With 100% useable interior space, Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings are an open concept dream.
5. Go ahead, get creative with Open Space
Pre-engineered metal buildings are clear-span by design. This means that there are no columns or posts to get in the way of 100% useable interior space. Of course, this translates into the maximum space utility for unlimited creativity in designed floor plans.
The Pre-engineered nature of these steel buildings allows for each design to be its own unique project, without the increased expense usually associated with customized architecture and engineering. With completely open and available space, there are no columns or posts to get in the way of any floor plan. This allows customers the freedom to plan and design the inside of their prefab steel structures in a multitude of creative ways.
Dealership show rooms; exercise gyms; studios or pool houses – The clear-span nature of the rigid frame will not limit creativity in your prefab metal building system. It allows you to separate areas and put in divider partitions where you like, without worrying about load bearing posts. Build a mezzanine to make a second floor; keep a cathedral ceiling; or have the space completely open to maximize storage space. The possibilities are endless.
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The amazing capabilities of the clear-span rigid frame, provides countless advantages for space optimization inside a prefab metal building system. Many customers are surprised by the architectural designs that we can accomplish when we apply our knowledge of pre-engineered metal structures to conventional applications.
At Norsteel, we want to understand your project – inside and out. When you share your complete vision with your Steel Building Consultant, they can provide innovative ideas that increase space utility, so that your steel building serves you in exactly the way you require.
Go ahead and get creative!
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your steel building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific metal building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
Pre-engineered Metal Buildings are designed, engineered and constructed to be energy-efficient.
7. Naturally Cool and Collected
In today’s world, being energy efficient in everything we do, is extremely important. The very nature of a pre-engineered steel building provides for a highly energy efficient structure in every way. Beginning with the accuracy of the engineering process, virtually all prospect of waste is eliminated even before we begin to manufacture with recyclable steel. The efficiency of the design process increases the efficiency at the construction phase as well; creating a smaller footprint in environmental impact.
Over and above all these things, steel buildings save energy and reduce the greenhouse effect because they are excellent insulators for both heat and cold. The insulating properties of steel keeps the heat from escaping from the metal building during the winter.
The roof on a steel building reflects the sun – solar energy hits the metal roof and is deflected off of it right away. In the summer, this deflection reduces the cooling load on the building which reduces cooling costs.
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Today’s Pre-engineered steel buildings are energy efficient by design, engineering and construction. The fact that steel building solutions are made from recyclable materials, that are durable, and virtually maintenance free adds to the fact that they are excellent insulators for both heat and cold. Even without added insulation, the temperature inside a metal building remains constant, keeping it comfortable no matter the season.
More every day, our customers are considerate of the effect that their purchases make on our world and they strive to reduce their overall impact on the environment. Choosing a pre-engineered steel building solution naturally lowers emissions and provides customers with peace of mind, knowing that from idea to occupancy, they have done their part to choose the most energy efficient building solution available.
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your steel building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific metal building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
A Pre-Engineered Steel Building can take on any look that a customer desires.
6. Just because it’s steel, doesn’t mean it has to look industrial
Pre-engineered steel buildings have come a long way from the day of the industrial looking arch-type structures with un-painted steel galvalume exteriors. The Prefab Metal Building systems of today, come in wonderful colours for walls and trims. They allow for easy openings on endwalls as well as on sidewalls, windows, front and side entrances and large openings that can be both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Our standard steel building packages provide customers with several different colour options for cladding. Standard buildings also come equipped with customers’ choice of coloured trim on corners, along the eaves and also frames all openings for windows and doors. Standard colour options provide for a very aesthetically pleasing prefab steel building.
In some cases, customers have come to us with architectural drawings for conventional projects. Understanding the advantages of going with a pre-engineered steel building system over a conventional building design, they ask for our help to transform the project into one of our buildings. Maintaining the architectural exterior appearance of the structure is very important in these projects.
Pre-engineered steel structures can be equipped with stucco panels; faux brick, wood siding, vinyl, or stone facades. They can also be engineered to carry the load of any finishing materials and signage over entrance ways.
Insulated Metal Panels are also used to make incredibly beautiful appearances which are very purposeful and add functionality and efficiency to the structure.
The engineered nature of these prefab steel buildings allows for each design to be its own unique project, without the increased expense typically associated with customized architecture and engineering. This allows customers the freedom to plan and design the exterior of their steel structures in a multitude of creative ways.
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Today’s Pre-engineered steel buildings can have any look required by the customer.
Share your vision with your Norsteel Building Consultant. Many customers are surprised by the architectural designs that we can accomplish when we apply our knowledge of pre-engineered metal buildings to a conventional application. The pre-engineered solution looks the same, and carries with it all the benefits of a prefab metal building – quick assembly, low costs, and low maintenance to name only a few.
