Factors Considered in Engineering Steel Buildings

For many people who buy steel buildings, one of the deciding factors is that each metal building is custom engineered to meet all the building codes and safety standards of the region in which it will be erected. Have you ever thought about the factors that engineers must consider when developing the designs for the steel buildings they create? Here’s a brief overview of how engineers design steel buildings that will be stable, sturdy, durable, and, most important of all, suited for your region.

The Different Types of Loading

Loading is the most important factor that engineers must consider when creating a steel building design. Loading is expressed as the amount of weight a building must be able to support per square foot. Those figures are modified for each specific region of the country based upon the types of weather and environmental factors to which the metal building might be subjected. There are four types of loads for which steel buildings – and all other structures – must be engineered. Those loads are dead load, live load, snow load and wind load.

Dead Load: Can Your Steel Building Support Itself?

For starters, steel buildings must be able to support their own weight – the weight of all the steel and other materials that make up your building. Typically, steel buildings are engineered to support about 2.5 lbs. per sq. ft. in dead load.

Live Load: Will the Steel Building Support Your Weight?

The technical definition of live load is “temporary forces applied to a building.” In non-tech speak, that means the weight of anything that exerts any force on the building at all. It includes the weight of people walking around on it, the weight of rain falling on it and even debris that might drop onto the building from above. The industry standard live load for steel buildings is 20 lbs. per sq. ft.

Snow Load: Oh, the Weather Outside Is Frightful…

Snow might be technically temporary, but it’s treated differently than other types of live loads because it behaves differently. Among other things, it is a little less temporary than, say, rain that runs off the roof. In addition, it accumulates and can build up differently at different areas on the roof so that the pressure it exerts on the steel building is not at all uniform. In some regions, snow load is not really considered. In others, it’s of vital importance. Because the likelihood and severity of snow differs so widely from one region to the next, there is no standard for snow load for steel buildings. That’s one of the figures you’ll have to get from your local building codes office so the manufacturer can engineer the building to the correct specifications.

Wind Load: Steel Buildings Swaying in the Breeze?

The single most important external load that engineers must account for is wind load. The wind affects every single part of a building – often in unexpected ways. The effect of the wind on a steel building can change depending on nearly every design factor, including height, location and number of framed openings – doors and windows – and even the position of the building. Like snow load, every area has its own building codes that must be followed, so there is no standard wind load for steel buildings. If you want your building to be approved by your local code office, however, you’ll have make sure that the steel building manufacturer has the right wind load standard for your area.

In addition to these load-bearing standards, your local code office may also have other requirements and restrictions on steel buildings in your town. Always be sure that you check with your code and building office before placing your order.

Buying Steel Buildings: Delivery and Receipt of Your New Building

When you buy a new steel building, the fun doesn’t stop after you make all your choices and sign the contract. You have a lot of work to do between the time you sign the contract and the day your metal building is delivered. Here’s what you need to know about what happens after the purchase of steel buildings.

Double Check Delivery Arrangements

Generally, the manufacturer of your metal building will make the delivery arrangements based on the information on the purchase order. That information originally came from you, and is what you specified in the contract you signed. Errors happen, though, so always check with the steel building supplier to make sure that they have the right delivery address and delivery date. If they happen to have either of those important facts wrong, you could wind up with a construction crew sitting at the right place on the wrong date, or a truck showing up across town instead of at your worksite.

If anything happens to change the delivery date or address between the time you sign the contract and the shipping date, contact the steel buildings supplier immediately to notify them of the change. Expect to pay a little extra, since any changes to your order after the contract is signed will always cost you a little – or a lot – extra.

Site Preparation

Get your building site prepared for delivery and erection of your building. If your steel building will require a concrete slab foundation, hire a contractor to clear that ground and pour the slab. The foundation will be the single most important factor in getting your steel building right the first time. Unless you’re a professional contractor yourself, this is the one area where it almost always worth the expense of hiring a pro.

Clear a space for the steel building components to be placed when they’re offloaded from the truck. While you’re at it, don’t forget that the trucks delivering metal building components will need access to the work site and the staging area. Make sure that there’s a clear path to the staging area so that you can unload the components when they arrive.

Book Your Contractor If You’re Using One

While many steel buildings are DIY affairs, many homeowners choose to have their metal building erected by a professional contractor. Experienced erectors are often booked out months in advance during the building season, so make sure you get your dates reserved early. You’ll need at least a skeleton crew there for the delivery as well.

