast’s Riot Glass security glazing is an insulated glass unit that includes a shock spacer between two panes of glass to better disperse force against impact.
Aluminum
Many people may not realize that the aluminum used in soda cans and other everyday items was once one of the most precious metals in the world. In fact, back in the early 1800s, it was more valuable than gold!
Aluminum is a light-weight metal with excellent strength and corrosion resistance. It is also versatile, making it an ideal material for use in buildings, vehicles and other applications. In addition to its physical properties, aluminum is also environmentally friendly and highly recyclable.
Unlike steel, iron or copper, pure aluminum does not occur naturally and is obtained only by refining mined minerals and ores such as bauxite. Once refined, it can be shaped into a wide range of products including window frames, doors and other structural components for buildings and structures.
Today, there are more than 100 different aluminium alloys designed to cater for specific engineering structures and applications. These alloys start off as bauxite that goes through the Bayer process to yield alumina. The alumina is then processed using the Hall-Heroult process to form the final aluminum metal.
While pure aluminum does not conduct electricity, it is often combined with other elements to make it electrically conductive and to add other desired physical properties such as ductility and strength. Most of the aluminum that is used in construction is actually an alloy of aluminum.