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your steel building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific metal building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
Pre-engineered Metal Buildings effortlessly span 100’s of feet in width and can be as long as your site will allow.
3. Wide is Wondrous
There are not many other types of gabled structures that can span 250 feet or more in a cost-effective manner, without using posts or columns to support the loads. Prefabricated Metal Building Systems are known for their incredible width span.
By far the most frequently used primary framing in a Prefab Steel building system is the Clear-Span Rigid Frame. We call these frames “Clear-Span” simply because they have no interior columns or support between the exterior columns. An amazing thing for customers who are looking for 100% usable interior space!
It is the Clear-Span Rigid Frame that revolutionized construction and made prefab metal buildings such an incredibly versatile and innovative investment.
The typical Rigid Frame on a prefabricated steel building has tapered vertical columns and a tapered rafter. The pre-engineered process can push the clear-span up to 250’ in width.
If you need it wider – No problem, we can use a modular framing system.
Modular frames are simply Rigid Frames with intermediary columns, and the spacing between the intermediary columns does not have to be equal. These extra columns provide strength and integrity to the rigid frame, redistributing the force of the loads to the overall structure. When the rigid frame is not wide enough, Modular Frames can be used to widen the span of a prefab steel building much further.
Furthermore, when they can be hidden within the architecture (e.g., in aisles, bleachers or partition walls), Modular Frames don’t impact the overall design of the interior of the steel structure and can be used to bring the overall cost down.
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The amazing capabilities of the pre-engineering process puts the strength of steel exactly where it is needed to create the muscle power that will withstand pressures from the elements. Even without using posts and columns on the inside of your steel building, we can go as wide as 250’ without any extra support – even wider when geographic conditions allow.
The clever use of both types of framing is one way that your experienced Norsteel Building consultant will work with you to achieve the best solution for your specific steel building requirements. Depending on the application for your prefabricated metal structure, we may incorporate both rigid frames as well as modular frames within the same steel building design.
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your steel building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific steel building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
Regardless of complexity, every Pre-engineered Metal Building is unique and requires its own customized design.
4. If you can dream it, we can make it
Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings are custom designed to your exact needs, preferences and specifications. Individual environmental conditions and differing applications combine to make every steel building project and every customer unique. This dictates a customized design for each new prefab metal building system.
Several of our customers have very specialized applications in mind requiring exact and precise calculations and engineering.
Re: Spartan Ready Mix; Uxbridge Ontario
As manager of Spartan I have been involved since the very beginning of this new company. In the early stages we had planned to enclose our plant inside a building and looked to Norsteel for design and pricing. With the help of our sales consultant we had originally looked at building 40 x 120 x 40 but scaled it back to 40 x 60 x 40 and had it modified to accommodate our silos which would be higher than the roof height. We were very pleased with design and cost. The delivery was on time which was very important to us as we needed to be up and running by spring of 2010 and our timelines were met. 6 years later we are very pleased with our building and in the near future we could be looking for second building or an addition to one we have. In closing we were very satisfied with Norsteel and have recommended them to others and would not hesitate to use them in future projects. I have attached a few pictures of our finished product. Thank you.
Rick Shaw
Manager Spartan Ready Mix
Uxbridge, Ontario
The Pre-engineered nature of these steel buildings allows for each design to be a customized and unique project, without the increased expense usually associated with customized architecture and engineering.
Many customers are surprised by the architectural designs that we can accomplish with our advanced pre-engineering technology. Grand entrances, hipped roof systems, multiple-joined structures, and even multi-level complexes – these are just a few of the limitless possibilities.
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The amazing capabilities of the pre-engineering process dictates our ability to design intricate projects. And historically, it was these types of intricate and unique steel building projects that were our focus at Norsteel. Our team of designers have a wealth of experience having worked on complex projects like shopping malls and airports, intricate industrial plants and complicated post disaster facilities.
We’re up for the challenge and love to push the Pre-Eng Metal Building scope just a little further to create designs that were once only accomplished with conventional construction techniques. Your experienced Norsteel Building consultant will work with you to achieve creative design solutions for your specific steel building.
We love a challenge! And chances are, if you can dream it, we can make it!
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
The prefabrication process dictates that we use no more, and no less steel than is exactly appropriate for your specific unique structural design.
2. Waste not, spend not
When designing prefabricated metal buildings, the engineering process inherently creates a structural design with very little waste. This is because it uses the optimal combination of structural components with the exact capacity to suit the specified requirements for that specific job. In other words, the technology we use is designed to ensure that only the exact amount of steel studs are required for each particular steel building.