Receiving the Building

When the truck with your metal building arrives, you’ll need to verify that you’ve received all the materials, inspect the components for damage and offload them from the truck. The crew delivering steel buildings seldom is responsible for unloading it – that will be your responsibility. The inspection is vital – the manufacturer will only replace missing or damaged items if they’re notified immediately upon receipt of the building components.

Finally, it’s rare that construction begins on steel buildings immediately. If the building components will be sitting for more than a day or two, have a tarp or sheeting ready to cover them and protect them from the weather until construction begins.

Three Important Tips When Choosing Steel Buildings for Your Project

Steel buildings are among the most popular choice for new construction among business owners. Steel offers versatility, durability, high quality and, believe it or not, is environmentally friendly. If you’re considering purchasing a steel building to house your new company or expand your business, a little research can help you make the right choice and avoid costly mistakes. Here are a few tips to help you choose the best steel building suppliers and metal buildings for your project.

Consider the History of the Steel Building Supplier

The popularity of steel buildings has drawn a lot of new suppliers into the business, and while many of them are honest, legitimate companies that provide a good product, many of them are fly-by-night operators that will deliver a shoddy product – if they deliver a product at all. Before you decide to do business with a supplier of metal buildings, research the company. Find out how long they’ve been in business and check their profile with the Better Business Bureau in their region. While longevity is not necessarily a mark of quality, a company has to be doing something right to stay in business in a highly competitive construction sector like steel buildings.

Do Side by Side Comparisons

Don’t jump on the first steel building deal you run into. Shop around and compare features, benefits and prices at a number of different steel building suppliers. Don’t make price your bottom line – the prices quoted on a website, or even preliminary estimates and quotes, can be misleading because they may or may not include the same components. Instead, compare the availability of the steel building features you want and the experience the company has in supplying the type and size of metal building you are planning to build.

Get Comparison Quotes

Before you submit a request for a quote, make a visit to your local building codes office to get a copy of any ordinances regarding metal buildings where you plan to erect your new building so you’ll have a standard of comparison. Submit requests for quotes from at least three steel building suppliers to give yourself a good feel for a reasonable price for your specific steel building needs. Keep in mind that no quoted cost is final until you sign a contract – and that any changes you make to your steel building plans after signing a contract will cost you more money.

Steel buildings are an excellent choice for nearly any business structure. They offer affordability, versatility and durability. Make sure you get your money’s worth by researching the suppliers and companies you’re doing business with before you sign a contract with them.

Things to Consider When Choosing Steel Buildings for Larger Projects

Steel buildings are fast becoming the structure of choice for office buildings, houses of worship, barns and garages. They offer a number of advantages over other structures, including affordability, durability and a high degree of customization options. If you’re considering a steel building for your large-scale building project, these are the most important things you need to consider.

Local Building Codes

Every region of the country has its own building codes and zoning restrictions. Before setting your heart on a particular type or style of steel building, check your local building codes and zoning restrictions to make sure the structure you want is allowed. Some cities don’t allow steel buildings at all in some zones, and all cities have strict safety and construction codes that must be met or your building won’t pass inspection. When you check with your local codes office, get a copy of the building codes that apply to steel buildings where you intend to place your project. Your chosen manufacturer will need them in order to design your building and fabricate the components.

Your Needs

Before you start shopping around for deals on steel buildings, sit down and figure out exactly what your needs will be. What size building do you need? What will your building be used for? What kind of doors do you want it to have – roll-up doors, pedestrian doors, barn doors and other door styles are all available, but you’ll need to specify them when placing your order so that the engineers can take the openings into account when creating the plans for your metal building. The same holds true for other openings, such as for windows and skylights. Don’t be afraid to discuss your needs with the steel building supplier. If you’re working with an experienced supplier or with the manufacturer, they’ll be able to make recommendations for your building based on their own experience.

Construction Costs and Contractors

Smaller steel building projects, such as garages, barns and storage sheds, can be reasonably built as a do-it-yourself project if you have decent DIY skills. If you’re tackling a larger project, such as a warehouse, equipment storage barn or commercial building, though, you’ll need to hire a team of professional contractors. Shop around for a local contractor that specializes in metal building construction. In fact, many manufacturers of steel buildings maintain a list of certified contractors and building erectors that have experience with their building systems. Using a recommended contractor for erecting your metal building can pay off in shorter building times and more efficient processes.

