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Archive for the ‘Prefabricated Steel Buildings’ Category

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A Steel Home: What a Steal!

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

So you’ve been living in your house since you got married. One look around inside and each nook and cranny of the house brings back a lot of memories from the first days as a newlywed couple and your children’s growing-up years. However, the family is getting bigger and nowadays, space seems to be the perennial problem of your family. Obviously, you need a bigger house.

A lot of people draw inspiration from magazines and trade fairs when envisioning their dream homes. Today, there is another medium to do this – by visiting websites. However, you should consider your financial capacity as well as your priorities when embarking in any construction project.

But why rent or buy a finished one or a house previously used by another family when you can build your dream home at a reasonable price? This is where prefabricated steel buildings come into the picture. Among many other benefits, steel buildings offer durability, flexibility, long lifecycle, and affordability.

Prefabricated steel buildings are structures, which are built “on-site” – meaning, the components are manufactured at the factories and pieced together at the construction site. They can be designed as per your exact specifications and all other factors considered including conditions of the site, existing structures, purpose and most important of all, loadings.

And since steel buildings are prefabricated, construction is much quicker, easier and almost 50% less expensive than traditional buildings. Shorter construction time means less labor costs and early occupancy. In the first place, you save a lot in material costs, because you only pay for what you really need, nothing more nothing less.

Other savings come in the form of reduced insurance premiums because prefabricated steel buildings are more enduring and fire-resistant than their counterparts. Besides, other forms of savings realized in the course of your steel home’s lifespan include minimal upkeep and reduced energy consumption. Steel is easy to clean, does not warp, break or crack. It is resistant to pests and contrary to popular belief, today’s steel is rust-proof. Insulation keeps interior temperatures of steel buildings comfortable in any kind of weather, reducing the need for heating and cooling equipments.

There are still a number of people who have a wrong impression about prefabricated steel buildings. They still have this notion of steel buildings as unsightly and gray square boxes that stick out like a sore thumb. Thanks to numerous advancements and improvements in engineering and design technology, modern prefabricated steel buildings have become a viable option in most building applications.

Besides, your steel home can have whatever look you want it to. Modern prefabricated steel buildings are compatible with popular architectural finishes such as bricks, masonry, stone, stucco and a lot more.

So why settle for traditional construction when you can reap the benefits and savings that prefabricated steel buildings offer.

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Are You Still Building The Traditional Way?

Monday, July 25th, 2011

Prefabricated construction has been gaining a lot of following ever since consumers are made aware of the capabilities of metal buildings to stand up to unfavorable weather conditions and the introduction of newer designs that were thought to be impossible to achieve with steel.

Never the less, there are still skeptics who insist that metal buildings cannot be built up to code especially for those regions, which have special code restrictions that are very much different from the national standards.

If you are planning to invest in a metal building, then your first concern is to look for a prefabricated/pre-engineered manufacturer or supplier, who has a good reputation of producing quality structures that are designed to meet local and national building codes.

Actually, only a small number of fly-by-night suppliers of metal buildings exist. These business enterprises use low-quality materials as well as unproven manufacturing methods, both of which negatively affect their products. Don’t worry, these unscrupulous or fly-by-night suppliers will not be in the business for very long because their tainted reputation will surely spread around.

There are a lot of reputable manufacturers and suppliers of metal buildings who have been in the business for a very long time now. What keeps them going is their continued commitment to provide metal buildings with modern designs without sacrificing their structural strength and unmatched durability. Besides,

These suppliers keep themselves abreast with modern and now mostly computerized design and engineering techniques to ensure that every metal building is built up to code for the area in which it will be erected.

Some regions have distinct local climactic conditions that are very much different from anywhere else in the country and these manufacturers continuously compute these loadings and incorporate them in the designs.

Bear in mind that it is your responsibility, as the building owner, that the purchase order you are signing is for a metal building that can withstand high winds, heavy snow, hurricanes, earthquakes or a combination of these natural forces.

Another thing, you have to look beyond the near future and anticipate possible additions or refinements to your metal building. The failure of existing metal buildings to adapt to new building code stipulation stem from the fact that their owners did not incorporate possible modifications to the structures, resulting in substantial new investments.

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Why There Should be More American Steel Buildings (Part 2)

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

In choosing American steel buildings, investors are actually buying twice the strength and durability for half the price. What’s more, since you get the materials from only one supplier, you won’t have to worry about who you should come after in case there are problems during and after the construction. Investors no longer have to make a dozen phone calls to get a problem fixed – it just takes one and you are sure to get an answer.

But even with that said, suppliers often offer a 20-year, some even 30-year, warranties for American steel buildings. Most people would think that this is a ridiculously long time to offer a guarantee. However, suppliers and manufacturers can freely offer as much because of steel’s tested durability. American steel buildings virtually require no maintenance for decades on end and they are guaranteed to have no fluctuations in structural integrity.

