Part 1: Architect’s Guide 1 - 61 The association of steel with other materials offers many efficient solutions for thermal and acoustic insulation. For the envelope, the metallic construction is generally designed with an external thermal insulation; walls are built from industrialized systems, metallic or not (glass, wood, concrete, terra-cotta, plaster, etc.), which offer high levels of thermal performance. The heating and ventilation systems can then be chosen for optimal energy behaviour. The range of qualities opens the architectural choices and allows the optimized selection of the processes, the materials and the methods of construction, especially by considering the global life of the building to be realized up to its demolition. 7.3 Steel-intensive solutions for buildings For buildings there are several environmental initiatives across Europe. These approaches can be quantitative or qualitative, using variable criteria. However, some subjects are common, but with different treatments, for which steel solutions bring firm answers. The harmonious integration of the building with its surrounding environment The choice of a steel frame for a building project allows the designer a large freedom of shape and the flexibility to adapt work to the constraints of the site. Used for façades or roofing, steel products offer the architect a range of textures, geometries and colours to respond to the most sensitive and the varied of contemporary sites, whether a historical city centre or in the countryside. Lightness of the structures and the flexibility of spaces A frame made with columns and beams is typical in steel buildings. Without load-bearing walls, the construction is lighter; the impacts on the foundations and the ground are lesser. It is also easier to remodel internal spaces according to the changes of use. A structure with connected components is an efficient solution for vertical extensions as well as in the renovation of an existing building. Less on-site problems Steel products and associated elements are industrially made, of high precision. They are delivered with accurate dimensions for on-site assembly. Due to the higher level of pre-fabrication, implicit in steel-intensive constructions systems, speed of construction is increased. The construction site is transformed, with reduced deliveries, precise and appropriate assembly, less storage and no waste. Maintenance Steel solutions provide durability and facilitate cleaning and replacement of components.
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