Modern materials in the construction of steel structure buildings: insulation, coatings and roofing materials

In industrial construction, change does not happen overnight, and new materials and technologies do not emerge as frequently as they do in the world of household appliances or even in the automotive industry. It is the result of research, testing and projects carried out over many years. Therefore, when discussing innovative building materials, we should expect modern manufacturing processes and optimised technical properties.

The process of building an industrial building is becoming increasingly demanding. On the one hand, this is due to building regulations which impose a number of requirements on new buildings regarding their low – and, in the long term, even zero – energy consumption. On the other hand, clients have requirements to build and operate environmentally-friendly facilities, that is, they wish that the construction uses eco-friendly materials and advanced technologies. In addition, they look for facilities that would offer low running costs and a long service life. In this article, we are taking a look at the key materials that we – as a general contractor – use on a daily basis when constructing modern industrial buildings for our clients.

Innovative materials in the construction and finishing of steel structure buildings

Today, an industrial building is a structure comprising many components, each of which has a specific function and a significant impact on the final outcome of the project, including its durability, energy efficiency, and the comfort and safety of its use.

It typically incorporates the roof structure, the reinforced concrete columns that form the core of the building, and the materials used for the wall cladding and steel roofing, which, including insulation products, protect the building from adverse weather conditions, play a vital role in limiting heat exchange with the environment, and ensure acoustic comfort. At Commercecon, we focus on effective solutions, which we have implemented in dozens of projects. What they all have had in common is durability, high-quality workmanship, speed of installation and compliance with the requirements of modern, sustainable industrial construction.

Protective and anti-corrosion coatings for steel

Alongside pre-engineered reinforced-concrete elements, steel is today the most popular material used to construct the load-bearing structures of large-span industrial buildings. With its high strength and rigidity, designing large structural spans is possible, as well as the effective use of the space offered by steel structure buildings. However, materials such as steel do have a weak point which is susceptibility to corrosion, a dangerous drawback for engineering. The ongoing corrosion process weakens the steel components, thereby reducing their strength. Therefore, suitable anti-corrosion coatings that protect against rust are crucial to the durability of the building’s structure and, consequently, to the safety of its use. In accordance with the design requirements, safety features are incorporated during the manufacturing process at the manufacturer’s site. The most popular methods include steel coating and galvanising.

Coating involves the following types of coatings: alkyd, epoxy, polyurethane, polyvinyl and silicone coatings. Regardless of the type of anti-corrosion coating chosen, proper surface preparation is essential. Contaminants are removed from it, and it is then sandblasted and shot-blasted to give it the required surface roughness and, consequently, to improve its grip.

The other group of popular solutions involves galvanising. This process involves coating the steel with a dense layer of zinc, which prevents the material from coming into contact with a corrosive environment. There are two processes for coating steel with zinc: hot-dip galvanising and electroplating.

Roofing materials – how to choose the best ones for an industrial building

The roof is a key structural component of any building. It is on the front line safeguarding structures against adverse weather conditions: it withstands the weight of rainfall, protects against noise and prevents heat loss, which – according to some sources – can account for as much as 30 per cent of a building’s total heat loss. Given this definition of its function, particular importance is now attached to the thermal insulation properties of the roof. It is precisely these properties that we can discuss in the context of materials innovation. Today’s industrial construction relies on two solutions for insulating steel structure buildings, mineral wool and PIR (polyisocyanurate) foam.

For years, mineral wool has been the most popular insulation material for flat roofs, which are a characteristic feature of large-area industrial buildings. It is valued not only for its thermal insulation properties, but first and foremost for its excellent fire resistance and its important role in a building’s acoustics, as its natural sound-absorbing capacity effectively reduces both noise escaping from the building and noise coming in from outside.

Its resistance to mechanical stress is another advantage of this product. Why is it so important? The roof structure is subjected to various loads over many years of the building’s use. These include rainfall and, more and more often, photovoltaic panels, as well as loads resulting from maintenance work carried out on technical equipment installed on the roof. Carefully selected mineral wool boards will help meet the requirements for mechanical strength.

PIR foam panels are another material commonly used to cover the steel roofs of modern industrial buildings. This is an unrivalled solution in terms of thermal insulation: with their exceptionally low thermal conductivity, these panels provide an excellent thermal barrier while – importantly – allowing to design very low wall thicknesses.

This brings measurable benefits to the project. Using thinner and lighter panels reduces transport costs significantly (more square metres of material per package), as well as loads on the roof’s supporting structure. Furthermore, the high rigidity and low weight of the components speed up their installation, thereby reducing the project completion time. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that while PIR foam is a material with excellent insulating properties and mechanical strength, its use may be limited in projects with high fire-resistance requirements.

Types of thermal and sound insulation – wall cladding

Wall cladding is the structural component in which the greatest number of innovative solutions have been introduced in recent decades.

In the 1990s, the sheet-wool-sheet or built-up system still dominated on building sites. And although it offered huge flexibility options for thermal insulation thickness (insulating material layers were custom adjusted), its major drawback, from today’s perspective, included thermal bridges and the labour-intensive installation process, which could not be automated. This resulted in high labour costs and the long time taken to erect steel structure buildings. However, the materials used changed over time, and the one that enabled a step towards what we know as modern walls was a steel cassette with mineral wool core, eventually replaced by prefabricated sandwich panels. The latter are today the undisputed top choice for steel structure building insulation when constructing the wall cladding for large-span applications.

These panels are innovative thanks to their thermal insulation properties and installation method, which allows you to quickly fix them both horizontally and vertically. This has accelerated cladding works on the industrial buildings significantly, bringing about shorter project completion times and lower costs.

It is also worth noting a few other points when considering the innovative features of sandwich panels. The first one is enhanced aesthetics, which supports client’s brand recognition. While this is obviously not the key from a technical point of view, its role has become increasingly important in the face of spatial planning requirements that stress the need to integrate industrial facilities into the surrounding landscape. Recent years have seen leading manufacturers invest in colour and texture diversification for their materials, as well as their surface finish and paint coatings. Innovation in this area helped the industry to depart from creating dull, grey structures, and design architecturally interesting, contemporary industrial buildings that can showcase companies optimally.

Another advantage is the more and more sustainable manufacturing process. Leading the market, RUUKKI has launched the RUUKKI LowCarbon range, comprising both wall sandwich panels and steel roofing. Their sheets are manufactured using high-quality steel produced in electric furnaces from recycled steel scrap, which has the same properties as standard steel. What is more, the production process uses only energy from renewable sources and biogas.
However, leading PIR foam panel manufacturers are also shifting their production processes towards greater environmental sustainability. They implement solutions in which traditional petroleum-based raw materials are replaced with recycled components – such as recycled plastic waste (PET).

Furthermore, the state-of-the-art production process relies on the use of foam blowing agents with zero ozone-depleting potential and energy from renewable sources. This means that choosing new-generation PIR panels provides you with a material which not only reduces energy consumption in the building, but whose manufacturing generates a significantly lower carbon footprint.