This means that there is no overage for the customer to pay because there is no unnecessary steel that is wasted in the manufacturing process. This provides for a very lean cost, and it results in a very environmentally sensitive approach to construction.
Understanding that the efficiency in the engineering process creates a cost efficiency for the customer is key to understanding the amazing advantages offered by a pre-engineered metal building solution.
The minimal waste advantage associated with pre-engineered building solutions, also translates to less material waste on the job-site. Exact measurements that correspond to exact details make for easy construction and leave little to no need for last-minute adjustments and on-the-spot improvisations. This translates into high cost savings for the customer when there is little to no cutting or welding on site, both in terms of construction time and in terms of job site clean-up.
Big or small, every job site looks this clean!
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The engineering process used to design our prefab metal building systems uses incredibly precise technology to create the design and detailing for your steel structure. It uses exacting measurement design tools to factor in all calculations and in the end, produces exact engineered drawings and a detailed cut list for production. This process means that when we manufacture your steel structure all components are made to those exact specifications, so that only the necessary steel is used to produce your specific metal building.
At Norsteel,we take pride in the fact that our Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings are an innovative, technologically detailed and environmentally sound approach to providing customers with cost-effective, waste-free structural solutions.
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your steel building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific steel building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
Keeping people safe and protecting their investments is always our first priority.
1. Keeping you safe
Pre-engineered steel buildings are used for an endless number of applications. From Restaurant facilities to Churches, Horse stables to chicken ranches, warehousing, automobile storage and office space.
When designing a pre-engineered steel building, local and National building codes are always factored into the design and engineering process. This goes a long way to ensure that your Prefab Metal Building will meet or exceed all structural requirements demanded by the specific environmental conditions of your locations – but it isn’t enough.
Your Building Consultant should have a thorough understanding of what exactly you will be using your steel building for. He or she should ask you how you plan to finish the inside. They should ask for example, if anything will be suspended from the ceiling or walls of your steel structure. This will dictate the collateral loads to be used in order to ensure that your roof is strong enough to sustain any added weight.
Your Building Consultant should also ask how many people will be inside your steel structure at any given time in order to determine the appropriate occupancy rating used in the design of your prefab metal building.
And there are other important design determinants related to the actual positioning of the metal structure on your specific site: Will the steel building be surrounded by any obstructions? Are there surrounding trees or other buildings, for example? Depending on the height of those obstructions, they could have serious implications for snow accumulations on roofs and walls. This snow shadow may increase the loading on the steel structure and must be accounted for in the design of your metal building system.
There are many considerations that should factor into a prefab steel building design, in order to ensure that it is engineered to your specific requirements. This is why each steel building is represented by its own customized specifications and requires its own precise engineering process.
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At Norsteel,understanding our customer’s needs and specifications is essential in ensuring that we are providing the steel structure that satisfies your specific project requirements. We take the time to fully and thoroughly understand the complete scope and the tiny details of your project.
Because we understand that no matter the size of the project, and no matter what you are protecting, every steel building customer wants the security of knowing that the building they choose is safe, strong and durable.
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your steel building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific steel building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
In the search for a new building, it is important to explore all possible options. Often, several factors combine to influence which solution will ultimately suit a customers’ building requirements.
It is always important to consider a thorough assessment of your current needs and to compare these to the on-going maintenance requirements of possible building options. It is also important to consider how your structural requirements may change in the future. A customer’s structural needs may change for example, as a business grows over time.
There are several considerations and benefits that are inherent in choosing a structure with all-steel construction. To take this a step further, there are several advantages of choosing a Pre-Engineered Steel Building Solution over many other available steel building types. Here are some of the more popular reasons why customers consistently choose Pre-Engineered Metal Building solutions over all other options.
Pre-Engineered Steel Building Solutions – The Advantages
The benefits of steel as a material are well known in the construction industry:
Product Quality – Steel is a manufactured commodity and product quality is assured. As a material, steel is flawless and free of defect. Steel Studs have no knots, or splits – It is the ideal material for construction.
Steel is endlessly recyclable – Steel is the most recycled material on earth. All new steel is currently produced with recycled steel, making steel construction the ideal choice for the environment. It’s the Green solution.
Steel is non-flammable – Steel doesn’t catch fire. It can contain a fire, it can keep a fire out, and keep it from spreading. Steel is recognized to have an A-Fire Rating.
Long Lifespan – Steel does not decompose. It remains sturdy and durable. Walls remain straight, floors are flat. Steel requires little to no maintenance.
Choosing a Prefab Metal Building System – 15 Advantages
Choosing a pre-engineered approach to any construction makes that system efficient in extraordinary ways.
