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Ready for the Floods

April 29th, 2013

Six months after Superstorm Sandy devastated New Jersey, New York and the coastal areas of New England, some people are still in the midst of recovery. Town hall officials have yet to come up with specific guidelines for new construction, which would ensure that buildings offer better protection for the next storm. A viable option for new construction that is flood resistant is to go for steel buildings.

 

The consensus is that recovery is slow. Although some residents have gotten back on track rather quickly, there is still a number of those affected that have not. Some are still staying with relatives or living in hotel rooms, with some still in the thick of the fight with insurance companies.

 

Some homeowners are reluctant to start rebuilding their homes since the rules on how high they would need to rebuild their homes keep changing. Federal rules now require flood-prone buildings to be elevated.

 

Prefabricated steel buildings are highly durable structures and can be designed specifically for flood prone areas. Steel buildings are made from high quality steel and engineered using computerized design technologies to ensure structural integrity.

 

Today’s steel buildings are so versatile that they are now considered viable options for residential construction. Steel is compatible with a large number of construction materials allowing these metal structures to be indistinguishable with traditional construction with interior and exterior finishes such as siding, stone, brick, wood, and glass.

 

Steel buildings that are designed for flood resistance have continuous steel framing so that they are better able to survive loss of wall panels and footings. To conform to new building codes, steel buildings may be built with the lower floor level suspended on legs. During floods or storm surges, the rushing water would go under and around the building and not push the walls.

 

In addition to the steel main frame designed to resist substantial loads, all the elements – frame, columns, joists, purlins – are all bolted together perfectly and continuously for greater strength and durability. The flooring is made from concrete poured into steel decking to ensure durability and prevent it from being dislodged by the rushing waters.

 

As for the orientation, the building should have a narrow front and is built out of the usual water path. Also, make sure that there is a gap between buildings where the water can pass.

 

With flood-resistant steel buildings, there is a better chance of survival when disaster strikes.

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Take The Steel Building Plunge!

April 26th, 2013

Are you still on the fence about buying steel buildings? Some people who are not familiar with prefabricated steel construction might still be afraid to venture into uncharted territory. However, the popularity of steel buildings cannot be ignored and these structures deserve a second look.

 

Steel building systems are now considered viable options for new construction. Their major benefits include economy, versatility, quick assembly and durability. Technology has allowed modern steel buildings to be unrecognizable and indistinguishable from traditionally constructed structures.

 

Basically, the building blocks of a prefabricated steel building are the rigid frame, wall girts, roof purlins, cladding and bracing. Nowadays, there is a myriad of choices as far as exterior and interior finishes are concerned, so there’s no need to worry that your building would look like a metal box.

 

Economy

 

When building with steel, you only pay for what you really need – no more, no less. Through the use of the latest modeling software, designers are able to pre-engineer steel buildings while optimizing the use of materials without sacrificing the integrity and durability of the structure. Suppliers of steel buildings often provide at least 25 years of structural warranty to their products.

 

Ease of Construction

 

Fast and efficient construction is the trademark of prefabrication. Since most of the job – cutting, punching, and welding – is done at the factory, all that is needed is to bolt the elements together through the use of stainless steel fasteners. What could be more efficient that that? Speedy construction also translates to savings from lower labor costs and firmer construction timetables.

 

Flexibility

 

Steel is a very flexible construction material that can be shaped and sized in unimaginable number of ways. Imagine doing that with concrete or wood. In other words, design flexibility is unmatched with steel buildings. No wonder, nowadays, you will see metal buildings taking all sorts of forms and sizes.

 

Compatibility with just about any construction material is another plus with steel buildings. Today, it is no surprise to find steel buildings with walls made of concrete, glass, stone, wood and brick. Almost any popular exterior finish is compatible with steel buildings, which allows them to assume traditional looks.

 

Insulation

 

Insulation is one of the major reasons for the popularity of steel buildings in markets that were formerly dominated by traditional construction. Whereas before, steel buildings were confined only to the industrial sector, they have now penetrated new construction of homes, businesses, schools and churches.

