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Steel
Buildings, Metal Buildings & Prefab / Pre-engineered
Steel
buildings introduction
Using metal as a building material is nothing new - iron beams
first made modern skyscrapers possible. Buildings made entirely
of metal have been cropping up across the country for 60 years
since the Quonset hut was invented during World War II. However,
until the end of the 20th century, most of these steel buildings
were garages, airplane hangars, barns, and warehouses.
Today, modern building materials, insulation, and finishing
options make steel buildings a better choice for many types of
buildings such as churches, retail stores, manufacturing plants,
sports arenas, and offices. Their primary advantages over
traditional construction - that they are cheaper and faster to
build - stem from the fact that much of the work is done at a
factory that fabricates the component parts of the building.
Whether your business needs 10' x 20' sheds or 150' x 300'
manufacturing facilities, steel buildings might be the best
choice. However as with any construction project, there are some
complicated decisions to make and potential pitfalls to avoid.
512 deVeloping will help you decide the best steel building for
your business.
Steel building process and benefits
The benefits of a steel building come from the construction
material itself (steel) and how the structure is built. The
combination of metal construction and pre-fabricated components
provides three main advantages:
• Cost. Because the labor to put up your building is drastically
reduced, you can save 30% or more over more traditional
construction methods.
• Speed. A finished steel building can be operating in 60 to 90
days, instead of 6 months or more.
• Durability. Without requiring repainting or other maintenance,
steel buildings are guaranteed to last 20 to 30 years, depending
on the manufacturer.
Here is an outline of how a typical steel building project
progresses:
1. Design. Before any work can proceed, you need to specify the
size and shape of the building, the type of roof and interior
walls you want, the number and placement of doors and windows,
and any façade or other cosmetic enhancement.
2. Engineering. Once the basic design is complete and you've
paid a deposit, an engineer needs to create the specifications
and blueprints for the building. The blueprints will specify
what materials should be used and what loads the building will
need to be able to withstand to meet local building codes.
3. Fabrication and delivery. After the blueprints are signed off
on, the real production begins. The beams, posts, girders, side
and roof panels, and even the fasteners to hold the building
together are all produced at a factory, then shipped to your
construction site. The parts are pre-cut to the exact dimensions
you need, pre-drilled, and ready to be bolted together. This
step can take 3 to 6 weeks.
4. Sitework. While the components are being manufactured, the
building site can be readied. Steel buildings require
foundations, which are usually poured concrete.
5. Construction. Once the components arrive and the foundation
is ready, the actual construction can take place.
6. Finishing. Adding insulation, interior walls, exterior
finishes, doors and windows, steps, plumbing, and all the pieces
that turn a metal box into a building you can appreciate.
7. Walkthrough. Like any construction project, our steel
building will be approved by a building inspector once it is
completed.
Designing your steel building
There are two major sets of factors that will influence the
design and construction of your steel building. One is
practical: the actual use of the building. This requires work on
your part to think through exactly how you'll use the building.
For example, if you're building a warehouse, you may need
roll-up doors high enough for your forklifts to drive through.
Steel buildings always require foundations, which in most cases
are flat concrete slabs.
The second is legal. Texas has building codes that will apply to
your project. These will include things like wind load: how much
of either your building must be able to stand up to. If you're
building a church or emergency vehicle garage, extra "importance
factors" may apply that require push the code requirements even
higher. Other legal requirements include local zoning laws,
drainage requirements, and more.
Some aspects of your design involve both practical and legal
considerations: for a retail facility, appropriate parking and
handicapped access fall under both categories.
512 deVeloping is equipped for all major construction projects,
you'll need to rely on our expert advice to assist your
planning.
Commercial
steel buildings design choices
Commercial steel buildings come in two main designs: arch style
and rigid frame.