These tips should help you make good choices when you’re shopping around for high-quality steel buildings. The more research you do before making your decision, the more likely it is that you’ll end up with a metal building that’s perfect for your needs.

Choosing the Right Steel Buildings Manufacturer

The benefits of steel buildings for nearly any use have made them very popular with homeowners who want storage buildings and garages, farmers who need to replace barns and business owners who need warehouses, office buildings and retail buildings. The rise in popularity has seen a corresponding increase in the number of manufacturers, merchants and brokers dealing in steel buildings. You’ll find metal building manufacturers and brokers throughout the United States, some of them better for your needs than others.

Choosing the right supplier for your metal building can make the entire process of choosing, designing, purchasing and erecting your steel building go much more smoothly. While there’s no tried-and-true method for choosing the perfect steel buildings fabricator, the following tips can help you avoid making a big mistake.

Certification

Check to see if the steel building fabricator you’re considering belongs to any professional organizations or associations. For the steel buildings industry, the association of note is the Metal Building Manufacturers Association. MBMA members must be certified through meticulous quality assurance programs. If you deal with a manufacturer that is a member of MBMA, you can be assured that both their buildings and their business processes will be top-notch.

Product Variety

Look for a manufacturer of steel buildings that makes the type of building you want to purchase. There are manufacturers that make a wide variety of building types for many different uses. If you know the type of building you want to buy, choose a manufacturer that specializes in that type. Otherwise, choose a manufacturer that offers a wide variety of steel buildings so that you’ll be able to choose the kind you want.

Cost

While cost is an important factor in choosing steel buildings, keep in mind that you often get what you pay for. Skip the flashy websites with big SALE signs – most professionals in the metal building industry will tell you that clearance sales, rebates and special offers are usually gimmicks. Look for bottom line prices, and make sure that you compare all associated costs before deciding on a low-priced steel building.

Expertise

If you’re not knowledgeable about the process of designing, purchasing and erecting steel buildings, it’s vital that you work with a manufacturer or supplier who knows his stuff. Ask questions and make sure that you’re comfortable with the answers you get because, if you’re new to buying steel buildings, your supplier will be your guide throughout the process. Choose one who is used to dealing with individuals and homeowners rather than a company that does most of its business with contractors and construction companies.

Shopping around for steel buildings can help you get the best price, but shopping around for the right steel building manufacturer can ensure that you get the best metal building for your needs and uses.

 Choosing the Right Steel Buildings Manufacturer

Design Elements of Steel Buildings

Small steel buildings – the type most commonly used as storage sheds, garages, barns and home offices or workshops – come in several different designs or styles. Each of the major style types has several variations, and can be fabricated in a wide variety of colors. When you add trim and custom design elements, you can end up with a completely unique steel building that perfectly suits the design aesthetic of your property and your community. When you’re choosing a steel building for your own property, consider these design elements to help you make your decision.

Shape

Standard styles for steel buildings include several different basic shapes. They include:

Quonset Buildings

The original hoop/arch style construction was used by the military during World War I and II. They’re easy to erect and tear down, and provide a great deal of stability and interior footage. Like most small steel buildings, they require no interior posts or supports, so you have completely unobstructed interior space.

P-Style Steel Buildings

One disadvantage of Quonset buildings is that the slope of the walls makes the area closest to the building walls difficult to use efficiently. The solution is the P-model metal building, which keeps the structural stability of the rounded dome roof but adds the functionality of straight walls.

A-Style Steel Buildings

The third common variation of small steel buildings is the A-frame steel building. It has both a pitched roof and straight sides, making it the most similar in shape to conventional buildings. It’s a good choice in an area where appearance is important and where building standards require a pitched roof for snow safety.

These styles of steel buildings can be made in widths as wide as 50 feet without any need for interior supports, and lengths as long as you have the space to build.

Trim Packages

Steel building trim packages include a trim piece anywhere two angles meet, as well as gutters. The trim can be the same color as your metal building or a contrasting or coordinating color. Many homeowners choose main colors and trim colors that match the existing buildings on their property.

