Before even planning your steel building project, you should have clearly defined its purpose because this will be the basis of the type of foundation for the metal structure.
The foundation is the most important part of a pre-engineered steel building because a poorly laid foundation gives rise to problems such as, unsettled or shifting walls which can lead to structural damage over time.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of foundations – the portable foundation and the permanent foundation. Under each type, there can be a lot of variations.
Portable foundations are generally used for portable steel buildings like cabins. The steel building is assembled on top of a base plate, which is then connected to the concrete perimeter using anchor bolts.
The biggest advantage of this type of foundation is that it provides mobility to the steel building. Also, the height of the building remains the same. In addition, building a portable foundation takes less time and is much simpler when compared to a permanent one.
For applications such as homes and industrial buildings, the permanent foundation is the obvious choice because the structures don’t have to be moved. Also, the higher amount of loads for these buildings requires permanent foundations.
It is of primary importance that the construction site, be surveyed by a professional, before pouring the foundation. This ensures that the land is level and that the exact boundaries of the plot are defined and marked. The latter information is very important for the building erector.
After the construction site is surveyed, grading or physical leveling follows. The purpose of grading is to make the land conform to the height and shape of the surveyor’s stakes.
Once the construction site has been leveled, excavation can begin. Included in your drawing package is the proper bolt-setting plan with reactions. Based on these reactions, your foundation engineer will design a suitable foundation for your steel building. You can also consult your steel building supplier’s representative for the kind of excavation your building requires.
Minor excavations are for simple and small steel buildings while deeper general excavations are for the more complex ones.