When we marry this engineering with the strongest material on earth – steel, we have an unstoppable combination of efficiency, durability and strength; at an extraordinary value.
Here are some of the key advantages of choosing a pre-engineered steel building solution for your next construction project. Click on any of the headings below to learn more about that specific advantage.
Safe, strong & durable construction – Local and national building codes are always factored into the design and engineering ensuring that every Metal Building will meet or exceed all structural requirements demanded by the specific environmental conditions of the job site and application. Click here for more information.
Pre-engineered for cost-efficiency – The pre-engineered process creates metal structures with very little waste, which use only the exact amount of steel required for each particular building. Click here for more information.
Ability to span long distances – Prefabricated steel structures can span 250 ft. in width and still be a cost-effective solution. Pre-engineered Metal Buildings effortlessly span 100’s of feet in width and theoretically unlimited lengths. Click here for more information.
Custom design process – Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings are custom designed to each customer’s unique needs, preferences and specifications. Click here for more information.
Clear-span designs – Pre-engineered metal buildings are clear-span by design. This means that there are no columns or posts to get in the way of 100% useable interior space. Click here for more information.
Aesthetically pleasing – Pre-engineered steel buildings can have any look required by the customer. Beautiful exteriors can be created using stucco panels; faux brick and wood siding, vinyl, or stone facades. Click here for more information.
Steel buildings can be fully customized to meet the aesthetic qualities that a customer desires.
Energy efficiency – Pre-engineered Metal Buildings are designed, engineered and constructed to be energy-efficient. Even without added insulation, the temperature inside the structure remains constant, keeping the structure comfortable. Click here for more information.
Insulation packages – Metal Building Systems are compatible with specific insulation packages, making them even more efficient and innovative. Click here for more information.
Single-source responsibility – The fact that one single supplier is responsible for the entire steel building envelope is among the main benefits of choosing a Pre-Engineered Metal building system. Click here for more information.
Ease of assembly – When your pre-engineered steel building arrives to your job site, all components will be well packaged and in bundles that are clearly labelled. Every part will be quickly located and cross-referenced in both the blue prints and the erection manuals when construction begins. And with no welding and minor cutting on site, each component is a perfect fit to each other part, making the structure very easy to assemble. Click here for more information.
Fast construction process – The speed of construction comes from the fact that all building parts are organized, available and at the ready, with no welding and only minor cutting to do on-site. This coupled with the simplicity of the pre-engineered steel building with its limited number of standardized components, allows for quick construction. Click here for more information.
Thanks to the pre-engineering of the building components, the actual erection of your building can take as little as 1 or 2 weeks.
Faster occupancy – Less time spent erecting, equates to diminished construction costs and a faster occupancy. For many retailers and commercial buildings, it is important to understand that time gained is essential in determining the economic benefits of a Steel Building Solution. Click here for more information.
Low maintenance – A typical metal building system, with pre-finished metal panels and standing seam roof, is virtually maintenance-free. Click here for more information.
Flexibility of expansion – Even after years of use, Pre-engineered Metal buildings are easily lengthened to accommodate growing customer needs and requirements. Click here for more information.
Savings Year after year – Energy-efficient, maintenance-free, and durable construction ensure continuous savings year after year. What’s more, some Insurance Companies offer discounts for pre-engineered metal building systems because of their all-steel, optimal fire rating construction. Click here for more information.
More Benefits of Steel Buildings — Better Than Wood
Compared to other building materials, the benefits of steel buildings are readily apparent to anyone that wants a strong yet affordable structure for just about any purpose. But when you consider typical wood buildings, steel provides many benefits that simply can’t be matched by traditional wood construction.
While wood may be the most common way to erect a residential building or to quickly create a structure that may not require the demands of steel, nothing quite beats a pre-engineered steel building when you consider longevity, raw strength and quick assembly. That can help make steel much more viable than wooden buildings that are can be erected in any number of ways.
But with pre-engineered steel buildings, the benefits largely outweigh the costs, and today most commercial, industrial and warehousing projects opt for the convenience and strength of steel over the challenges of working with wood.
Save Money and Build a Better Building With Steel
With the various advantages of steel over wood, it’s true that a steel building can actually cost you less than a comparable wood construction. While the raw cost of a wood building is rather low, you’ll likely end up paying for it over time with numerous repairs and other efforts that will be required to keep that wood building standing and in good order.
On the other hand, a steel building will likely sit just the way it was erected with minimal maintenance or other concerns. Over the life of the building, that can mean substantial savings with a building that doesn’t need much in the way of maintenance. After all, wood warps and rots over time, and those slight shifts can represent huge problems when considering the structural integrity of a building, if not the aesthetic ones.
