I went down memory lane. In 2020, I dropped out of Dartmouth, flew back to Nepal on the second flight after borders reopened, and spent a year doing things I never expected.
One of them: building one of the first three-story I-beam steel structures in Far West Nepal. No local expertise. No supply chain. A crew that had never done it before. We figured it out anyway.
What is the useful life of something like this compared to an RCC structure? Do you have to keep painting them to protect it from rust?
You do see steel used in mobile towers etc because you may not be able to place an RCC structure of that height on top of a building not designed for those loads. And in single story workshops/sheds.
This is the current building being built that I talk about. Notice (1) the two layers of paint, and (2) bolts being used instead of welds compared to the steel structure photos in the essay
niteshpant|2 months ago
One of them: building one of the first three-story I-beam steel structures in Far West Nepal. No local expertise. No supply chain. A crew that had never done it before. We figured it out anyway.
sieve|2 months ago
You do see steel used in mobile towers etc because you may not be able to place an RCC structure of that height on top of a building not designed for those loads. And in single story workshops/sheds.
niteshpant|2 months ago
No, you paint them initially when you build the structure. It's quite hard to paint afterwards.
Also, if you notice closely, the steel is welded rather than bolted. Newer buildings are bolted now-a-days, which increases their useful life.
Example: https://imgur.com/a/f4z84dx
This is the current building being built that I talk about. Notice (1) the two layers of paint, and (2) bolts being used instead of welds compared to the steel structure photos in the essay