Subject: Re: steel-framed houses

From: Jeff Ruppert <[email-masked]>
Date: 9 Apr 1995 23:45:46 GMT

[email-masked] (Wwest3) wrote:
>
> Does anyone have information on the use of steel for the construction of
> single-family type residential structures. I read an article somewhere a
> few years ago about a guy in California who built his house out of mostly
> scrap structural steel.I'm sure it's been tried before on a larger scale,
> and I'd be interested in the outcome. With lumber prices as high as they
> are, it's something worth considering.

It would be interesting to know how many lbs. of steel it would take
compared to wood.  Steel has approximately 8 times as much 
embodied energy than wood(by weight).  This means that 8 times less 
steel would need to be used, without the use of any wood, for framing. 
Steel does have a comparable price tag these days, but what is the 
whole life cost?  Where do our cheap energies and building materials
come from?

Just thoughts on an issue that is becoming more and more visible.

Jeff Ruppert
[email-masked]