Right now, a number of industries are more productive than they have been in decades. Manufacturing, for one, is 200 percent more productive than it was back in 1964. However, in the construction industry, productivity has been stagnating. In fact, many construction companies are way behind schedule when completing megaprojects costing a billion dollars or more. Plus, construction costs almost always climb higher than expected. Though new construction, especially in the home building industry, is expected to increase, the industry lags behind when it comes to adopting new materials and technologies.
Building and construction meshes are among the many materials that can make projects more efficient. Wire mesh brings game-changing strength, longevity, and versatility to areas including custom homes and commercial buildings. Furthermore, the material is relatively easy to maintain. For example, wiring buildings goes much faster when workers use wire mesh cable trays instead of traditional conduit designs. The wire tray structure supports, protects, and directs metal-clad cables seamlessly.
More Electrical Contractors are Relying on Wire Mesh
While still less common than electrical conduits, cable trays are steadily becoming more popular. In 2006, U.S. consumers spent $200 billion on cable trays. Outside of the United States, cable trays are the go-to choice for wiring in South America, Asia, and Europe.
Why choose a wire mesh cable tray for installing your cables? Cable trays offer many advantages:
- Streamlined installation
- Lower upfront labor and material costs than conduit systems
- Simpler to train workers to install
- Faster to put in extra trays compared to extra conduits
- Easier to clean and maintain
- More adaptable if equipment location needs to change
- Fire resistant
In short, the myriad benefits of cable trays can help ensure electrical contractors not only have the best material they need to get the job done, but that they can get the job done more efficiently and at a lower price point. One study showed using cable trays rather than an EMT conduit system cut material and installation costs by 30 percent.
Wire mesh is one of the most efficient materials for cable trays. It's strong and, at the same time, uses less steel than other cable trays and has a larger supporting span. Sometimes the lightweight cable trays can be installed by a single contractor. Construction budgets are shrinking and skilled labor is more difficult to come by. Wire mesh can help the building and construction industry become more competitive.
Exploring the Uses of Wire Mesh in Construction
Wire mesh provides a big convenience for electrical contractors. This continues at installation. Onsite workers don't need to rely on the manufacturer to make every alteration to accommodate features like bends, corners, or intersections. Instead, workers can cut the mesh into any configuration they need using a bolt cutter.
In cable trays and beyond, construction and building mesh can transform a number of projects. The benefits it offers are endless. The proper tools can fabricate metal mesh into any desired size.
TWP Inc. offers a wide selection of wire mesh materials, including steel, bronze and copper as well as welded wire mesh, mesh discs, galvanized hardware cloth, and more. Our company has been to go-to choice for high-quality mesh products and laser-cutting services since 1969.
