Steel Frame Vale a Pena no Brasil? Ou É Cilada?

UGREEN produces content about sustainability in construction and helps professionals and companies put it into practice. Below you will find everything about our consulting services, events, and courses. EVENTS: On May 15th, in Curitiba, UGREEN will hold "Who Will Build a Different Brazil?" Secure your spot: https://ugreen.com.br/evento2026 CONSULTING SERVICES: Brand Consulting: https://www.ugreen.com.br/marcas Sustainable Construction Consulting: https://www.ugreen.com.br/construcoes COURSES: Regenerative Architecture: https://go.ugreen.com.br/curso-regene... Low-Impact Material Specification: https://go.ugreen.com.br/curso-materiais Sustainable Retrofit: https://go.ugreen.com.br/curso-retrofit Energy, Thermal and Lighting Simulation for Buildings: https://go.ugreen.com.br/simulacao All UGREEN courses in a single access: https://go.ugreen.com.br/pass SPONSORSHIPS: Want to sponsor the UGREEN channel or promote a sustainable product or brand? https://go.ugreen.com.br/marca FREE RESOURCES: Free News Broadcast List: https://go.ugreen.com.br/transmissao Weekly Newsletter: https://news.ugreen.com.br Follow us on Instagram for exclusive content:   / ugreen_br   In this video, I analyze whether Steel Frame construction is really worthwhile in Brazil, comparing costs, deadlines, taxes, and thermal performance with conventional masonry. The answer isn't simple, and it depends a lot on where you look on the spreadsheet. Steel Frame arrived in Brazil in the 1990s, brought by multinational companies that needed to build fast-food restaurants and bank branches quickly. It didn't come from the State, it didn't come from popular demand. This explains a lot about why the system hasn't yet dominated the market, and why masonry remains dominant, despite not being technically superior. Cost comparisons show a fragmented reality. In the foundation, Steel Frame is cheaper because the system is lightweight and requires less concrete. In the superstructure, industrially produced galvanized steel costs more than ceramic blocks produced a few kilometers from the construction site. In the finishes, Steel Frame recovers ground easily, because the wall comes from the factory plumb and square, without plastering, rendering, or finishing. In total, for optimized projects, the difference is about 4% in favor of Steel Frame. The point that most surprises those who analyze the system for the first time is the INSS (Brazilian Social Security Institute) contribution on the construction. The SERO Adjustment Factor reduces the social security calculation base because a significant part of the Steel Frame components are produced in a factory, and taxing this as on-site labor would be double taxation. In simulations using the VAU (Value Added Tax) of January 2026, savings reach 73% in projects up to 101 m². The video also covers the critical points that determine whether a Steel Frame construction will work or fail: the tolerance of only 15 mm of unevenness in the foundation, the battle against moisture at interfaces with wet areas, the thermal insulation which is not optional to comply with NBR 15575, and the advance planning of fixings and installations, because the wall closes only once.