Many individuals want to live in a gorgeous home or work in a building with vibrant lighting and a sound ventilation system. But just because a particular building looks good doesn’t mean that it’s structurally sound. Safety should always be the priority when it comes to building design. This is one of the main reasons engineers always emphasize structural integrity.
Let’s face it; no one wants to live in a building that’s creaking and might collapse at any given moment, especially in the presence of harsh weather conditions. Although many buildings abide by building codes and can withstand certain extreme weather conditions, some forces of nature can be even more destructive than just the weather. This can come in natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes that can cause widespread and often permanent damage to structures.
Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to emphasize the structural integrity of your building. Although there are still many lessons that engineers need to learn regarding structural integrity, there are already some solid and guaranteed ways of keeping your home safe.
So what are some ways of preserving your building’s structural integrity? What are some aspects of the building that you should focus on? Here are some tried and tested strategies that can help you plan out your structure.
Using Versatile Materials
One of the best ways to ensure that your structure has the proper structural integrity is using versatile materials. Versatile materials are crucial in ensuring that your building has the necessary means of withstanding harsh weather conditions.
It’s essential to keep in mind that you also need to ensure that your building’s plumbing systems are resistant to sudden fluctuations in temperature, especially during the change of climates, since water can efficiently conduct heat and lower temperatures. Fortunately, you won’t have to look far since galvanized steel structural piping systems are one of the most durable materials on the market. Not only are they resistant to heat and fluctuations in temperature, but they are versatile in almost any weather condition.
Implementing Virtual Systems
Another important way of ensuring that buildings are structurally sound is through virtual systems and applications. We are currently living where technology is an excellent way of simulating whether structures are structurally sound or not. Augmented reality systems are a great way of manufacturing how structures react to certain types of designs. Many of these programs have engines that can emulate real-world physics that can give accurate results.
Exploring Pre-fabrication Methods
It’s important to consider that installation also plays a vital role in the integrity of most construction materials. Suppose certain types of materials and supporting structures are not correctly installed. In that case, this can lead to problems in quality control and might become hazards for the inhabitants and the workers installing the material.
One of the best ways of streamlining how products are installed is through pre-fabrication. This is one of the best ways of ensuring that materials and different components of the building are installed correctly. Typically, prefabricated components are completed at manufacturing facilities right before they are installed into building sites. Not only does this help mitigate issues related to structural damage, but this can also cut down on construction time.
Utilizing Self-healing Concrete
Last but not least, you can increase your building’s structural integrity by utilizing self-healing concrete. This is especially useful for most buildings vulnerable to cracks, erosion, and seismic activities like earthquakes.
What makes these concrete so unique is that they can heal over time. They can then fill up cracks and gaps that can compromise the structural integrity of your building. In most cases, seal-healing concrete has the component sodium silicate. This can result in better construction materials that can react to harsh environmental conditions.
Structural integrity should always be the first factor that needs to be considered for buildings and homes since this is key to safety. Although many owners want to emphasize their building’s form and keep everyone comfortable, how your structure can hold up against some of nature’s harshest environmental conditions is also an essential factor.
Structural failure can happen anytime, and there should be no room for error since people’s lives are at stake. Having the right high-quality components is the best way of focusing on function and ensuring that everyone is safe and secure. Sure, high-quality building materials might fetch a higher price, but this is a better choice than having to spend on legal cases from safety problems. That said, safety should always be the priority.