 

Proper insulation allows for comfortable interiors and even soundproofing, if desired. Best of all, it makes steel buildings energy efficient with lesser need for heating and cooling.

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Squeaky Clean!

April 25th, 2013

So your steel building is done. You already had it fire proofed, flood proofed, earthquake proofed, and even increased its blast resistance. What’s the next step? Maintenance. Fortunately for steel buildings, there’s not much maintaining to do. That’s why you chose a steel building in the first place!

Steel buildings are practically maintenance free. There’s no moisture so you don’t need to worry about termites and other pests. In this alone you’re reducing your insect treatment costs already. There’s no weathering or cracking or rotting unlike in wood framed buildings where these are all common problems. So what SHOULD you worry about in steel buildings?

You only need to worry about preventive maintenance. Aside from checking if the accessories, support structures, and foundation of your building are in good condition, regular cleaning of the steel itself is all you need to do.

After the building is erected, or after any building modifications, make sure to clean any debris and small items left during the construction such as screws, pop rivets, drill bits, or any ferrous objects. Sweep these items with a soft nylon brush while larger items like sheet metal cut-offs should be removed by hand to avoid incurring damage on the roof panels.

Also watch out for any sand and dust on the steel. Sand and dust tend to retain moisture, which can lead to corrosion of the steel. Clean sand and dust by thorough washing and rinsing with potable water and a soft nylon brush.

Make sure to also check “hidden” areas such as gutters, roof sheets, upper portions of walls, and sheltered areas under canopies or eaves as these are the most vulnerable.

If your building is in a highly polluted industrial area or near the sea, washing with clean water alone might not be enough to remove salt deposits. If that is the case, a mild detergent can also be used with the washing water. Do not use caustic cleaners! These can damage the paint and even the zinc layers. Lastly, make sure to thoroughly rinse afterwards with clean potable water.

Avoid all forms of moisture build-up on your roof or wall panels especially from equipment that go through these panels like air conditioning units, pipes and water storage tanks.

These maintenance procedures are relatively simple and you only have to perform them every 3 months if you’re in a high pollution area or near the sea, every 4 months if you’re in a medium pollution or highly humid area, and every 6 months if you’re in a low pollution area or in a dry desert region.

 

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Blast and Collapse Resistant Steel Buildings

April 24th, 2013

The recent events – the Boston Marathon bombings and Waco, Texas fertilizer explosion – are a reminder for us to always be vigilant and prepared for the unlikeliest catastrophes. These events are very rare and probably unforeseeable but any measures to minimize the effects of such can save hundreds of lives.

Explosions exert blast or impact loads to buildings that are different from the typical loads, such as seismic loads, accounted for in building designs. Blast or impact loads are loads that occur much less frequently in a much shorter duration than the typical building loads but with extreme force and effects. Blast loads usually last only one-tenth of a second, but this period can be enough to cause extreme damage to the building and its occupants.

Considering blast loads in building designs may now be required because of the frequency of terrorist attacks. Fortunately, research into blast or impact resistance has also been improving in the past four decades. Usually, resistance to blast loads in designing buildings only take into consideration the preservation of life and not serviceability of the building except in facilities that are at more risk of exposure to blast loads such as nuclear reactors and explosive test facilities. The building design should minimize the effects of casualty mechanisms caused by blast and impact loads.

Casualties can be minimized by preventing collapse of the building and minimizing debris caused by the local failure of building elements. This is called collapse mitigation and blast mitigation, respectively. Collapse mitigation deals with the prevention of total failure through redundancy of the structure such that bridging can occur in the structure wherever a column may be lost. In simpler terms, the structure isn’t dependent on a single column – any one column can fail and the building will not collapse.

On the other hand, blast mitigation aims to reduce or eliminate debris or to prevent failure of a key structural element by providing specific local resistance to blast loads. In other words, blast mitigation is designing local resistance of specific structural elements to failure.

In steel buildings, ductile moment resisting frame systems with a maximized redundancy frame layout are recommended. Ductility is the ability of a material to deform under tensile stress without breaking. The key to improving blast resistance in steel buildings is improving ductility of the connecting elements by proper detailing and design. Similarly, collapse resistance in steel buildings can only be achieved through proper design and construction of the connections to create substantial ductility and redundancy.

