The Versatility of Steel Doors and Frames for School Building Projects
December 13, 2022For school building projects, versatility is often the name of the game when it comes to the materials used. If you visit a school near you, chances are you’ll find steel doors and frames being used across the campus.
From band rooms to exterior entrances, schools have such a diverse need for different types of steel metal doors and frames. In this post, we’ll take a look at why the versatility of steel doors and frames makes the material a great choice for school projects.
Why Use Steel Doors and Frames?
Before we get into all the different applications, it’s important to emphasize the benefits steel has as a material. For starters, steel is easy to manipulate, making it easier for architects to adapt to any unique needs of the school. There’s also versatility built into each product in terms of the core being used. Cores can be swapped out during the manufacturing process to make the door and frame more durable or sound resistant, for example.
Since almost every door inside a school is getting high traffic, using other materials like wood or aluminum makes the entryways more susceptible to getting damaged. Plus, the cost of repairing wood and aluminum doors is much more expensive compared to steel.
Noise Reducing Acoustic Steel Doors and Frames
For many school projects, there are classrooms, music rooms, and study hall areas that could have a need for noise reducing doors. Since all the entryways can vary in size and dimension, steel is the perfect choice. As an extremely malleable material, steel doors and frames can easily be custom made to fit any entryway. Even though the core is made to help reduce noise, the rest of the door is durable and can stand up to heavy use.
If you’re interested in learning more about what steel can offer in this application, HMMA has a specification that is designed for sound-resistant doors and frames.
Exterior Doors Need Security and Reliability
Exterior doors and frames on school projects have a complex layer of needs. First, the material needs to be structurally reliable due to the heavy foot traffic and daily abuse they experience each day. On the other hand, these doors also need to be secure and ensure that everything is done to prevent unauthorized access to their buildings when needed.
A large part of the reason why architects choose steel doors and frames for schools is because of their forced entry resistance. In comparison to other materials, steel can hold up longer to impacts when someone is attempting to defeat a door. This adds a sense of reassurance to school staff knowing that they will have extra time for emergency response.
It’s also worth noting that steel doors and frames are very compatible with electrical access control technology that’s becoming more popular with schools. The process of retrofitting technology into steel is easier than it is with wood. For more detailed information on forced entry steel doors and frames, take a look at the HMMA spec.
Steel Doors and Frames Have the Best Fire Rating
With school building projects, there are often strict fire rating requirements. Steel doors and frames have the best fire rating out of any material with three hours of resistance. Fire rated doors and frames play a crucial role in keeping everyone in schools safe and minimizing property damage.
HMMA is Helping to Set New School Safety Standards
Unfortunately, schools are currently facing an increased risk for violence. As the safety of students and faculty remains a top priority, the steel door and frame industry is hard at work developing new standards. In fact, the ASTM has recently put out a new specification for forced entry/attack resistant doors and frames for schools.
Not only is HMMA staying updated on these new standards, but members of our organizations are also active among ASTM committees to help move these safety initiatives forward.
Learn More About Steel Doors and Frames with HMMA
If you’re an architect with an upcoming school project, consider specifying steel doors and frames. At HMMA, we have a wide variety of specifications in our publication library that showcase the benefits steel can offer your school project.