Instead of regular maintenance and other efforts to determine whether your structure is deteriorating in a way that could be unsafe, the advantages of steel construction means that your steel building can actually end up appreciating in value instead of the opposite, primarily because steel buildings stand the test of time. If you end up in a position where you need to sell your building and the land it sits on, that could help put more money in your pocket.
More Strength and Durability
As opposed to wood buildings, which may go up strong and eventually succumb to the elements without proper maintenance and fixes, a steel building is essentially impervious to it all. Rather than winds and storms causing damage, the benefits of a steel building means that your building won’t be any worse for the wear as time passes.
Furthermore, because steel is steel, you won’t have to worry about termites and other pests that can make owning a wood building a pain. Due to inconsistencies in wood products, you may also experience up to about a fifth of the purchased wood going to the scrap pile, which can represent a considerable expense. That’s why even though a wood building may be cheaper to originally erect, the costs quickly align themselves because steel is simply a better and more consistent product.
Indeed, most modern pre-engineered steel buildings are created to withstand the worst that nature can offer, including protection against earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, high winds, heavy snowfall and flooding, among others. In general, steel is one of the strongest building materials on earth, and even when faced with fire it will reject burning. It’s one of those great benefits of steel buildings, and why many are turning to steel for their next building project.
Final Thoughts
The benefits of steel are well known in the construction industry.
Steel, as it comes from the steel mill, is incredibly versatile. It is this versatility that provides engineers with the flexibility to design steel structures with a high degree of accuracy. Steel is a plentiful resource – we have an abundance of it, and it is a well-accepted material world-wide. Steel has a very high degree of workability, and can be manipulated easily. It can be cut, and welded; shaped and formed so that it satisfies an endless array of requirements. And Steel is resilient. It can take a great deal of abuse and it doesn’t wear down like other materials. Finally, and perhaps best of all, steel is recyclable, and through the recycling process, it does not lose strength.
When we consider that steel is the fundamental construction material of all our Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings, we can see how the benefits and advantages keep adding up: Cost efficient in every way – from materials; to freight; ease of assembly and faster occupancy. Pre-engineered Metal Buildings are virtually maintenance-free and easy to expand; adding continuous value year-over-year in savings and worry-free, enjoyable space.
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your steel building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific metal building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
You can use steel for all sorts of projects including agricultural, livestock, sporting arenas, mining, commercial and so many more. The possibilities are endless, even for do-it-yourselfers.
In their search for a new building, many of our customers quickly recognize the benefits of a steel building solution. But there are different types of steel buildings, and not all offer the same efficiencies and benefits. There are four main types of steel buildings that can fall under the umbrella of being pre-engineered solutions. These are the Quonset Hut and its arch-type variants, the C-channel Metal building; the traditional Rigid Frame Metal Building system and the Hybrid steel building solution. Each of these steel building solutions has its merits, advantages and disadvantages; and each is better suited for specific functions and applications. We have explored the Rigid Frame and C-channel in great depth in previous blogs, let’s now turn our attention to the Quonset Hut and other arch-type steel structures.
Quonsets & Arch-Type Structures
The Quonset Hut was the first pre-engineered steel building which was originally manufactured as a temporary structure used during the World Wars. It consisted of pole arches with sheets of metal cladding lain over top, that were incredibly easy to transport and because of their stack-ability they could be easily assembled, and re-assembled, on the war front.
One feature most appreciated during this time was the ability of the structure to contain and lift when a bomb was detonated inside of it. And of course, because they were entirely made of steel components, the Quonset Hut was fire-resistant.
Tip: The Quonset and all arch-structures, like the C-Channel and Rigid Frame Metal Building Systems are made from 100% steel components. As such, they share an “A”-Fire Rating. Many customers don’t realize that this non-combustibility factor can save significant money on insurance premiums for the life of their pre-engineered steel building.
The Arch – Strength and Integrity
The Quonset Hut serves many great purposes – and truth be told, I have a bit of a protective affiliation for it, because it was the first steel building I was taught to recognize, and to sell. The most amazing thing about the Quonset, is that the integrity of the entire structure remains entirely dependent on the integrity of each individual arch. And anyone who has traveled to Europe and witnessed the historical architecture there, understands the strength of that arch.
That the arch provides the structural support for the building means that all Quonsets have clear-span interior. As is the case for all pre-engineered steel buildings, columns and posts are not required for structural integrity. This means there is nothing to get in the way of 100% usable interior space.