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High Wind Load Rated Steel Buildings

April 23rd, 2013

When you live in a coastal area that is prone to hurricanes, always hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Part of being prepared is to arm yourself with a lot of information to help ease your worries.

As a service to the public, the National Hurricane Center’s website talks about risks and how you should react to hazardous situations when a hurricane strikes.

Tropical storms and hurricanes are both cyclones. What differentiates one from the other is their wind speed. A tropical storm has sustained winds of 74mph or less while a hurricane has sustained winds of 74mph or more.

The NHC identified the major hazards associated with hurricanes and these are: storm surge and storm tide, heavy rainfall and inland flooding, high winds, rip currents and tornadoes.

The greatest threat to lives and property is brought by a storm surge and storm tide. The extremely high winds generated by the hurricane causes an abnormal rise in the ocean’s water level, which can rise up to 20 ft. and can travel hundreds of miles along the coast and inwards.  The large waves can produce deadly rip currents that can pose a threat to residents living along the coastline and even to those away from the storm.

In addition to the entry of ocean water, heavy rainfall may result to deadly and destructive widespread flooding during hurricanes.  What’s more, a hurricane and a tropical storm can both produce tornadoes, which can pose a significant threat to lives and property.

Residents in cities along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are bracing themselves for hurricane season again, which is coming soon. For owners of high wind load rated steel buildings, however, there is no cause for alarm.

Armstrong Steel buildings can be designed for just about any purpose you have in mind. For the best protection, their design must meet state and local building codes. “High wind load” steel buildings can even exceed standards. They are constructed to ensure structural integrity allowing them to resist all types of wind conditions.

For those living in hurricane and typhoon prone areas, steel buildings can be designed for extremely high wind loads as high as 180 mph. Make sure that all doors and accessories are also certified to meet wind load conditions for maximum performance. But since you generally deal with one supplier when you choose steel buildings; that will not be a problem.

Before you make your purchase, it is wise to contact you local building code authorities to confirm the code requirements for your area.

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Steel Buildings Go Social

April 22nd, 2013

Social media, both web-based and mobile, were originally only for fun.  But today, social applications of all sorts have become not only popular, but also powerful, tools for marketing products.  Practically any product is being sold online these days – and steel buildings are no exception.

Steel buildings are being built all over the world.  So being a global product, any supplier or manufacturer would want to expand their reach as far as possible.  And with the accessibility provided by the internet, well, going global is not such a complicated feat anymore.  They don’t call it “worldwide web“ for nothing.

When marketing steel buildings, the bulk of the work is not really in showing your portfolio.  The real key to success is building relationships with your clients.  To achieve this, as you may well know, you need to keep your communication lines open.  Now, while Facebook and Twitter work well to keep your target audience updated, sealing deals with clients need, what you might say, a more personal touch.  This is where Skype comes in.

Skype is one of the biggest names in online communication since it was first released in 2003.  Skype allows users to communicate not just through voice calls, but through video calls as well.  Beside that, it also has functions for instant messaging, file transfer, screen sharing, and now even has a link to Facebook among other social networking sites.  Probably its biggest breakthrough is videoconferencing, which allows multiple users from anywhere in the world to virtually “meet” online.

Selling steel buildings can be costly, not just in terms of time but also, of course, financially.  Using Skype addresses both these issues effectively.  With the right resources – that is, internet connection and compatible devices – you can connect to your users without spending on transportation and the phone call itself!  Skype offers free “phone calls” practically to everyone who has the software installed on their device. To date, joining Skype means you will be able to connect with over 600 million registered users who are reaping the benefits of this technology.

Leading steel building companies such as Armstrong Steel have actually started using Skype to their advantage, and wisely.  Some even have dedicated meeting rooms for Skype conferences that can accommodate up to 25 participants.  And Skype doesn’t only work well for building relationships with clients, it also helps resolve issues in remote sites, especially if you have your engineers or designers deployed.  With that said, it’s only a matter of time before your steel buildings are built in some island you probably have not even actually seen.

