While we have progressed into the age of composites, metals have always played a massive part in building and probably always will. Different metals have different properties. Tensile strength is essential when building, which is why steel is mainly used with high-rise buildings. The only 3 times that steel structures have collapsed, all happened on the same day, September 11th 2001. Something wrong there!
Here is our list of metals commonly used in construction today.
Steel
This is the number one material used when building and while this ferrous metal is found in abundance, you could amass quite a lot in scrap form. Steel rebar plays a crucial role when it is merged with concrete and there probably isn’t a commercial structure in the world that doesn’t have steel somewhere. Let’s not forget fixings such as screws, bolts, nails and staples, all of which are used in building, while the steel would be of varying grades, depending on the use.
Aluminium
Lightweight and very strong, aluminium is an alloy with less density than most other metals, making it lighter. Aluminium siding is very popular as a form of home protection, while the downside is oxidation. High grade aluminium is treated to prevent oxidisation. When you look at the aluminium recycling prices Sydney has, for example, you can understand why people recycle aluminium.
Stainless Steel
Very popular due to its resistance to rust and corrosion, stainless-steel has about 11% chromium, which gives the metal its non-corrosive properties. This versatile metal is also heat resistant and is used in commercial kitchens, as well as fencing and gating. Stainless-steel is ideal for guttering and can be seen on many homes, while also being used for aesthetic value, as this shiny metal is appealing.
Wrought Iron
Found extensively in architecture all over Europe, this metal has a very low carbon content, less than 0.08% and is very easy to manipulate and weld. You could call wrought iron, refined iron, as it is the purest form of iron at 99.4%. Up to this day, there are still gate makers that will design, fabricate and install wrought iron gates on your property.
Copper
Copper piping can be found in every home, factory and warehouse and this is one of the most valuable scrap metals. If you happen to be in Australia, there is a Sydney copper recycling with pick up that is available if you use Google. Copper is a conductor of electricity and heat and we are fortunate to have a huge supply of copper. That said, the scrap value of copper is high. Plumbers work with copper and a small company can generate a lot of recyclable copper, which would be sent to the nearest copper recycling plant.
It should be said that the metal recycling industry has become very efficient, as we know the planet’s resources are limited. If you have some scrap metal laying around your yard, call up your local scrap metal dealer who would be happy to pay you a visit and take the scrap to the recycling plant.