Highest strength-to-weight ratio of any building material 100% recyclable.

Non-combustible- does not burn and will not contribute fuel to the spread of a fire.

Inorganic - will not rot, warp, split, crack or creep.

Dimensionally stable - does not expand or contract with moisture content.

Consistent material quality - produced in strict accordance with national standards, no regional variations.

Lighter than other framing materials.

Easy material selection - no need to cull or sort.

Straight walls.

Square corners.

Windows and doors open and close as they should.

Small punch list.

Less scrap and waste (2% for steel vs. 20% for lumber).

Price stability - steel prices have been relatively constant since 1980 and are not volatile.

Environmental selling and green positioning.

Consumer perceives steel as better.

High strength results in safer structures, less maintenance and slower aging of structure.

Fire safety..

Not vulnerable to termites.

Not vulnerable to any type of fungi or organism.

Less probability of foundation problems - less weight results in less movement.

Less probability of damage in an earthquake - lighter structure with stronger connections results in less seismic force.

Less probability of damage in high winds - stronger connections, screwed versus nailed.

More steel recycled in North America each year than aluminum, plastic and glass combined - with the industry's overall recycling rate of 64%.

Each year, steel recycling saves the energy equivalent to electrically powering about one-fifth of the households in the United States (or about 18 million homes) for one year.

Steel's unique magnetic properties make it easily identifiable as a recyclable material. If a magnet sticks, than consumers can be sure it's steel and should be recycled.

More than 12 million cars (virtually every car taken off the road) were recycled in 1998 - enough cars to circle the earth more than one and three-quarter times.

Steel recycling programs reduce the solid waste stream resulting in saved landfill space and conservation of natural resources.

Every ton of steel recycled saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone.

Trough the basic oxygen furnace steel making process, steel framing uses a minimum of 25% recycled steel.

In 1998, 88% of the steel taken from commercial construction demolition sites was recycled.