Quonsets are pre-engineered, requiring conformity to National Building Codes and loadings. This means that like all pre-engineered steel buildings, Quonsets must be custom engineered to withstand the loads and codes of the specific location in which they will be erected. Simply speaking, the gauge of the steel determines the ultimate strength of the structure – the lower the gauge of steel, the thicker and stronger each arch will be.
The arches of a Quonset are deep corrugated galvalume steel, and the corrugation itself provides added structural strength to the overall structure. It also provides the exterior of the building so that it is structure and covering all in one. This is part of the economical design of the Quonset – The surface and structure are one in the same.
Depending on the width of the structure, several segments are bolted together to form each individual arch and each arch is then bolted to the next arch in sequence. The arches are anchored to a foundation – usually a floating slab. An industrial base plate which connects the arches to the foundation, is arguably one of the most important components in the construction of all Arch-type steel structures. This plate is extremely valuable to line up the arches properly without any torch or twisting.
Tip: If you are buying a Quonset, make sure to include the base plate connector in your overall cost. This important component, is an optional feature that you don’t want to overlook.
The first Quonsets were frequently referred to as dome structures. Their shiny, half-moon shapes adorn many of our Canadian provinces as it quickly became a fantastic solution for agricultural applications, especially in terms of livestock housing, and crop storage. But customers soon understood that there was a significant amount of space that was being lost on the sidewalls of the Quonset. Because of the structural design of the arch, the sides of these original steel structures, are not vertical and this loss of space on the sides of the structure quickly adds up.
Tip: In comparing Arch-type steel buildings with other pre-engineered building systems one very important factor for customers to consider is the height measurement. The height of an Arch building is taken from the center of the highest component – the highest point of the arch. The height of a c-channel or rigid frame instead, is taken at the EAVE HEIGHT (not at the peak) – where the sidewall meets the roof. For example, an arch building with a listed height of 12′ may be comparable to a gable building with a height of 9′, depending on the pitch.
Structural Security & Aesthetic Appeal
In an effort to deal with this lost space, Quonset manufacturers created several different models of the original arch building.
And although in many of these new designs, the lost space is minimized, there has been a trend away from these arch-type structures for two main reasons: high snow loadings and, aesthetic appeal.
In the last few decades there have been many incidences of unexpectedly high snow fall mixed with heavy rain, in many regions of North America. These unprecedented weather conditions caused structures of all types to collapse. Naturally, the devastation and loss of property evoked significant concern and resulted in the implementation of new and stringent National Building Codes. These new codes in turn, had the effect of limiting the use of large, arch-type structures in many areas, because the gauge of the steel required to pass approval was so thick that it increased the overall building cost dramatically. Quonsets became comparable to other traditional pre-engineered steel building alternatives in terms of price, and were no longer the affordable option for large-scale projects.
Tip: The types of loads and their magnitudes are critically important to the design and construction of any pre-engineered steel building. Both the location of the site where a building will be located, as well as the location and positioning of the building ON THAT site, are extremely important in determining the integrity of any pre-engineered steel structure. If a building is going to be located in an area with obstructions, other buildings or trees for example, then that building must be engineered to withstand the additional snow that may occur as a result of the snow shadow – that is, the redirected snow accumulations that are caused by the positioning of those obstructions, in relation to the steel building. Today, Pre-engineered Steel Building suppliers are very weary of obtaining this vital information from customers. When discussing your project, be certain to share information about your site with your Building Consultant.
At about the same time that the NBC became more stringent, many municipalities also passed Bylaws prohibiting the use of arch-type structures in commercial and residential areas, based on their aesthetic appeal. Several lobbyist groups took up against the shiny surface of the galvalume arches, saying they looked unconventional, industrial and unattractive in municipal areas with high frequency and residential space.
Since it is generally not recommended to apply paint to the arches of these structures, aesthetic creativity and customization are generally limited to the Endwalls of these metal buildings. Many customers are happy to build their own Endwalls out of wood or steel panels in order to adorn the front of their metal building systems.
Tip: If you are buying a Quonset, make sure to find out if both Endwalls of the structure have been included in your cost summary. Many suppliers consider the Endwall an optional feature and include it at an additional cost to the standard kit.
Another factor for some customers is that Door and Window Openings are typically limited to the Endwalls of the Quonset. Recall that the single most important factor in establishing structural integrity in the arch building, is the arch itself. It follows that placing openings on the sides of the arch requires extensive engineering to ensure integrity – at an increased cost. The limited use of door openings on the sides of the structure has implications for both aesthetics and functionality.
