Is Steel Frame Work a Better Construction System?

If you have recently read my articles, you may have noticed I am a huge fan of steel frame construction. Many people think that’s the way to go when building a home in Costa Rica: not only does it save money on labor work but it also shortens the overall construction phase.

Lately, I’ve gotten several questions to which I’d like to share my answers and opinion here:

Is steel frame work seismic resistant?

Oh yes it is! The Cost Rica Seismic Code contains a special chapter, specifically Chapter 10, which guides architects and engineers on designing seismic resistant buildings with this material.

It will resist seismic loads with two different types of structural steel: Structures of hot-rolled steel and cold rolled steel. The right professional with knowledge on this specific area will tell you what is more appropriate for your construction type.

Will structural steel rust, specially when used on beach homes?

Steel will rust if not treated correctly. Many of you may have seen this situation all over the country. Usually the rusting is due to poor handling/lack of proper construction practices on site, reason why I emphasize on hiring educated professionals on the matter.

In general, every steel structure in Costa Rica should be protected with 2 or 3 layers of what’s called ‘Minio’ or red led paint. It comes in variety of colors: yellow, red, green, brown or black, which helps with the design should you wish to show your structure (great option for tight budgets).

On your blueprints, on structural information, there must be a note about this. For a beach home, it is recommended to use galvanized steel. Galvanized steel is product of several alloy of iron and zinc. This material gives excellent protection against abrasion and corrosion.







Will structural steel melt?

Structural steel requires external insulation in order to prevent the steel from weakening during a fire event. Given big amounts of energy it can also melt. Compared to concrete, this material suffers from more severe damages than steel, and it costs more to fireproof concrete than steel.

There are many ways to improve the steel frame resistance against elevated temperatures. The best choice among others , is to apply an intumescent paint to the frame. When exposed to fire, this coating chars foams and expands significantly in thickness and delays temperature rise in the steel.

Another method to provide fire resistance is the use of fireproof boards.

These cement boards can provide up to 4 hours of fire protection and they are available in Costa Rica.

Instituto Nacional de Seguros, our local insurance entity in charge of approving fireproof design for Costa Rica only suggests fireproofing for public spaces, like restaurants, hotels and office buildings. Not residences. But if you’re interested in fireproofing your home, cement boards is the way to go.




Are steel structures sustainable?




Yes they are. Steel can be recycled repeatedly without disintegration, and has excellent low waste credentials during all phases of the construction cycle. Any waste generated during manufacture can be recycled and there is virtually no waste from steel products on the construction site.

Written by Costa Rica Architect Gloriana Mejia of DottArchitecture
who focuses tropical modern architecture and believes in following very basic principles: simplicity as a guide for good design, compact areas as a solution for space, passive solutions for sustainable architecture and context as a main character of the frozen music that architecture is….

If you want more information about hiring an architect to help build your home in Costa Rica, please contact Gloriana Mejia using the simple form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.