Arch style steel buildings (aka Quonset huts) became popular
during World War II. They are built from a series of
interlocking metal ribs that form the roof and sides of the
building. Arch buildings are mostly used for storage buildings,
garages, and sheds. Small arch style buildings are popular among
do-it-yourselfers as their construction methods are simple and
they are less expensive per square foot. They are not very
adaptable or customizable, however. Their construction only
allows for doors and windows in the endwalls, not the sides, and
the overhead clearance drops considerably as you get further
away from the center of the building.
The primary type of steel building used for commercial and
industrial applications is the rigid frame style building. These
are constructed with steel skeleton framing and flat steel
panels for the roof and walls. They can include doors and
windows in any wall, and can be expanded with relative ease.
While they are still much easier to build than traditional
buildings, more expertise and equipment is required to construct
a rigid frame building than an arch style building.
An additional type of building often produced by the same
manufacturers is the pole barn. Pole barns are simple buildings
that use steel framing, but feature wood floors and/or walls.
They are primarily used for agriculture. Note: most of the
topics addressed in this Buyer's Guide apply more to arch style
and rigid frame buildings.
How big do
you need it?
One of the advantages of commercial steel buildings is the huge
open spaces they can easily contain. However, try not to get
carried away: the bigger the building, the more it will cost
you. The first consideration about size, of course, is usage.
Whether the building is going to contain shelving units, parking
spaces, pews, or offices, you should carefully plot out a
desired floor plan to determine the height and width you need.
A large majority of steel buildings are single story, but they
can be built with two or three floors if your application calls
for it.
You also need to decide if you can live with interior columns or
not. "Clearspan" buildings - those without any interior columns
- can be up to around 150' wide. However the wider they get, the
more weight the frame has to support and the more expensive the
building becomes. In "modular" commercial steel buildings, width
is nearly unlimited - over 1000' is possible - but you'll have a
series of metal columns inside. (Note: the term "modular
buildings" also refers to an entirely different type of
construction in which smaller, more finished buildings are
completely produced in a factory then shipped to their
destination.)
Metal
building sizing
Height
There are two aspects to your metal building's height: overall
height, measured on the outside, and interior clearance. The
overall height may be regulated by zoning laws, but the
clearance height will usually have more of an impact on your
design decisions.
At the low end, 10' clearance is plenty for many applications.
Heights of up to 30' can accommodate extensive warehouse
shelving systems, heavy construction vehicles and
tractor-trailers, or even airplanes - but of course you'll pay
more for additional clearance.
Roof
Rigid frame metal buildings can come with several types of
roofs. "Single slope" construction starts with one side wall
higher than the other, and the roof simply slants from the high
wall to the lower. "Peaked" or "gable" roofs have a more
traditional peak, with the roof running down to both sides.
You may be able to choose the pitch of your roof, as well. Pitch
is usually expressed as a ratio: 1:12 is the flattest type of
roof, rising 1" for every 12" of width. 4:12 is usually the
steepest pitch available for steel buildings. Increased pitch
gives you more interior clearance, helps improve the building's
ability to shed rain and snow, and can result in a better
looking building - but also increases costs.
Arch style buildings have no distinction between roof and walls
- their curved sides act as both at the same time. Some arch
style buildings come to more of a point at the top, while others
are uniformly curved, but generally they have fewer options than
rigid frame buildings.
Extras
Unless your metal building is going to be an unoccupied storage
building, you will need insulation. The same rating system used
in residential construction is used for commercial steel
buildings: R-7 is equivalent to 2" of insulation, and R-19 is
6".
An important note about insulation: if you're going to be
heating and cooling the building year round, you'll save money
by buying R-19 insulation. Even though it is more expensive
initially, the savings in your energy bill will easily make up
for the cost in just a year or two. You may also want a vapor
barrier for the roof and walls, which can prevent condensation.
Other important extras include "walk doors" for pedestrians,
various types of vehicle doors, windows and skylights to let
natural light in, and gutters and downspouts to manage runoff.
