Making a strong case for stainless steel bldgs in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - The Chrysler Building in New York still stands today with its dazzling terraced crown, its winged gargoyles and eagle heads. This building, built in 1930, broke new ground in the architectural world – it used stainless steel for the first time.

The following year, it would be surpassed by the iconic Empire State Building, a neighboring structure which used stainless steel to fashion the ladder-like spandrel panels trimming of the windows from the seventh floor upwards. Indeed, a marvel in architecture.

Over eight decades later, these two buildings still tower in New York. In the Philippines, two individuals have been aggressively promoting stainless steel as the material of choice among architects -- Gregory Uy Chan, president of Sanyoseiki Stainless Steel Corp. and M.A. Design owner Jose Ricky Martinez, a former senior designer of Palafox Associates and currently sits as president of the Makati chapter of the United Architects of the Philippines.

Sanyoseiki has been supplying stainless steel in the Philippines for architecture, infrastructure, transportation, food processing, mining, agriculture, manufacturing, oil refining and water management. It produces Allegeni sheets and plates, as well as Smith Muller tubes, pipes and bars.

Chan lamented that in the Philippines, stainless steel is often perceived as costlier than alternate materials such as aluminum.  He explained that in the short term, using stainless steel may seem more expensive, but in the long term, the costs of maintaining and regularly cleaning other materials will outweigh the costs of using stainless steel.

Aside from easy cleaning which proves economical in the long run, stainless steel is also prized for its high temperature tolerance, strength-for-lightness advantage, ease of fabrication and overall aesthetic appearance.

Stainless steel is a low-carbon steel alloy of iron combined with chromium and additional elements such as molybdenum, nickel and nitrogen. Chromium comprises at least 10 percent of the entire alloy, and this element forms a resilient protective film that prevents corrosion more effectively than ordinary steel, even after mechanical or chemical damage.

Chan said the stainless steel used on Chrysler and Empire Estate buildings, for example, has been cleaned no more than twice since the early 1930s, demonstrating its ability to remain clean and firm through decades of coastal weather and pollution.

“And with Sanyoseiki’s plants in Balut, Bulacan and Laguna, the price of stainless steel will be lower as we will no longer need to import it from other countries. The plants are even capable of accommodating customized designs and finishes of stainless steel for highly technical and creative projects,” he added.

“It is also good that these plants are here for fast implementation of the architect’s vision,” Martinez said. “We now have the capability of building our own Chrysler Buildings here in the Philippines. This is one message that we feel strongly about and that we want our fellow architects to take advantage of.”

Stainless steel maintains its appeal well into contemporary times. The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur use the material to clad its base and exteriors. The tallest man-made structure in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, uses textured stainless steel spandrel panels to clad its own exteriors.

Aside from its use in automotive, aerospace and architecture, today stainless steel is seen almost everywhere – cookware, cutlery, household hardware, surgical instruments, major appliances and industrial equipment.