---
title: Hardened Modular Buildings and Why Steel Reigns Supreme
description: Steel is the building material of choice when it comes to constructing a strong, flexible, lightweight, and importantly, a safe hardened modular building.
image: https://blog.coversix.com/hubfs/CoverSix/CoverSix%20Blog%20Images/C6Blog-Hardened-modular-buildings.jpg
---

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# Hardened Modular Buildings and Why Steel Reigns Supreme

![](https://blog.coversix.com/hubfs/CoverSix/CoverSix%20Blog%20Images/C6Blog-Hardened-modular-buildings.jpg)

[Articles](https://blog.coversix.com/tag/articles), [Best Practices](https://blog.coversix.com/tag/best-practices), [Design & Engineering](https://blog.coversix.com/tag/design-engineering)

 November 11, 2021

Tacos or pizza? Paper or plastic? Jeans or sweatpants?

You’re faced with enough difficult decisions in life. Choosing the right building material for your hardened or robust building shouldn’t be one of them.

As one of the world leaders in the production of [safe, durable, and reliable modular buildings](https://blog.coversix.com/modular-building-provider-safety-culture/), at CoverSix we've run the tests and seen the results firsthand, and, for us, there’s only one material we’re comfortable putting our name on—steel.

Here’s why.

## Steel is strong

Steel has the highest strength to weight ratio of any construction material known to man. With both a high compressive (top-down) and a high tensile (side-to-side) strength, steel is perfect for all forms of [hardened and robust buildings](https://blog.coversix.com/blast-rated-control-rooms/). 

However, steel’s tensile strength allows it to absorb a tremendous amount of force before it comes apart or ruptures. Even then—just before it reaches its maximum tensile strength—steel has a trait called “elastic deformation” that allows it to stretch and ultimately regain its original form. For comparison, other building materials, such as concrete, have little to no tensile strength. A lack of tensile strength could mean a building would be unable to absorb the force of a shock wave and crumble under pressure. 

## Steel is flexible (both literally and figuratively)

First of all, there’s a reason why steel is used as reinforcement in tall buildings; it’s called ductility. Ductility is the unique ability of a material to bend without breaking. In skyscrapers, this flexibility allows the building to move slightly in the wind without causing structural damage. Being flexible also allows a building to adjust to extreme weather conditions—or in the case of our buildings, blast events—enabling it to expand and contract without breaking or cracking. It's why it's so often used in [blast-resistant buildings](https://blog.coversix.com/intro-to-blast-resistant-buildings/).

Steel is also highly flexible in terms of aesthetics. As a building component, steel can be utilized in virtually any design while supporting a multitude of loads. Basically, if you can visualize it, you can make it with steel—and as a side benefit, you'll gain a whole lot of added strength.

## Steel is lightweight

It seems counterintuitive, but steel has the unique characteristic of being both strong *and* lightweight. Not only does this mean you’ll often spend a lot less on raw materials, but it also means that the structure itself is completely transportable. For example, in the case of the buildings we create here at CoverSix, most of the [construction is completed offsite](https://blog.coversix.com/four-advantages-of-modular-construction/). Then, the structures are simply transported to their final location for installation. This manufacturing process streamlines the construction of the building while minimizing onsite disturbances.

The lightweight, modular nature of the buildings created by manufacturers like CoverSix also means that they are movable. 

Need it somewhere else? No problem.

Want to expand? It’s as easy as simply dropping in another module.

## Steel is safe

With strength comes safety—and at CoverSix, that’s something we never compromise on. 

Steel’s ability to absorb the force of a blast, provide protection from [ballistics](https://blog.coversix.com/ballistic-resistant-materials-steel-security-design/) and serve as a formidable barrier between you and the bad guys means that you—and whoever else is on the inside—will live to see another day.

And what else really matters?

## In conclusion

If you’re looking for a building that’s strong, flexible, lightweight, and, most importantly, safe, it’s a no-brainer—choose steel. At CoverSix, that’s all we use. To learn more or find out what we can do for you, [contact us](https://coversix.com/contact) today.

## Read On

### [An Intro to Blast-Resistant Buildings - The Basics If you’ve ever wondered what makes a building blast-resistant, and what that even means, you’ve...](https://blog.coversix.com/intro-to-blast-resistant-buildings)

### [Top 10 Reasons To Choose Modular Construction Over Brick and Mortar Let’s get something out of the way right off the bat. When it comes to the debate over modular...](https://blog.coversix.com/choose-modular-construction-vs-brick-and-mortar)

### [Getting the Right Protection: Hardened Modular Buildings The environment you live and work in is unique with its own set of individual characteristics and...](https://blog.coversix.com/getting-the-right-protection-hardened-modular-buildings)

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