Architects: Why They Desire, Require and Admire Stainless Steel Wire!
As has been so clearly demonstrated in recent editions of the BS Stainless blog, stainless steel wire is one of the most versatile forms that the ubiquitous material can take. In this article, we will be focusing on its ongoing importance to architects and the wider construction industry.
When used to create things like medical components, stainless steel wire of a small diameter is often selected: obviously, such delicacy is not suited to the physical demands of construction projects. To meet these extreme demands, many lengths of stainless steel wire are twisted firmly together to create stainless steel rope, in much the same way as fibres are used to create fabric ropes.
The qualities of stainless steel that are prized in the construction industry are maintained when the wire is turned into rope in this way; these qualities include versatility, durability, strength and malleability, along with a uniquely-attractive aesthetic appearance. Architects will often incorporate stainless steel rope into their designs for these reasons. Let's look at each of these qualities in more detail.
- Versatility. Just like the base alloy from which it is made, stainless steel rope displays exceptional versatility, making it suitable for an extensive and diverse array of applications. The material is available in numerous different grades, each of which offers exactly the right combination of properties that an architect is looking for.
- Durability. Stainless steel wire rope, thanks in large part to its exceptional resistance to corrosion caused by water, can be relied upon to last for decades in the outdoor environment without any degradation; such weather-resistance is far lower in all other common building materials like plastic, timber and concrete. In practical terms, stainless steel rope is almost entirely maintenance-free, helping to keep costs low in the long- as well as the short-term.
- Strength. One of stainless steel's key qualities is its well-known and repeatedly-proven strength, despite its relatively low weight. This property ensures that, when properly supported by appropriate fixings such as connectors or rods, any stainless wire rope system will admirably stand up to the intense physical stresses that are commonly encountered in construction projects.
- Malleability. Stainless steel, especially in its wire form, is a highly-ductile material, which means that it displays excellent pliability without being brittle; the necessary process of deformation required to transform stainless steel wire into rope thus has no detrimental effect on its inherent toughness.
- Aesthetics. In addition to their extensive technical capabilities, every architect is also an artist and so it is easy to see why stainless steel wire rope, with its seamless combination of immeasurable practical value and unmatched visual appeal, is such an attractive material to them. This attractiveness is further enhanced by the fact that the wire can be produced in a vast variety of colour options and with numerous different finishes to coordinate or contrast with all kinds of design schemes. Whether used for structural support, solely for its appearance or indeed for both reasons, stainless steel wire rope is without equal.
Please browse the BS Stainless website to discover our complete, comprehensive selection of stainless steel wires.