Roof

The roof of your steel building is a separate design element, though it’s usually fabricated and delivered at the same time as the remaining components. Homeowners often choose energy efficient roofs, often painted in a light color to help keep the interior of the building cool. In cold regions, an energy efficient roof might be painted dark instead to help with heat conservation and snow melt.

In addition to the basic components of standard steel buildings, you can also choose many different styles of doors, windows and even skylights. By the time you’ll have a completely customized, one-of-a-kind metal building that’s perfect for your needs.

Tips on Choosing the Right Steel Buildings

So you’ve studied all your building options and have decided that steel buildings are the best choice for your storage or space needs. All that remains now is deciding among the many types and styles of steel buildings and all the manufacturers and brokers that provide metal buildings. You’re not alone. Every year, tens of thousands of people decide that steel buildings are exactly what they need for their garages, barns, storage buildings, home workshops and other structures. With all the choices and options available, you can be sure that the right configuration of metal building is available. The trick is making sure that you order exactly the steel building you need. These tips can help.

Size Considerations

When deciding on the size for your steel building, the most important factor is determining how much space you have available on which to erect it. It’s not enough just to measure the square footage you have on your property because many municipalities have strict rules about easement. Check with your city or town’s building code office so that you know how many feet you need between your building and the street, your main buildings and neighboring properties and make sure you consider those measurements when deciding on the amount of space you have for your building.

Building Permissions

Before making any decisions, check to be sure that steel buildings are allowed on your property. Your city’s zoning office will be able to tell you if there are any restrictions on the size or type of steel building you can erect on your property. While you’re there, get a copy of the building standards that your metal building will have to meet in order to pass inspection. You’ll need it when you’re ready to order.

Back to Sizing Considerations

Figure out the amount of interior square footage you’ll need for your project. For garages, you can easily find standard measurements for one or two car garages online. For storage or workshop space, draw up a floor plan to scale and figure up the square footage needed to fit all of your equipment or items. Add about 20 percent to your figures to allow for maneuvering space and elbow room.

Work with the Right Merchant

The merchant you choose will make a big difference in how easy it is to purchase your steel building. If you’re not familiar with steel buildings and the construction industry, you’ll do best if you work with a broker or manufacturer that regularly deals with customers new to the industry or residential customers. They’ll generally be more willing to guide you through the steps and process of purchasing and erecting steel buildings and help ensure that you get the best metal building for your needs.

Steel Buildings for Storage and More

Steel buildings are the hero in more than one homeowner’s tale of woe. With the right metal building, you can save Christmas, put away summer for later and hold onto memories for your daughter while she’s away at college.  Really.

If you own a house, you know that there is one thing you never have enough of – storage space. A full attic, a full basement and the rafters in your garage fill up an awful lot faster than you’d ever expect, leaving you trying to figure out where to put the patio furniture, the lawnmower, the Christmas ornaments and the bedroom set your daughter wants when she finally gets her own apartment. That’s where steel buildings come in handy. Attractive and functional, a high quality steel building provides additional storage space for the things that won’t fit down in your basement or up in your attic. Why choose steel buildings over other types of storage structures?

Convenience

One solution to your storage dilemma is to rent a storage locker or storage building in one of those U-store-it facilities that seem to be popping up everywhere. While renting storage space may seem like an economical choice, the cost can run up into the thousands of dollars over time – and that’s not counting the cost of running out to the storage unit whenever you need to store or retrieve something. When you erect a storage unit on your own property, you don’t have ongoing monthly rental costs and you have easy access to all of your belongings 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Appearance

Put aside everything you’ve heard about ugly steel buildings. Steel storage buildings for residential properties are a whole different animal than the cookie cutter storage units you see springing up like mushrooms. Today’s metal buildings are available in colors that match that most popular colors for houses and garages so they’ll fit right in with the other structures on your property, and they come in styles with peaked roofs, eaves, gutters and gables so that you can create a seamless match with your other buildings.

Low Maintenance

Once you erect your new storage building, you won’t have to think about maintenance for years. Aside from regularly inspecting it for damage, your biggest maintenance task will be hosing down the exterior a few times a year to remove dust and dirt. You won’t need to repaint for years, if ever, and your steel building will be impervious to rot, mold, mildew and termites.

Don’t trust your precious memories and belongings to a rental storage place. Check out the variety of steel buildings available to fill your needs.