Fabricated steel structure is one of the most commonly used construction materials in Australia due to its versatility, durability, cost-effectiveness, and superior performance compared to many other traditional building materials such as wood, concrete, or masonry.
However, like any other material, structural steel still requires proper maintenance to significantly extend its lifespan. Neglecting crucial maintenance may put your steel’s integrity at risk and compromise the safety of the structure’s occupants.
While Weldform Structures does not offer maintenance services, we deeply care about our work, and we want it to always perform at 100% capacity. Below are some of the most effective maintenance tips we have compiled to reduce the wear and tear of your structural steel projects:
Regularly Perform Maintenance Checks
Scheduling regular maintenance checks helps stay on top of any problems in your steel structure and gives you time to prevent them before they happen in the first place.
As a reference, maintenance checks are usually scheduled bi-annually, but here are some exceptions to that rule:
- After every big renovation – quality control is one of our primary concerns here, ensuring that the project’s resulting fabrication meets
- After a big addition to the steel structure
- After extreme weather conditions
- After the event of a natural disaster
To perform maintenance checks, take photos of your building before and after the inspection, then take note of any issues found to be addressed later. If issues do occur, we highly recommend notifying your steel fabricators and liaising with them for any defects.
For good measure, you can even hire a third-party inspector to do the checks themselves and ensure no errors go undetected. A fresh pair of eyes can quickly point out errors you may not notice while performing your own checks.
Promptly Address Minor Wear and Tear
While steel structures are famous for a number of reasons, it’s not invulnerable to wear and tear, or environmental forces.
To preserve the integrity of your structure and ensure the safety of your building occupants, it’s an onus to address these minor repairs early before they get worse. Thankfully, steel can be covered with protective coatings to make them resistant to corrosion and rust.
For example, structural steel piles are especially prone to those issues. When these piles rust, they can significantly compromise the integrity of your structure – which makes addressing, replacing, or repairing these issues immediately a priority.
To prevent this from happening, you can call your maintenance company or steel fabricator to fix this issue as they know the most appropriate coating for your structure.
Common coatings for steel piles are usually tar coatings and galvanised finishing to combat rust and corrosion.
Another issue would be vegetation. If you have trees or bushes that are too close to your fabricated steel structure, it can expose them to water and moisture – leading to corrosion and mould growth. Regularly trimming them is enough to keep them at bay.
Perform Insulation Checks
Structural steel buildings need to be fitted with insulation to primarily regulate temperature, moisture levels, and noise. This can lead to less heating and cooling expenses, and maintain a more comfortable temperature for your building occupants.
However, when your insulation is torn or damaged due to leaks or moisture buildup, it can allow heated or cooled air to escape while allowing moisture to seep in.
Moisture is especially dangerous, as not only does it lead to thermal inefficiency, but it can also foster a breeding ground for corrosion and rust, compromise your building’s structural stability, and decrease the aesthetics of your building.
Regularly performing insulation checks on top of general maintenance checks will allow you to address these problems and save you money in the long run.
Perform Cleaning Schedules
One of the big advantages of fabricated steel structures is their durability, meaning they don’t require the same level of care needed by structures built with conventional materials.
However, they do still accumulate dirt, grime, and dust, so setting a cleaning schedule is necessary.
Why? While cleaning is primarily done to preserve the aesthetics of your building, it becomes a priority in the event of mould buildup. Mould can expose your building occupants to microbes and harmful chemicals, which can cause or worsen health problems.
To clean mould, we recommend using a soft-bristled brush with a mild cleaning agent or an ammonia mix. We also highly recommend investing in a low-pressure power washer to get rid of stubborn mildew or fungus.
Stay At The Forefront of Structural Steel Techniques With Weldform Structures
Structural steel maintenance is easy when you have the right tips, and implementing the tips above may translate to more long-term savings.
Love to know more about fabricated steel structure or need a reputable steel fabricator for your project? Contact us today, and let’s help you achieve your project goals better, faster, and more efficiently.