Why use Cellular Beams?

Steel beams in general offer more structural support for any new building, whether it is multi-purpose or solid construction. However, one of the biggest issues with widespread usage of metal girders is the ability to run utilities through or under the metal. From installing electrical to Internet and water, solid metal beams force the installation to run through or under the metal, which means the construction needs to account for these additions and work accordingly. Whether this means the utilities must pass through the insulation or insert into the building’s ventilation system, it requires some alterations that may not deliver optimal results.

Cellular beams, however, help correct this issue. It makes it easier for utility companies to run the necessary wiring, piping, cabling, and other gear directly through the web hole openings, instead of under the structure. So if your company has been looking for ways to address services running under the girders within a construction you will want to consider the use of cellular beams. Before you move forward with completely switching over from one beam type to another, here is some additional information of why use cellular beams in your next design project.

What Exactly Are Cellular Beams?

Cellular beams are long metal beams made from either rolled steel or steel plating. The beams are flexible in that there are web openings cut in the beam itself. The exact spacing can be adjusted based on your project’s needs, but these openings make it significantly easier to run servicing directly through the beams.

Cellular beam openings are circular in shape. The beams typically are used away from the building’s support system, but with these beams, in place, it makes it significantly easier for all services to be installed. With previous job using solid beams, some servicing may not have been able to go up until after the HVAC ventilation systems are installed.

This means the Internet or data network installation likely had to wait for the commercial HVAC installation to be completed and the HVAC installation might have been held up for flooring or other areas of the building to be finished. All of this drags down the process and may force you to extend the completion date on a project. With the help of cellular beams, it is possible for many of these service providers and utility companies to begin running wire and piping within the building far sooner than ever before thereby reducing construction erection times and costs.

Circular Openings

Round holds in cellular beams generally provide larger more consistent openings and tends to be structurally stronger than rectangular cut openings. Depending on the size of the cut it may be necessary to add stiffened support around the circular opening. The beams can be fabricated to meet your requirements.

When To Use Cellular Beams

Cellular beams constructed from rolled steel sections are not intended or designed to fully replace all the beams within your construction. Instead, these are best used as long secondary beams uniformly loaded. You will still want a structurally sound and solid primary girder beam to help maximize weight retention while cutting down on sway and possible movement. These secondary cellular beams can help aid in the structural integrity of the building while still allowing the services to pass through the openings.

While not typically used as a primary beam there are times where you may want to turn to cellular beams as exactly this. When there is a high sheer force potential, the cellular beams can be used with the aid of horizontal stiffeners, or by infilling the openings.

If you choose to go with cellular beams constructed from steel plates you can use the cellular beams as the primary support beam. That is because these beams can be heavily loaded and cut thicker without much of an issue. With these kinds of beams, it is possible to shape the web plate before welding all of the components together. This way, you can use the steel plate cellular beams for just about any purpose you might have in addition to spacing the web holes conveniently to avoid hole infills.

Cut Down Floor to Floor Height

Without cellular beams, it is often necessary to leave space in between floors in order to address the wiring, plumbing, and other additional servicing materials required for the building. However, with the integration of cellular beams, it is now possible to reduce the amount of space left between floors. This allows you to maximize your space utilization throughout the entire building. Having this ability is especially beneficial if there are building height restraints and you need to keep your building under an established maximum height. By reducing floor space in between floors you shouldn’t have any issue with staying under the city ordinance for building height.

Easy Maintenance

Because the servicing runs through the cellular beams it is far easier to access these areas and to run new wiring through. Instead of cutting in new spaces for wiring upgrades any utility provider can simply take advantage of the openings within the beam and run their new lines through these spaces. This helps cut down on the cost of upgrading utilities while, at the same time, it cuts down on the amount of time it takes to perform the upgrade.

Revolutionize Your Construction With Cellular Beams

Now that you know the answer to why use cellular beams you can start looking at your own upcoming constructions to see where these beams may upgrade the project. Whether it allows you to save on material costs or it simply makes the installation of services run faster, there is no shortage of advantages to using these kinds of beams in your construction. If you want to learn more about cellular beams and why they might be right for your business now is the time to contact C-Beams. From quotes on orders to learning the potential cost and production time savings, the team at C-Beams will answer any and all questions you might have.