All of these things combined have made arch-type structures applicable to a very specific consumer market: Typically those looking for large structures in areas with little to no snow fall; and those customers who are looking for smaller buildings – up to approximately 35’ in width, for use as Backyard shops and garages. Often these buildings are marketed as do-it-yourself kits and, although it can be tedious and time consuming to bolt together each arch into the next with thousands of bolts, the main challenge for DIY customers is to maintain the alignment of the arches without twisting during the erection process.
Tip: As mentioned previously, make sure to discuss the inclusion of the base plate connector in your building quote. This connector will help to diminish the twisting of the arches during construction. Equally important, if you are considering an Arch-type steel structure, find out if your supplier has included the butyl rubber caulking in your cost summary. Many suppliers consider this caulking an optional feature and include it only at an additional cost to the standard kit. But Butyl rubber caulking applied between the arches during the construction process has been shown to reduce the possibility of water leakage in these buildings. It is extremely difficult to apply effectively after the building has been erected.
Closing Out
There is little doubt that the Quonset Hut and other arch-type structures have provided valuable structural space for many customers.
Once a very affordable steel solution, arch-type structures have suffered in popularity as changes to the National building codes and to municipal bylaws imposed stringent guidelines that restricted their use in areas with high snow loads, and in several residential and commercial zones.
As a result, the Quonset Hut and other arch-type steel structures, have become limited to servicing a very specialized segment of the consumer market. Their increased costing and issues with aesthetics, have inspired customers to look into other types of pre-engineered metal building solutions in order to get the benefits previously sought from the Quonset. Pre-engineered solutions, like the C-channel, are beginning to replace smaller arch-type structures because they offer the same do-it-yourself construction, with a more traditional aesthetic appeal and at a comparable cost. And for larger buildings with wider constitutions, Pre-engineered Rigid Frame steel buildings have become an alternative solution, especially in areas where environmental conditions are of high consideration.
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When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
Historically, people have turned to wood for construction because it is a familiar material that is “user-friendly”. Pole Barns and wooden structures are some of the most common building structures around. A century ago, wood was easily the best choice for materials and was found in abundance all over the world. It was inexpensive, readily available and owners usually designed and built their own structures because it provided a flexible and very forgiving erection process.
Despite the initial savings in price, over the years, steel construction has become more popular and presents significant advantages over wood. Pre-engineered steel buildings are now the method of choice for most commercial, industrial and warehouse applications. Even the agricultural and livestock sector, which traditionally has relied heavily on wood for construction, is switching to steel.
Here are some of the reasons why steel structures have become the preferred alternative to wood construction.
Comparing Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings to Structures Made from Wood
Greater Structural Strength and Integrity
Steel building components are manufactured to very rigid standards and specifications. There are no seconds or substandard materials in a pre-engineered metal building. Each part in a metal building meets strict industry standards in terms of strength; and is designed specifically for its pre-determined use in that specific metal building. This is important as we discuss the custom requirements for each particular job: Every component in a steel building is designed and manufactured to meet the strict load criteria in each individual structure, ensuring that each steel building will handle all the load requirements of its specific site location. Because of this, properly designed and assembled metal buildings have withstood hurricanes, tornadoes and extreme conditions worldwide.
Quicker, Easier, and Less Expensive to Construct
Each pre-engineered steel building component is designed and made specifically for your building. Each component is designed and manufactured to match perfectly with the others. Each piece is labelled and easy to identify and each piece is cross-referenced on the assembly drawings. This means that your steel building – regardless of size, will arrive as a perfect kit, and each piece will fit together precisely. Because each component is detailed and specifically made for each particular structure, erecting the building is quick and easy. In turn, because Steel buildings are assembled quickly and easily, they require less labour. There is little to no waste and little to no cutting, sawing or welding on-site.
Wood buildings take much longer to erect than pre-engineered packages, simply because all the components are sourced and acquired separately. There is more measuring, more cutting, more margin for error and all of this takes a significant amount of time. It also produces much more waste in total, as components must be made to fit once they arrive to the job-site.
One last consideration is that the price of wood is constantly fluctuating. Frequent lumber shortages drive the cost of wood up. This encourages the use of “green” wood in construction projects which can result in warping, cracking, and splitting. These cracks in the wood members effect seal-ability, which decreases both the energy efficiency and the structural integrity of the final structure.
Riding arenas, like those pictured above, can be built in either wood or steel but steel components are quicker to assemble, safer over the lifetime of the building, and more affordable than wood.
Safer – Over the Lifetime of the Building
Steel components won’t weather or degrade over time like wood. Steel won’t decay. Steel will remain rigid for the life of the building. This structural strength means less stress on fasteners and components; which in turn provides a safer building for years to come.
