Steel wire or the steel wire mesh is a continuous mesh made in a particular pattern. The two most common methods of manufacturing this wire mesh are weaving and welding. Corrosion-resistant and highly durable, these attributes of steel are also combined with a high tensile strength that is common in most wire meshes. Due to these properties, steel mesh is used in a plethora of industries, one of the major ones being construction.

4 such common uses of steel mesh will be discussed here

Perimeter Fencing

In construction sites, it’s common to prohibit civilians from entering the area due to the hazardous nature of work. To do this effectively, steel wire mesh is used to barricade the area. Durable and easy to customize according to usage, this wire mesh also protects construction workers from heavy equipment and potentially dangerous zones within the construction site.

Reinforcing Concrete

Concrete is predominantly used in structures such as slabs, columns and roads. To reinforce the material, steel bars are used conventionally. However, steel wire mesh is an effective alternative that is more economically feasible. Due to their high strength and elastic properties, these wire meshes can successfully preserve the structural integrity of the concrete. Thus, when the concrete does crack with time, it doesn’t affect the core of the structure. 

Maintaining Roadways

Steel mesh plays a significant role in highway maintenance in the form of barricades as well as reinforcing material for the asphalt. Roadway crews often deploy barriers made of these wire meshes to signify road closures. Furthermore, when this welded wire mesh is laid out in a hexagonal manner, it can solve several road-related issues such as surface rutting and cracking. Other benefits of using steel mesh in road construction include the prevention of asphalt cracking, also known as asphalt fatigue.

Makeshift Retaining Walls

In certain construction projects, there is a requirement of temporary retaining walls until one phase of the project is complete. In this case, wire meshes make excellent retaining walls as they are easy to set up and remove and can be done at fraction of the cost of other regular construction materials that are required for making a wall.