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Red Iron Steel Buildings vs Tubular Steel: A Comparison

Tubular steel buildings and red iron steel buildings have many similarities, but they are two very different structures with their own unique benefits. Properties such as size, codes, and building materials can vary greatly between these two steel building types. When you’re looking for the right steel building, it’s helpful to understand how the two building types are different and what each building type is used for.

What is a Tubular Steel Building Used for?

Tubular steel is lighter in weight and much more flexible than red iron steel. It is made from synthetic raw scrap metal and placed in an electric furnace before it is formed into round or rectangular steel tubes.

Tubular buildings may be sold by big box stores and even home improvement stores. While many people view tubular buildings as a cheaper, smaller alternative to red iron steel buildings, they don’t have nearly as many benefits as red iron steel buildings do.

Tubular steel is generally used for small-scale buildings, such as backyard sheds, garages, or covered carports. Because tubular steel is not as durable as red iron steel, these buildings are not intended for human or animal habitation nor can they span very large in size.

What is a Red Iron Steel Building Used for?

Red iron steel is much heavier and stronger than tubular steel, and it can withstand more extreme temperatures and weather elements than tubular steel can. The material is made by heating red oxide, carbon, and silicon at extremely high temperatures. Red iron steel buildings are constructed with rigid metal structural posts that have a signature cross-section, shaped like a capital “I.” These heavy-duty supports are known as “I-beams.”

Red iron steel buildings have a variety of commercial, agricultural, residential, and recreational uses. They can be used for warehouse storage, livestock living quarters, automotive shops, churches and other religious buildings, and commercial business operations.

While tubular steel buildings are generally small in size, red iron steel buildings can be small or large depending on your needs.

The Advantages of Choosing Red Iron Steel Buildings Over Tubular Steel

There are many reasons to choose red iron steel over tubular steel, including:

Red Iron Steel is More Durable than Tubular Steel

The biggest reason to choose red iron steel instead of tubular steel is durability. Durable red iron combined with heavy I-beam supports make for an extremely solid, low-maintenance, and long-lasting building.

Alternatively, tubular buildings are made using a metal tubing frame that is covered in light steel panels, so these buildings are lighter in weight and not nearly as strong. A tubular building can easily give way to extreme winds or several feet of snow, but a red iron building will not.

Due to maintenance needs, durability, and longevity, red iron steel tends to be a better long-term investment than tubular steel.

Red Iron Steel Buildings Have Diverse Sizing Options

Tubular steel is flexible and lightweight, so tubular buildings are not meant to be large in size or durable enough to withstand certain loads. Tubular buildings are usually smaller than 500 square feet, so they are used for carports and small storage sheds.

By comparison, red iron steel buildings can be designed in a variety of different sizes. Red iron steel buildings can be smaller than 1,000 square feet or as large as 20,000 square feet. Sizing options are virtually endless, so you can get any size red iron building you need.

Red Iron Steel Buildings are Cheaper and Faster to Erect than Tubular Buildings

Tubular steel materials may be cheaper than red iron steel, but they aren’t as durable or long-lasting. Additionally, the I-beam supports found in red iron buildings make for simple and easy erection. Tubular buildings cost more to erect and take more time to erect than red iron steel buildings.

Red Iron Steel Buildings are Built Up to Code

You have fewer design and customization options when it comes to tubular steel, so tubular steel buildings are often not built to withstand certain load limits or be built to specific local and state building codes. Red iron steel buildings, on the other hand, can be designed in line with your city and state building codes.

Reliable Red Iron Steel Buildings at Titan Steel Structures

Titan Steel Structures is a leading provider of reliable and affordable steel building kits for residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial use. Our pre-engineered steel buildings are constructed using only the highest quality steel materials and are essentially maintenance-free. We also make sure to research your local building codes and load requirements so your building can withstand the test of time and nature.

At Titan Steel Structures, we believe in a multidimensional approach to offering the best customer satisfaction and maintaining our position as a leader in the pre-engineered steel structures industry. Contact us today or fill out the form below for a quick quote on a strong and reliable red iron steel building.