Alternatively, owners of wooden structures need to invest in continuous maintenance. With wood, wherever there is moisture close to the base, there is an opportunity for decay. Decay causes structural insecurity and increases the risk of collapse. To deal with the natural properties of wood, most wood posts are pressure treated, but this process can be poisonous to livestock or other animals if ingested.
Importantly, wood carries with it the fear of loss due to fire. One very real peace of mind that comes with choosing a Steel building is the security that your people, livestock, and your property, are safe; because steel is non-combustible.
Greater Design Flexibility
Wood structures require more interior columns for support. This takes up valuable floor space that could otherwise be used.
Because steel is much stronger than wood, it allows for much greater design flexibility. You can typically span the entire width of your building with no interior posts required and the columns can be set further apart on the sidewalls. The result is a much more open building with less weight and greater structural integrity.
When wood trusses are used to accomplish wide open spaces, they must be layered and joined in several places. This increases costs exponentially. This is why wood structures typically involve several interior posts and beams that limit the useable, clear span area, decreasing work space.
Lower Maintenance Costs
Steel components won’t warp, split, twist, swell, shrink or decay, like wood. Steel components will not have to be replaced or repaired and will remain long after the wood frame building is gone.
Pre-engineered metal buildings use a minimum heavy 26-gauge sheeting for roofing and siding, as opposed to the light 28 or 29 gauge material used on most wooden pole barns. Fasteners are also higher quality for steel buildings and won’t need to be replaced like on a typical wooden pole building. The light gauge metal sheeting on most wood pole buildings will require replacement over time, and wood runners hold moisture against the light gauge metal sheeting, causing the sheeting and the fasteners to rust prematurely. In such cases, the fasteners lose their grip and the sheeting becomes loose requiring repair or replacement. Additionally, regular high maintenance is required to escape rodents and burrowing insects, and to limit the amount of rot and mold in wooden structures.
When you chose a pre-engineered metal building, these things are not issues. Steel Structures are virtually maintenance-free.
Longer Economic Life – More Durable and Worry-Free
Steel offers maximum functionality while still maintaining the aesthetic quality many seek from wooden buildings.
Steel buildings simply don’t wear out over time like wooden structures. Barring some catastrophic event, your steel building will last a lifetime. Wooden buildings have an economic life of 15-20 years and require lots of maintenance along the way. After approximately 7 to 10 years, wood siding and roofing will have to be replaced. If non-metal roofing is used, it will also require replacement at some point. And as a wooden structure ages, wood members naturally dry out, which causes shrinking, warping, swelling and cracking. Preventing the wooden structural members from drying out is necessary to maintain a secure structure but requires continuous maintenance and a watchful eye.
In contrast, a pre-engineered metal building requires virtually no maintenance and provides decades of worry-free service.
Stronger Foundation
One of the first objections some people make to a steel building is that it requires a concrete foundation and floor, adding significantly to the initial cost of the project. A metal building doesn’t always require a full slab, although it does require concrete piers at each column location to provide proper structural stability and meet design load requirements. The required piers provide load bearing capacity and an above grade connection so that the posts are not subject to moisture and decay. Foundation requirements are dependent on building applications as well as site location. Local permit offices will assist in dictating which foundations will be deemed appropriate for specific buildings and municipalities.
While the foundation does add to the initial cost of a metal building system, the advantages over the life of the building are tremendous and outweigh the original expense.
Steel Construction is Better for the Environment
Steel is 100% recyclable and is the only recycled material that doesn’t lose strength when it is recycled. Remember that there is also no waste when a steel building is manufactured and erected, because no substantial cutting is required on-site and all cut-offs at the factory are recycled.
When compared to wooden construction which is wasteful and non-recyclable, Metal buildings are the best choice for the environment.
Steel Buildings Can Actually Save You Money – Year after Year
Apart from continuous savings related to maintenance, steel buildings are recognized with an “A” fire rating. Wood buildings instead, have a “C” rating for fire. Generally speaking, what that means is that a wood structure is more likely to burn. Many customers don’t realize that this non-combustibility factor can save significant money on insurance premiums for the life of their pre-engineered steel building.
Closing Out
Steel buildings offer many advantages over wood structures.
At first glance, the price savings afforded by a wood building may seem very attractive to customers. But when comparing different solutions for required construction, we recommend that our customers consider all the factors.
Compare all the costs – not just the initial costs for site prep, materials and labour, but also the longer term costs of ownership – costs like maintenance, repairs, and insurance. Decide how much value you place on safety and environmental friendliness, too.
When considering all the advantages, customers agree that the value of a pre-engineered steel building far outweigh the initial cost savings of a building made from wood.
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your building requirements are met. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
For more information on specific building applications, click here to learn more about our line of products. If you have any questions or comments, click here to contact us today.
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