Concrete vs Steel
Concrete and Steel are genuine alternatives to one another — a choice somebody actually makes — and differ on 2 measured properties, density most clearly.
Concrete vs Steel
These are different kinds of thing (material, alloy). Fewer properties mean the same thing across both, so a like-for-like reading may not be available.
Concrete
Cement, aggregate and water — the most-used manufactured material on Earth, and a significant share of global carbon emissions.
Steel
Iron with a controlled, small proportion of carbon — the most-used engineered material in the world.
| Property | Concrete | Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 2.2–2.5 g/cm³ | 7.75–8.05 g/cm³ higher |
| Electrical conductivity Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | Not known | 6.99 MS/m |
| Melting point Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | Not known | 1370–1510 °C |
| Tensile strength | 2–5 MPa | 400–2000 MPa higher |
| Thermal conductivity Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | Not known | 15–54 W/(m·K) |
Choosing between them
Concrete is recorded as a substitute for Steel — cheaper, better at temperature.
What it gives up: Weak in tension and slow to build with — it needs steel reinforcement to bend at all.
In this application, on the evidence cited above.