Courtesy of Hoto Stainless Steel (9)
Ease of maintenance is a major advantage of stainless steel. As mentioned, the chromium oxide barrier makes it ideal for architectural work, since it will not corrode in the environment. Indoors, nearly any chemical cleaner can be used to remove debris without staining or discoloration.
When stainless is chosen for an application, the applied finish should be considered. After manufacturing, the mill applies one of three finishes. The mill finishes are listed below. (4)
Finish Designation Description Available Forms
No. 1 Dull and Mottled Plate, Bar
No. 2D Dull, Matte, Consistent Sheet, Strip
No. 2B Dull, Reflective Sheet, Strip
No. 2BA Highly Reflective Sheet, Strip
These finishes are applied either mechanically or chemically. A secondary plant can then apply a more refined finish at the request of the consumer. Achieved by using a fine-grit abrasive mechanical belt, these polished finishes are described below.
Finish Designation Description Available Forms
No. 3 Reflective, Course grit lines Plate, Sheet, Strip, Bar
No. 4 Reflective, Finer grit lines Plate, Sheet, Strip, Bar
Hairline Reflective, Fine parallel lines Plate, Sheet, Strip, Bar
No. 6 Reflective, long parallel lines Plate, Sheet, Strip, Bar
No. 7 Very reflective, Mirror w/lines Plate, Sheet, Strip, Bar
No. 8 Mirror finish Sheet, Strip , Bar
No. 9 (a.k.a. Special 8) Buffed mirror finish Sheet, Strip
The buffing belt causes the grit or parallel lines mentioned above. With buffing grains successively finer in each polish, the higher finishes do not show grit lines and can reach a smooth, mirror finish. The No. 9 polish is actually a No. 8 polish, but is nearly perfect showing no grit lines whatsoever. Produced by only Japanese manufactures, it is rare and comparatively more expensive.
The up-front cost of stainless steel is usually greater than that of other materials. Below is a price comparison of general (mild) steel, stainless steel and alternative materials. (7)
Material Approximate Price ($/kg)
Glass (clear ann.) 0.2
Mild steel 1.0-1.5
Hot dip galvanized steel 1.5-2.5
304 stainless 4.0-5.0
Aluminum alloy (extruded) 4.0-5.5
316 stainless 5.0-6.0
Copper 8.0
Brass 8.5
Bronze 10.0
Redeamingly, the life cycle costs make stainless a cost-effective option. Maintenance costs are negligible and replacement is seldom necessary. After its usefulness is out lived, stainless steel can be resold to manufacturers to be re-smelted and sold. Homes constructed with a steel frame benefit from utility savings as well. An average steel home in Cathedral City, CA has utility costs of $41.54 per month, compared to $71.00 for a wood frame house. (8) It is thought that this is attributed to closer spaced joists in steel construction, providing better insulation. The utility savings quickly offset the 3-5% construction cost increase.
Environmental issues are often thought to be the Achilles? heel of steel applications. The contrary is actually true. Steel manufacturing companies have recently adopted environment-friendly philosophies. An excerpt from Avesta Steel?s website best exemplifies this attitude: (10)
?Avesta Sheffield’s Group Policy for the Protection of the Environment states clearly that attention to environmental protection should be an integral part of the Group?s activities. The responsibility for environmental issues has been delegated to the management of individual units. The aim is to achieve a better environmental performance than that required by legislation and other regulations in those countries where the Group operates.
Some of the important strategic objectives set out in the Group?s Policy are:
-To reduce the consumption of energy and raw materials.
-To reduce the production of waste by recycling residual products and byproducts, as well as by other means.
-To carry out comprehensive studies to assess the environmental consequences of new or modified processes prior to making such decisions.
-To ensure that the environmental performance is audited internally
-To assure compliance with environmental laws, directives and other legal requirements made by authorities, as well as with the Group’s policy.
-To co-operate with local authorities to assess potential risk and to establish contingency procedures for handling environmental incidents.?
The Avesta Group has made more than a politically correct statement; they have produced actual results as seen in the chart below:
Courtesy Avesta Sheffield (10)
While the iron-ore used in steel production is strip-mined, Avesta, among others, is committed to researching safer and more effective mining techniques. Additionally, over 95% of all discarded steel is recycled; making it the most reused material in the world. Of all steel produced, 30% is actually recycled material.
Advantages of stainless steel are undeniably persuasive. The capacity to create the vast variety of stainless steels translates to the formation of a product with virtually any desired properties. A custom designable product ensures a growing demand for the employment of stainless steel in a wide array of fields. Rarely is such an aesthetically pleasing material utilized in surgical rooms, automobile factories, home kitchens, architectural adornments, and works of art simultaneously. The combination of strength, corrosion resistance, fire resistance, versatility and beauty of stainless steel has yet to be rivaled by any other material available today.
1) Brockenbrough, R. L. and Johnston, B. G. (1968) U.S.S. Steel Design Manual. United States Steel Corporation, second printing,
2) Henn, F. Hart and Sontag, H. (1982) Multi-story Buildings in Steel Nichols Publishing Company, New York, Translation by Collins Professional and Technical Books,
3) The Steel Triangle: United States Steel Builds a Corporate Center United Steel Corporation. (1969)
4) Zahner, L. Williams (1995) Architectural Metals: A Guide to Selection, Specification, and Performance. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
5) Lindbeck, John R., Williams, Molly W. , and Wygant, Robert M. (1990) Manufacturing Technology Prentice Hall
6) International Iron and Steel Institute- http//: www.worldsteel .org
7) Australian Stainless Steel Development Association- http//: www.assda.asn.au
8) Georgia Institute of Technology-School of Civil and Environmental Engineering- http//: www.ce.gatech.edu
9) Hoto Stainless Steel Industries Sdn Bhd- http//:www.hoto.com
10) Avesta Sheffield Steel- http//:www.avestasheffield.com
11) Artist Ulrich Pakker. RPArt- http//:www.rpart.com
12) The Stainless Steel Industry of North America- http: www.ssina.com