Be sure to inquire about the insulation value of the doors and
windows: look for double-pane glass and insulated doors.
The final set of add-ons for your building are cosmetic. At a
minimum, you'll be able to choose the exterior color of your
building. If appearance is important, you can choose more
expensive finishing options such as complete façades of wood,
brick, or stucco. These options are less common, but very
important to some buyers. Interior walls or partitions to make
offices are built by your construction contractors, not the
metal building manufacturer.
512 deVeloping will erect your steel building we have expertise
with prefab metal buildings and have leverage with multiple
manufacturers - Our relationships can help you save money. We
can often help you find the best deal, and can erect your Texas
steel building
Building to code
We use Reputable manufacturers and we will not build you
substandard buildings, so we maintain databases of current
central Texas building codes.
The best way to proceed is to have us list the codes for your
building to meet in your contract, then we verify those figures
with our local officials before you sign the contract. 512
deVeloping never wants you to sign a contract before we verify
together the specs.
A typical price for basic rigid-frame metal buildings is between
$18 and $22 per square foot. This includes materials, delivery,
the foundation, and construction. A more finished building may
be closer to $22 to $32 per square foot, and extensively
customized buildings with brick facades, unusual shapes, or
complicated construction can reach $45 per square foot or more.
Materials alone can cost $8 to $18 per square foot. This varies
according to size: small buildings cost more per square foot.
Materials for a 250' x 120' church building might cost $240,000,
or $8/sq ft, while a 20' x 20' garage might cost $6,000, or
$15/sq ft.
Foundation costs are fairly standard, usually $4 to $8 per
square foot for poured concrete. Remember that GCs may include
this cost in their proposals, but brokers and manufacturers of
metal buildings definitely will not.
Labor costs will vary widely depending on the size of the
project but can range from $3 to $10/sq ft. These costs will be
charged by the hour, so increased complexity will drive them up
considerably.
Insulation will add thousands of dollars to the cost of a larger
building - but as mentioned previously, is a very good
investment. It will improve the resale value and soundproofing
of your building, in addition to saving energy costs - so it
isn't an area to skimp on.
Contract tips
You'll be asked to sign a contract that details the design loads
and specifications for the building. As with any major business
purchase, you should inspect the contract very carefully before
signing it. Here are a few things to look for:
• Substitution clauses. Manufacturers may try to give themselves
the right to use different materials if those specified are not
available. The idea is sound, but is often used to substitute
cheaper materials for those you wanted. Make sure any changes
are "equal or greater value" or have to be approved by you.
• Specifics. The more specifics in the contract, the better. The
contract should not just list a "10 x 10 overhead door" - prices
range from $250 to $1200 on such doors. The contract should list
brand names and model numbers, insulation values, locks,
coatings or paints, and more. This is another way unscrupulous
dealers may try to stick you with lower-quality materials, so
make sure every component is detailed in the contract.
• Responsibilities. Since brokers, GCs, and manufacturers play
different roles in the process, make the contract details
exactly who is responsible for each phase of the project:
design, engineer's specification, fabrication, delivery,
construction, and inspection.
Steel building buying tips
Do not pinch pennies.
If you're spending tens of thousands of dollars, a difference of
$500 here or there is not significant. The building is going to
last 30 years or more, so make sure you get the building you
want.
Look closely at good deals.
When two dealers present bids for similar buildings that are
thousands of dollars apart, you should investigate the details
thoroughly. Chances are that one is not including everything you
need.
Verify the building codes.
We can not stress this enough: make sure you get in touch with
your local building officials once you have specifications from
your supplier, but before you sign the contract. Changes to meet
code will always drive your costs up, so to avoid late
surcharges, you need to verify that the contract includes all
the right specifications.
Get it in writing.
Some manufacturers may ask for a verbal go-ahead to "get the
factory working" or to "lock in this price." This is never a
good idea. Getting the details in writing will ensure that you
know exactly what you're buying.
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