Now, if you’re one to think ahead, American steel buildings are actually ideal for owners who plan to expand their businesses in the future. American steel buildings are easily expandable because of the innate strength of the steel building frame. Expanding a steel building does not involve a demolition, as it would if your building was concrete or made of other materials. A steel building expansion project would only involve removing the end walls of the concerned area and adding the desired panels. It actually just involves disassembling some parts and assembling new ones. And again, this only costs a minimal amount of time, money and disruption to your business operations.

Speaking of money, again, this is a fact that you must be aware of. The President of the United States, Barrack Obama, actually signed a stimulus bill on February 17, 2009, that changed the energy efficiency tax credits. This means that choosing a steel building will earn you tax breaks of up to 30%, now, and that maximum credit has been raised up to $1 500, as well.

And while a tax break can really get investors going, some people have other concerns like the effects of American steel buildings on the environment. The good news is, American steel buildings are actually considered as green buildings; primarily because steel buildings are thermally and, therefore, energy efficient. Moreover, steel buildings are 100% recyclable – the basic material can be reprocessed after disassembling the steel frame to fabricate fresh members for new structures. This contribution to the growing movement to save the planet is probably the biggest reason why more American steel buildings should be constructed.

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Why There Should be More American Steel Buildings (Part 1)

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

American steel buildings started to become the structure of choice in the construction industry over the past century. Many have recognized the edge of American steel buildings over alternative construction materials since these structures were first popularized during World War II.

Nowadays, since American steel buildings are no longer a rare sight, people have only become more and more amazed with the features of these formerly unknown structures. However, most of the people who are “in the know” belong to the construction or the engineering industry. The investors, who actually have the power to make or break American steel buildings, hardly ever really know what they are going to get. Most of the time, owners or investors only know a few advantages and rely mostly on the suggestions of experts in the field. But this should no longer be the case because it’s fairly easy to understand what American steel buildings are all about.

This post enumerates some interesting facts about American steel buildings that you might want to know about whether you’re currently venturing into the construction industry or you’re planning to take on the business in the future, or maybe even if you’re just plain curious.

As stated earlier, American steel buildings have actually been around as early as the 1700s but started to really pick up popularity during the World War II when the Quonset hut design was introduced. This style was widely used during the war. At that time, American steel buildings typically served as aircraft hangars, barracks, infirmaries and storage sheds.

As the years passed, improved manufacturing and construction technology ushered in new and improved designs, as well. Over the recent decades, a wider range of applications have sprouted since technology has allowed for more diverse designs and building types. In fact, safe to say, gone are the days when American steel buildings all looked the same. Today, there are steel barns, steel garages, steel offices, even steel houses – just to name a few innovations.

American steel buildings are popular for being speedy space solutions for whatever need, be it commercial, industrial, or nowadays, even residential. The pre-fabrication of the building’s members allows for fast construction, taking up almost 50% less than the traditional building time. This leads to cost savings, not only with respect to the initial purchase but also on financing the construction and managing the overhead. Suppliers of American steel buildings have actually maintained their prices on a lower margin relative to other construction materials, especially timber.

(to be continued)

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Which Is Better? Steel or Aluminum Sidings

Friday, May 27th, 2011

Many people have grown accustomed to the conventional types of residential homes— usually made of wood, concrete, brick, and stone. In recent years, though, the increasing popularity of metal buildings has spread over to residential sector, too. For houses, apartments, and condominiums alike, metal buildings have demonstrated to have greater advantages over the traditional kind.

In planning and designing residential metal buildings, it is important to take a deeper look at the different components of such structures. Making a metal building comparison is helpful to ensure that you get your money’s worth. It is not merely enough to know that metal buildings in general cost lower and are more durable and long-lasting.

In doing a metal building comparison, you not only examine different types and different framing systems. You should also decide on the type of exterior façade that you would prefer and would be most suitable for metal buildings, the kind of roofing that would provide the best protection, the sort of insulation that would match the environment in your location, and many more.

One important consideration that many deem essential is deciding on whether to use steel or aluminum sidings for residential metal buildings. This is one of the things you might want to study when it comes to comparing metal buildings.

Given that both kinds of metal are quite prevalent in residential construction, you should then weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each. Both come in a wide assortment of topcoat colors and textures with varying degrees of durability. However, steel is regarded a little bit pricier than aluminum. Moreover, aluminum sidings are easier to install because they are lighter and can be cut easier. Because of this, builders will charge less for installing such as compared to steel. The downside, though, is that they are also more prone to damage when transported and used for construction.

