REBUILDING AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY: BENEFITS OF STEEL BUILDINGS IN FLOOD ZONES

The waters are finally beginning to recede from the catastrophic flooding created by Hurricane Harvey. Now begins the cleanup in the aftermath of an unprecedented deluge. According to officials from Harris County, over 136,000 structures have been damaged and recovery costs are estimated to be $36 billion or more.

Our thoughts are with all the people who are now forced to rebuild their lives. So many structures that were damaged were built from wood frame and cannot be repaired. They must be demolished to make way for completely new construction. There is an alternative that could save money, property, and lives in the future and that is steel.

If you look at what happens to buildings that are flooded and the required repairs, you can find several advantages that steel has provided and continues to provide to this day.

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Steel is durable, resistant to mold, and is quick and easy to restore and repair. There are significant cost savings in comparison to traditional construction in both building and repairing steel buildings. Also, you kill way fewer trees into the bargain.

STEEL BUILDINGS ARE DURABLE
Steel structures stand for decades longer than most other traditional construction and at a fraction of the total cost of ownership.  Steel, with its high strength-to-weight ratio, is the best construction material available.

Steel is strong without being overly heavy, which means the foundation costs are minimized.
Steel withstands high winds, seismic activity, and other environmental impacts much better than wood or stone.
When subjected to forces that overcome its strength, steel bends instead of breaking, increasing the safety of occupants.
As far as water is concerned, not only does steel withstand the strength of billions of gallons of rushing water, it is resistant to warping, twisting, rotting, and shrinkage in moist conditions. Steel even resists rust with special coatings and finishes, beginning with factory applied galvanization to additional coatings for special environments or to add color and texture.

Galvanization is a method of coating steel with zinc that protects the base iron from exposure to the elements. Zinc molecules are sacrificed, so the steel retains its strength and cohesiveness even after prolonged exposure to water. As long as steel is not allowed to corrode and rust, it keeps all its strength.


STEEL RESISTS MOLD
The chief problem post-flood in most structures is the growth of mold. For a wood-framed building, mold can grow in and on the wooden members, and it is impossible to eradicate completely. The presence of mold causes health problems in human occupants, demolition and total building replacement is the only choice.

Health problems caused by mold include:

Throat irritation
Lung irritation with wheezing and coughing
Stuffy nose
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Asthma
Upper respiratory tract infections
Mold survives by feeding off its host, weakening and breaking down the structural elements of many porous building materials. Steel, on the other hand, may get mold on its exterior but it won’t live long because mold cannot feed off metal. In addition, since steel is not porous, it is easily cleaned and sanitized, wiping out any mold colonies adhering to the surface.

After a flood event, you won’t be forced to demolish your entire building. You may need to replace many of the interior and exterior elements such as insulation, floor coverings, and wall finishes, but you will not be forced to reconstruct from the ground up.


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