Why Consider Using Castellated Beams for a Parking Facility

Castellated beams have been around for a while now, but they are not yet widely used in the design, building, and architectural industries. If these industries only knew about how durable this material is, they might finally have a more economical and reliable alternative to concrete beams, steel joints, and wide-flange steel beams. This article will show you why using this material can give you unique advantages.

What Is a Castellated Beam?

A castellated beam is split lengthwise in a rack-shaped pattern. The halves of these beams are shifted a half-pitch to each other and then welded together at their teeth’ tops. When joined together, you will see hexagonal openings in their bodies. 

What Are Its Advantages?

A castellated beam has a smaller floor to floor profile compared to other beams. Its hexagonal holes allow ductwork to pass through or underneath its shallow beams. Moreover, these holes are easy to line up, making this material easy to use. 

Another advantage of using a castellated beam is a lighter structure as a final output. If you are creating more open spaces, you will only need a few of them. With fewer materials, you can save on your expenses. 

Compared to other beams, a castellated beam has the same structural integrity as a wide-flange solid web beam while providing you with efficient steel usage. 

Why Use It For Your Buildings: How It Works

You can use castellated beams as your building’s basic structural element, just like how wide-flange solid web beams work. If you are familiar with how wide-flange solid web beams are used, you will not get confused when using the castellated beams for your building. They are basically the same when it comes to erecting and connecting them.

If you work with perpendicular beam connections, you might need to add infilling to the holes, but when it comes to upraising it, you can place them as is. The hole design can be advantageous if you want to run the mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and ductwork through it.

They are also easy to work with because of the material’s flexibility. You can get castellated beams in straight, camber, and combined weight and galvanized options. Moreover, this material is highly sustainable. Ninety-six percent of it is made from recycled material.

Why Use It for Parking Lots

 

• Reduced Cost

 

Using castellated beams for parking lots instead of concrete construction can reduce labor costs by up to ten percent without compromising the quality and design flexibility. They also require little maintenance throughout their service life. 

 

• Use of Space

 

Mechanical, plumbing, and electrical wires can be fed through the holes of castellated beams, which means that parking lots that use such beams can have better head height. Usually, the head height suffers in a concrete-constructed parking lot because the sprinkler piping runs under the concrete’s bottom ledge for drainage. Designers can place the floor to floor and head heights closer together with castellated steel beams used on the floor and ceiling. 

 

• Better Lighting

 

The wirings are not the only thing that can pass through the hexagonal holes of castellated beams. Natural light can also pass through them. For that reason, you will only need to use a few artificial lights, and you eliminate dark spots around the parking lot.

Conclusion

Castellated beams are quality materials that can be an excellent alternative to concrete beams and wide-flange steel beams. If you want a material that can help you save on costs without sacrificing the quality, choosing castellated beams as a material for your parking lot construction can bring you many advantages. 

If you are looking for a castellated beam manufacturer in Charlotte, contact us at C-Beams. We are a proud supplier of innovative structural solutions and products. We can provide you with welded structures in varying shapes and sizes you can use for different types of construction and manufacturing applications.