What’s more, both steel and aluminum are actually highly rust-resistant. Steel, however, is believed to be physically stronger and more resilient. It does not dent easily as compared to aluminum. Its appearance also is more preferred by architects, designers, and engineers.

Upon doing such a metal building comparison, you will find out that there are no clear-cut differences between the two as to which is really much better. Basically, steel and aluminum sidings offer a lot of similar advantages. It then boils down to your choice based on aesthetics and costs.

Now that you have learned some about these two different types of sidings for your residential building, you can move on to other components. Just keep in mind to always do a metal building comparison when planning to have a building erected. Good luck!

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Silencing the Critics of Prefabricated Steel Buildings

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

With the enormous popularity and pervasiveness of prefab steel buildings in the construction arena today, it cannot be avoided that plenty of critics are trying their best to find fault in these structures and start discouraging people to put their trust into these modernized buildings.

Prefabricated steel buildings are not perfect. It is but natural that some may not have lived up to people’s expectations. It is but likely that there have been manufacturers and suppliers who have not provided the best of materials and therefore caused problems in the long run. However, many would still agree that these steel buildings are wonderful inventions that we should continue to utilize for our different building needs.

There are critics all over the place, but the supporters of prefabricated steel buildings have come up with answers to these faultfinders.

Critique 1: Structures that are pre-fabricated cannot cope well with additional building requirements once the building is already up.

Answer to Critique 1: The matter of increasing the loading of prefabricated steel buildings should pose no problem for these pre-engineered structures because these are actually without doubt expandable. It is, however, advisable for building owners to anticipate beforehand if they are planning to have extensions in the future. They must assess not only their present usage necessities, but should also try to inform their suppliers and builders of possible future expansion projects. Such advanced visions can save them a lot of money.

Critique 2: There are substantial inconsistencies among companies of prefabricated steel buildings when it comes to the quality of the materials.

Answer to Critique 2: In any industry, it cannot be eluded that there are existing manufacturers, suppliers, and brokers that would give clients substandard grade materials and trick them into believing that they are getting their money’s worth. Naturally, the responsibility of a potential customer is to research about the companies that he is considering. Well-respected and esteemed ones are certain to provide high grade steel and other materials, and can also be trusted to continue keeping up-to-date with the latest technology.

These two negative appraisals are just examples of what critics are saying about prefabricated steel buildings. Before you become too affected or discouraged, find out the facts first. Consult specialists and voice out your concerns. If ever there are actually problems that may arise with the construction of prefabricated steel buildings, there are also several solutions for them. You will not run out of options. The best gauge is to simply weigh the pros and cons, then decide from there.

Just remember the fact that critics of prefabricated steel buildings exist because they feel threatened by the unmatched benefits provided by such structures.

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So, What Supports Metal Buildings?

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

In the initial planning stages of a metal building, it is important that you as a customer also understand what goes into it. It is essential that you also have a background as to the metal building components involved so that you can be an active participant in the design and layout of your building.

It is good that nowadays, components of metal buildings can come in one package from only one supplier. You need not employ many different contractors unlike construction of traditional buildings. You can also actually avail metal building kits for various building types and purposes.

Metal buildings are considered a tough and durable type, being able to withstand turbulence from weather disturbances and outliving the conventional building in the long run. You have to be familiar with the various basic components of metal buildings that contribute to the overall support of these structures.

1. Framing system- This is the basic framework of metal buildings. There are several kinds of framing systems offered by different construction companies such as straight columns, single slope, rigid frame, beam and column, and lean to. These are all perfectly strong and resilient, but the type chosen is dependent on the design and purpose of the building.

2. Roof- The steel roof is also one of the metal building components that play a major role because it works hand-in-hand with the walls to dole out the loading of the main frame.

3. Purlins- These are secondary roof members of metal buildings. Their role is to aid in forming the mold of the pre-engineered steel roof.

4. Wall Panels- These provide assistance to the overall support of the building all around because they follow the basic framework of the building. They are also the side protectors of the building.

5. Secondary framing system – These are the components of metal buildings that act as projection bracing for the support of the main building structures.

6. Girts- Also known as secondary wall members, these components have a vital duty of holding up walls for prefabricated metal buildings.

During the planning and designing stage of your building, you can expect to be faced with these metal building components in which you might have to select your preferences. Do not worry because a metal building specialist or project manager from the company can help you if you are not sure of which to get. Just be sure that you can trust the company and it is one of good reputation.

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Metal Buildings: They’re Everywhere!

Monday, May 16th, 2011

A metal building nowadays is commonly prefabricated. This means that the metal structures are engineered in the factory prior to being delivered to the site for assembly. They are pre-cut, pre-welded, and pre-drilled before they are shipped to the location of the building, saving time, effort, and money.

Since prefabricated metal buildings have quickly gained popularity across the nation, they can be found almost anywhere for many different purposes.

