Here at Special Metric Materials, we provide many stainless steel products to the Building Services Industry. In this blog we will look at the many uses of stainless steel in building services across the UK.
Since the invention of stainless steel in the early 1900s, it has proven itself to be an extremely useful metal that has numerous applications. One of the industries in which it is widely used is the construction and building services industry. Building services transform a shell of a structure into a functional habitat and are vital.
Special Metric Materials works extensively with the building services industry, supplying our clients with high-quality stainless steel metric tubular products and fittings on a daily basis. This includes, elbows, collars, end caps, backing flanges, reducers, pipes and tees.
The team at Special Metric Materials understands that speed and reliability are incredibly important within the building services industry so our comprehensive range of stock, ability to respond to last-minute orders and fast delivery times are crucial in our role in the supply chain.
Speak to our sales and customer service team today to see how we can work with you to support your projects and tailor packages of our products to meet your needs.
The properties of stainless steel such as its strength and its high resistance to corrosion means that it is not only used for structural purposes, but it is also used for creating stylish enhancements as well as useful functions.
Some of the most common uses of stainless steel in building services are:
- Architectural Cladding
- Handrails
- Drainage and Water Systems
- Wall Support Products
- Roofing
- Structure
- Fixings
What is Building Services?
If we are to look closer at the uses of stainless steel in building services, let’s start with the basics.
A building is essential just a structure that provides shelter. In order to make it the type of building you want – a home, office, shop etc – its needs certain systems in place like mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services. These are building services. They are the services that are essential to make a building comfortable, functional, efficient and safe.
Building services – also called MEP services, for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing – could include:
- Building control systems
- Energy distribution
- Energy supply (gas, electricity and renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass)
- Escalators and lifts
- Facade engineering (such as building shading)
- Fire safety, detection and protection
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
- Information and communications technology (ICT)
- Lighting
- Lightning protection
- Refrigeration
- Security and alarm systems
- Water, drainage and plumbing
- Water Supply
- Drainage of Wastes
- Water Recycling Systems (these allow you to recover the water from your waste and re-use that water for low-grade applications such as flushing)
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Storm Water Drainage
A combination of these building services are required so that a building can serve its desired function. There are many uses of stainless steel in building services like these.
What products in Building Services are Stainless Steel?
It is undeniable that stainless steel is an essential part of modern life, and it is unlikely that you go about your day without coming across it in some form. From the smallest zipper to the largest skyscraper, stainless steel comes in more configurations than can be counted.
The many properties of stainless steel are what makes it so valuable and practical – its strength, resistance to corrosion, low maintenance, long life cycle and ability to be 100% recycled.
There are more than 150 grades of stainless steel, 15 of which are universally used in everyday applications in building services. These include:
- Plates
- Coils
- Bars
- Sheets
- Tubing
- Fixings
- Flanges
- Tees
- Collars
- Elbows
- Piping Systems
- Tubes
- End Caps
- Pipe Clips
It is not just building services that uses stainless steel. A very wide spectrum of industries rely on stainless steel including food and drink, energy and automotive. In many situations stainless steel is simply the most effective solution.
What are the benefits of using Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is not a single material; it is the name given to a group of corrosion resistant steel alloys which contain a minimum of 10.5% chromium.
Stainless steel gets its name because the chromium within the metallurgy of stainless steel reacts with oxygen in the air to produce a very thin, inert, chromium rich oxide film on the surface of the steel – i.e., the characteristic shiny finish. It is the presence of this rich oxide
Stainless steel has many advantages and benefits which is why stainless steel in building services is so common. These include:
- Excellent corrosion resistance
- High ductility and strength
- Non-magnetic (Austenitic only)
- Excellent high and low temperature properties
- Resistance to unsightly staining
- Life-cycle costing benefits
- Aesthetic surface finish
- 60% recycled content
- 100% recyclable
Here at Special Metric Materials, we certainly understand the many uses of stainless steel in building services across the UK. Be sure to contact our team if you have a need for any of our specialised products.
