Steel house frames can be safer than alternatives like timber frames. Hard to believe because steel is such a good conductor of electricity, right?! Well, let us explain why steel frames are the safer option.

TO CONDUCT OR RESIST THAT IS THE QUESTION

Building materials can either conduct OR resist electrical current. The less they resist (and more they conduct), the less likely there will be structural damage to your home. Steel has a low resistance (high conduction) to electrical currents and allows electricity to flow through, and therefore out of it, easier and better than wood.

To ensure your safety, all steel frames must use circuit breaking safety devices to prevent any damage occurring from lightning or other electrical currents and are designed so any electrical leakage or current is earthed safely to the ground – keeping the building and its occupants safe.

As for wood …

Ever heard people say never stand under a tree in a lightning storm? That’s because wood is a poor conductor of and highly resistant to electrical current. As this electrical current can’t flow through the wood, it often flashes outward, striking people and objects in its surroundings. A timber framed home will resist current, and if struck by lightning or there is an electrical leak, can cause destructive faults in the buildings structure as well as fires.

THERE IS SAFETY IN STEEL

A steel framed house must be installed using certain safety measures to reduce the electrical risks to a person and damage to a building. These measures include:

Safety Switches
A requirement for any new dwelling, safety switches must be installed to prevent any chance of death by accidental electrocution. Also known as Residential Current Devices (RCD) or an Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB), circuit breakers are instantly tripped when live electrical currents are detected. So, if a live wire touches a steel frame, it will instantly trip the circuit breaking device. This is not the case for timber frames, which if exposed to a leaking current, can cause faults in a buildings structure, and create a fire hazard.

Earthing
Steel house frames must be permanently earthed in accordance with the requirements and standards of your local electricity authorities. So, now let’s try and explain the Earthing process … An electric current will take the path of least resistance as this requires the least amount of energy (remember hearing that at school?). As we explained earlier the less resistant a material is to electric current, the easier (or less amount of energy needed) to flow through it. Simply put, it there were two paths the electrical current can follow, nearly all of it would follow and flow through the path with the least amount of resistance and so earthing is achieved. As steel has extremely low resistance, the electrical current passes through it easily and it is highly unlikely that the same current will pass through a human (given we have a higher resistant level) – remember steel wins the path of least resistance.

Electrical leaks contained
Steel frames come with pre-punched service holes. These service holes are covered by plastic electrical grommets to prevent any damage to the insulation around wires. Should there be any shorting, the electrical current will be carried straight to earth because of the earthing requirements mentioned earlier.

A broken or pierced wire in a timber frame can remain live and be leaking electrical current. This live current increases the chance of destructive faults. Fire risks are also heightened with this live current and the high flammability of timber. As timber frames can get wet in a storm or heavy rain, they also run the risk of becoming live with current in an electrical short.

Thunderbolts and lightning – NOT very frightening with steel
The effect lightning has on steel is lessened due to the earthing requirements of a steel frame. The energy conducted by lightning flows straight to the ground and is not released destructively within the frame or flashed outward – keeping the structural integrity of your frames solid. There have been reports of lightning igniting timber frames and damaging their structure.

Keep your building and its occupants safe from electrical currents and leaks by using steel frames and trusses for your new build or reno. Contact our team at Metframe Australia to learn how we can help your business grow with light gauge steel frames and trusses.