There are many types of prefabricated metal buildings that do not require anymore any assembly. They are made and delivered as is. For example, cargo containers used for storage needs are generally purchased as they are without any requirement for construction or assembly. At present, these are not only used for storage but are also sometimes being utilized as small shops. In addition, metal sheds placed in gardens and lawns are often also bought in their completed form. However, the buyer can still opt to modify or add some parts as well as change the appearance.

Have you seen metal trailers too in construction sites of huge buildings? Such metal buildings also do not entail any assembly too. They are usually used as offices for the engineers and other workers for construction while a building is being erected. They can sometimes be used also as temporary offices if a building is being renovated. Sometimes, they are employed too for housing facilities and as storage for schools and various establishments.

In some places, you will find trailers looking like actual houses, installed with windows and doors and even designed with an exterior that makes it look like an ordinary house. These trailers are also sometimes used to put up motels and apartments.

Metal buildings are also mostly found in mining industries, utilized as offices and living quarters. The advantage it has is that it can easily be moved from one place to another. It can also be easily expanded when necessary. Because of this feature, the metal building is also often employed as a temporary military base.

There are certainly loads of uses for prefabricated metal buildings. The ones mentioned are just some of the common uses. With modern technology, metal buildings can now be used for almost anything— barns and stables, commercial facilities, industrial buildings, airport hangars and carports, schools and churches.

The prefabricated feature of metal buildings makes them faster and easier to be erected, and can therefore be used at once and can be more cost-effective too.

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Building Your Own Home with Prefabricated Metal Buildings

Friday, April 8th, 2011

Buying a new house is the biggest investment in one’s lifetime, especially for those who are starting a family. Since you are going to be living in it, it has to be perfect – a house that you’ve always dreamed of. To be able to achieve this, building your own home is a better alternative to buying an existing one.

Most people think that building is more expensive than buying. On the contrary, it can be less expensive if you consider prefabricated metal buildings. Prefabricated metal buildings have been proven to be economical solutions for most construction needs, including homes. Construction is fast, easy, and efficient, providing you with savings on labor and materials costs. Since they are prefabricated, all the time-consuming words including cutting, fitting, drilling, and welding have all been done at the factory – significantly reducing construction time.

This means that you can occupy your dream home in the soonest time possible. Yes, early occupancy is also possible when you buy a pre-existing home but most of the time, you get things you don’t need. In other words, you just settle for something that’s “good enough” and not something that perfectly fits your needs.

Modern prefabricated metal buildings are highly customizable and can meet the needs of residential use. Prefabricated metal buildings have no problem accommodating whatever design you have in mind. In fact they have greater design options and functional features than traditional construction.

Whether you want a wood frame, canopies, stucco finish, special doors, windows, cupolas, brick, stone, etc. – they can all be accommodated by prefabricated metal buildings.

Some, however, may find that designing their own homes can be stressful. On the other hand, others find the experience exhilarating and refreshing because they are in control. In the end, just think of the feeling of living in a house that was made and designed specifically for you and nobody else.

Consider prefabricated metal buildings. Prefabricated metal buildings are worth their price and they are certain to provide you with years of efficient use.

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Designing Your Steel Building Online (continuation)

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

The online design and pricing facility found in most websites of prefabricated steel buildings, can give any consumer the opportunity to design the steel building of his dreams – based on his own specifications and preferences.

To be able to function, this user-friendly feature requires some information like the zip code where the steel building is to be located, your choice of suggested building code and design loads to be applied (based on the zip code entered), and some engineering requirements.

As a reminder for consumers who are seriously considering prefabricated steel buildings for their construction needs, you need to have a picture of how your steel building looks like, down to its dimensions, before using this design and pricing facility. This way, the resulting price would be more or less equal to the amount of investment you need to prepare.

Once you have entered the zip code, choice of building code and design loads, and engineering requirements, you will be asked to select the following: building type, frame type, building profile, building width, building length, building height, roof pitch and base condition.

The building type could be either fully sheeted or roof only. Structural frame is a choice between clear span and modular. The high strength-to-weight ratio of steel allows prefabricated steel buildings to have clear span construction with column-free interiors of up to 300 feet.

By now, your building is taking shape. With the information you have entered, the system creates a building based on your specifications. It will tell you now the amount of bay spacing for the structure.

Next you need to select the type of endwall which is a choice among standard, inset, or open endwall. Then select the framed opening option and choose their location where you want it/they to be placed. Just about any prefabricated steel building has at least one framed opening.

Now, you have the option to add some accessories for your steel building. With prefabricated steel buildings, you will have a wide range of options for accessories to enhance their appearance and increase their functionality.

The last option is for the building colors and you are done. The resulting quote will be provided. However, you will still have the chance to change any of the previously selected options to match your budget.

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