Corten steel advantages
When looking at this specific kind of steel, it would make complete sense to take a look at some of the benefits. Continue reading below for that:
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Low maintenance
When using weathering steel that has been exposed, periodic inspection and cleaning would be amongst the only things that would be required as far as maintenance is concerned. In terms of periodic cleaning, that would include rinsing the rusted surfaces with water in order to clean off any contaminates or natural debris. Other than that, dings and scratches would be benefitted by the oxide structure as it would heal through its own natural development without incurring the need for replacement.
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Long term performance and cost savings
Since we are talking about long term investment, you would have to take a look at the savings that you would be able to enjoy. This is because if there would be no scope of savings, then there would really be no point in using corten steel for your construction projects.
Therefore, thanks to the durability of corten steel, you would be able to enjoy long term cost savings. This is something which could easily be realized by looking at the buildings which were built almost fifty years ago. In fact, this is being used throughout the world because of its durability and long term cost savings. By utilizing the protective and living nature of this material, it would also help to eliminate the dear costs that would be associated with painting. Not only that, but whole life costs could also be taken away with paint maintenance being done on the site. In cases where access for maintenance of furniture would be difficult or dangerous, or where the disruption of traffic would need to be minimized, then weathering steel would seem like an ideal choice.
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Environmental benefits
Just like it would be important to save up on costs, it would be important that you do that while protecting the environment. With exceeding LEEDS requirements, along with other green qualities such as being made from content that has been recycles and 100% recyclable, you would be making a huge contribution to the environment. All you would have to do is browse a bit through the internet and you would be able to find a whole range of information being displayed there.
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Dynamic texture and appearance
Weathering steel that has been aged will help to bring forth a multi-dimensional aspect to the appearance of buildings. This is because the patina would be able to transform multiple times a day, from wet to dry and back again. This would also bring along with it a sense of wonder and depth. In short, this steel would become much more than what you had anticipated. You would be able to realize the subtle appearance that would be hiding behind the exposed surfaces, waiting to be discovered and experienced in a new way. As such, you would be able to find very few building materials that would be able to offer this level of complexity and sophistication. With a variegated character and rich tones, the patina would continue to improve and blend with age. With the oxide layer further developing, earthier tones would come to light.
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Minimizing lead time and cost
If you would like to get the minimal cost and most streamlined application, then it would be best to use raw corten steel. This is because it would help to reduce both lead times and cost that would be associated with cladding materials. When you would initially be applying this steel, you would be able to notice a flash of rust that would settle itself. However, that would not be something that you would need to be worried about since it would run off and bleed on to the adjoining surfaces. If you would like to handle this, then a catch system or gutter could be included in to the design. This would help to transfer or hide loose ferrites.
Limitations of weathering steel (corten steel)
Just like with any other sort of building material, weathering steel also seems to come with its own share of limitations. But this is not something which should come as a surprise. In fact, it would be good if you would get to know more about it. In this way, you would be able to make a smart and rational choice at the end of the day.
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High chlorides content
Environments where the protective rust layer would spontaneously not be able to form on corten steel would be coastal environments. This is because the amount of airborne sea salt particles would be quite high. When the soil would continuously be deposited on to the surface, it would tend to develop the rust product. As such, it would then cause problems to the development of the inner protective oxide layer.
It would be for this reason that you should stay away from using corten steel products that would use high amounts of salt (chloride) as an initiator to the rust layer. This is because over the course of time, they would display the non-adherent nature of the oxide layer. In short, they would not provide the protective layer that they were initially supposed to provide.
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De-icing salt
When using weathering steel, it would be highly recommended that you do not use de-icing salts as this would lead to problems in some cases. In usual cases, you would not find this to be an issue unless concentrated and consistent amounts would be deposited on to the surface. This would continue building up if rain would not be present to wash off this buildup.
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Pollutants
You should avoid environments where there would be high concentrations of industrial pollutants or corrosive chemicals. While these kinds of situations would rarely be encountered today, it would not hurt to remain on the safe side. This is because several studies have brought to light that industrial environments which would contain low to normal levels of pollutants would help the steel in forming the protective oxide layer.
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Retention or drainage traps
Continuous damp or wet conditions would prevent the protective oxides from crystallizing. This would especially be the case when water would be allowed to accumulate in pockets, also known as retention traps. This is because these areas would not be able to dry out completely, thus they would experience brighter colors and higher rates of corrosion. Dense vegetation and damp debris which would be growing around the steel could also add to the surface moisture retention being prolonged. As a result, you should avoid debris retention and moisture. In addition, you should also make it a point to provide sufficient amount of ventilation to the steel members.
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Staining or bleeding
The initial flash of surface weathering to corten steel would typically lead to heavy rust staining on all the surfaces nearby, particularly concrete. This could easily be solved by getting rid of designs which would drain the loose rust products on to nearby surfaces.
Thus, that would bring us to the end of the discussion where weathering steel is concerned. Hopefully, all this information would be sufficient to help you make the right decision.
Company profile
Founded in 2008, Gnee (Tianjin) Supply Chain Group Co., Ltd. specializes in the global trade and processing of Corten steel products.
• We handle all kinds of Corten engineering projects, such as bridges, gardens, hotels, and facade systems.
• Compliant with ASTM, EN, and other international standards; third-party inspection supported.
• Exported to over 200 countries and regions worldwide.
• 8 subsidiaries across China and overseas, ensuring global service coverage.
Application Fields: Architecture, landscaping, gardening, cladding, and urban infrastructure.