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Protecting Steel Buildings From Fires

April 19th, 2013

Steel is a naturally fire resistant material. This is why steel buildings perform very well in cases of fire. However, despite the fact that steel is a durable non-combustible material, its mechanical properties still deteriorate under extremely high temperatures. Does this mean that steel will melt in a fire? Well, yes, and no.

Unprotected steel buildings would require a temperature of at least 1100°F or 593°C for the steel to lose 50% of its strength and stiffness at ambient conditions. At 1300°F or 704°C, its strength and stiffness are reduced to 20% of its ambient value while at 2200°F or 1204°C, there is total depletion of strength and stiffness. So the answer is yes, steel may melt in a fire, but no, it probably will not happen simply because building fires do not generate a high enough temperature to melt steel.

Even though steel is fire-resistant, this does not mean that it is unnecessary to take precautionary measures to protect steel buildings in cases of fire. So how do you protect steel from fire? Steel fire protection materials generally function in one of three ways: purely insulating, energy absorbing, or intumescent.

Purely insulating fire protection materials for armstrong steel buildings are spray-applied fire resistive materials (SFRM) composed of mineral fiber or cementitious materials. Mineral fiber SFRM combines fibers, mineral binders, air, and water, to form an essentially non-combustible and chemically inert material, which insulates the steel from the heat of a fire.

Cementitous SFRM are composed of a binder material mixed with aggregates, various additives, and foaming agents, which function in the same manner as mineral fiber SFRM. SFRM are generally less expensive than other fire protective materials while light and medium density mineral fiber SFRM are generally less expensive than cementitious SFRM.

Energy absorbing fire protection materials are commonly gypsum- or concrete-based products which release water of crystallization when exposed to high temperatures. Lastly, intumescent fire protection materials are coating systems applied as paint which expand upon exposure to high temperatures and form an insulating layer that is about a hundred times thicker than the original coating.

Whichever method of fire protection for your steel buildings you choose, it is very important that the assembly and application procedures of the fire protective materials are in compliance with the recommendations of the manufacturer. Inspection procedures that verify proper application and adequate cohesion and adhesion are equally as important to ensure the successful performance of these fire resistive materials.

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Protect Your Steel Buildings in Style

April 18th, 2013

Steel manufacturers are continuously trying to please the demands of their evolving market.  Consumers, as you may well know, are always looking for something new and refreshing.  The toughest part is trying to meet their various requirements in one go.  Security and aesthetics, for example, used to be two very different things – odd ends that are hard to conjoin.  But time has fostered innovation, and with the introduction of steel fences, providing the security and aesthetic value fit for steel buildings is no longer a tough feat to pull off.

Today, there are widely available metal fence designs for armstrong steel buildings to choose from – the most popular types would be steel and aluminum fences.  However, knowing the many benefits, the better choice would be to go for steel rather than aluminum.  Of course, aluminum is also relatively sturdy and may be cheaper, but if you’re going for long-lasting protection, steel is the way to go.  You will surely find that, in the long run, steel fences make for the smarter investment.

Steel buildings are built for different purposes.  So the steel fence design you will pick will logically have to fit the property’s purpose as well.  Galvanized steel fixed louvers, for example, are particularly useful for purposes of visual screening.  This fence design is often used for enclosing equipment storage, parking spaces, and sanitation facilities.  Like steel buildings, steel fences can also be customized to suit your needs.  For fixed louvers, you may define the amount of coverage or direct visual screening – the most common of which are 80% and 100% – and still maintain ample airflow.

For more flexibility in terms of application, steel picket fences are also available.  This fence design is common to both residential and commercial applications.  Steel picket fences are usually subjected to swaging – a process of shaping metal through application of force or pressure.  Tops of steel picket fences are often swaged to extend and specifically form a 45-degree angle – this is meant to keep intruders from penetrating the immediate vicinity.

