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This article describes the contents of the Architects’ Guide to Stainless Steel, an online resource containing an extensive amount of architectural information concerning stainless steel. The topics covered include grade selection, product forms, durability, economics, production and fabrication, surface finish, joining, maintenance and cleaning. The computer aided learning package Stainless SteelCAL is also described.
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Background information on the sources of chlorides within insulation materials is mentioned. The use of paint and aluminium foil barrier methods between the steel shell and insulation layer as a method of eliminating the risk of corrosion to the steel is also outlined.
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Stainless steel is a great material to work with. As with all materials you need to know how to treat it correctly for maximum cost effectiveness. This article summarises the typical pitfalls and remedies.
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Appropriate grade selection is a balance between attaining adequate corrosion resistance, whilst minimising cost. Useful aids to material selection include the Outokumpu Stainless Corrosion Handbook and the Nickel Institute’s Crevice Corrosion Engineering Guide.
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Site location is the initial consideration in selection of stainless steels for external applications. These are classified as rural, urban, industrial or marine. Micro-climates can influence the steel type selection. Other factors that influence the selection are surface finish, design, fabrication methods, accessibility for cleaning and maintenance and mechanical and physical properties of the steels. The main steel types 304 and 316 only are considered for UK external applications. (102)
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Finding an unusual grade of stainless steel can be a difficult prospect. This guide is intended to help the enquirer to find anything from the low Cr ferritic grades to the highly alloyed austenitic and duplex steels.