Now for some owners, steel picket fences may not fit their search for aesthetic appeal.  The good news is there is a means to produce specialized steel security fencing, where a broad number of panel options are available.  This fence type is often employed in public establishments such as parks, sports, resorts, and other recreational applications for steel buildings.  Fence panels produced through an electrofusion process ensure clean surfaces – ideal for visually appealing results.  This is also why steel fence designs can be made as simple or as intricate as you’d want them to be, while making sure you get the security you need for your property.

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It’s Alive!

April 17th, 2013

The race to save planet Earth is on. No doubt about it, we have been experiencing climate change and global warming – the ill effects of years and years of neglecting our environment. Although we may not be able to reverse the damage that has been done, we can still our share by choosing a lifestyle that promotes sustainability. Start by choosing armstrong steel buildings over traditional construction.

The global “green movement” goes hand-in-hand with sustainability. Among its various definitions, sustainability means caring for the future, something that does not deplete a current resource, or the capacity to endure. Environmental sustainability is adopting practices that have positive long-term effects.

In construction, prefabricated steel buildings are considered “green” mainly because of the use of steel, which a highly recyclable material. Unlike concrete that ends up in a landfill when buildings are demolished, steel goes to recycling plants to be converted to useful components.

These days, the momentum is on the side of steel buildings when it comes to new construction. Their popularity is mainly due to the many benefits they offer, which are unmatched by any other construction method. Imagine durability, affordability, cost-effectiveness, speedy construction, early occupancy, energy-efficiency and most of all sustainability.

Modern steel buildings have stylish facades that make them indistinguishable from structures made from traditional materials. In fact, they can fit seamlessly with their surroundings especially when incorporated with interior and exterior finishes that are popular with conventional buildings.

Popular facades for steel buildings are stucco, simulated brick or stone, insulated panels, brick or natural stone veneers, masonry among many others. But one other façade that will most likely be compatible with steel buildings is the bio-adaptive algae façade, which was recently developed and tested in Germany.

Called the BIQ House, it is the first algae-powered building with a bio-reactor façade made up of glass louvers, which contain micro-algae. The louvers not only allow the algae to grow faster since they are exposed to bright sunlight, they also provide shade for the building.

More importantly, the bio-reactors trap the heat energy produced by the algae and harvest it to provide a clean source of renewable energy to power the building.

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Seismic-proof Design of Steel Buildings

April 16th, 2013

We’ve heard of many buildings collapsing due to earthquakes. But first, what are earthquakes and why do they cause so much damage? Earthquakes are movements of the earth’s crust. These may be tiny or huge, and each earthquake releases a large amount of energy in the form of shock waves. These movements cause structures to move up and down or side to side. It is these stresses that cause a building to fail during an earthquake.


All buildings can carry their own weight plus some added load. Without the addition of earthquake-proof measures, they are generally more resistant to vertical loads or the up and down movements. Side to side movements are another story however. Side to side movements are the weakness of buildings. It is usually the side to side load caused by earthquakes that causes a building to fail and collapse. Side to side loads, or sway loads, are often only resisted by the walls and partitions of a building. Any damages to these can increase the vulnerability of a building to sway loads. This is why measures have to be taken to make buildings resistant to sideways movements.


First and foremost, the weight of the building must be as light as possible. Steel is a reliable material for earthquake resistant design even though it is heavier than concrete. Why? This is because steel is much stronger than concrete, therefore much less steel is utilized to create a building as strong as a concrete one.   In simpler terms, a concrete building will weigh less if it were made of steel instead. In this factor alone,armstrong steel buildings are already more earthquake resistant than concrete ones.


Next, steel ground beams are needed to join the feet of the building together. It is better for the installed ground beams to go outside the line of the building to reduce height-to-width ratio of the building resulting to a reduced tendency to overturn.


Next, columns with strong moment connections are fitted to these ground beams. The objective of these moment connections is to be able to let the ground beams form plastic hinges with the columns. Plastic hinging will absorb energy and reduce shock to the frame. Similarly, the main beams are connected to outer columns with full capacity joints where the beams should also be able to form plastic hinges.  These plastic hinges will absorb energy from the frame and reduce damage to the overall structure.

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