Steel buildings have overtaken the popularity of pole barns on the American agricultural scene because of the many advantages offered by these metal structures. Yesterday’s post talked about the unfavorable performance of wood, the main material used in pole barns. Other major considerations that made farmers shift their attention to steel buildings are discussed below.

Exposure to the elements and wear and tear cause pole barn foundation members to shift. These components need regular straightening, which is done about every six years, requiring farmers to shell out thousands of dollars for their maintenance. On the other hand, steel buildings require minimum maintenance because steel is very easy to clean and will not warp, crack, split, or rot. Besides, the steel building finishes used today are also impervious to dulling, marring, or rust.

Another very important point to consider is the safety of livestock housed in pole barns. Since pole barns are made of pressure treated wood poles using copper sulfate, they are unsanitary and can be poisonous to livestock, unlike steel buildings, which are made of steel that is very safe, non-poisonous, and does not support rotting and disease. Compared to wood, steel will not splinter or crack and is kick and bite proof.

A major disadvantage of pole barns is that they are combustible, making their insurance premiums higher by 25% when compared to those of similar sized steel buildings. In contrast, steel buildings are highly resistant to fire because they are made of non-combustible materials. Since pole barns have low resistance to fire, they are deemed unsafe for occupancy. For this reason, some communities and localities in the country do not permit their installation.

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Pole barns have previously dominated the American agricultural scene. Today, however, farmers have shifted their attention to prefabricated steel buildings because of the many benefits they offer that are unmatched by pole barns.

The popularity of pole barns was mainly due to their low cost and availability. During their heyday, pole barns were the cheapest way to build an agricultural building, aside from the fact that they were the only material available.

Aside from their durability, steel buildings offer economical solutions, which can accommodate any farmer’s construction needs, like barns and other storage buildings. The onset of prefabricated steel buildings made farmers realize that they have a better choice and that their days of putting up with the many disadvantages of pole barns, have ended.

Firstly, since pole barns are typically made with pressure treated wood, they are not resistant to molding, shrinking, warping, and rotting. In addition, the poles of a pole barn are directly planted on the ground, making the whole structure highly susceptible to heaving during floods and heavy snow. For these reasons, pole barns are not recommended for use as permanent structures.

On the other hand, the high quality steel used in prefabricated steel buildings is the strongest construction material. Steel is highly resistant to warping, molding, shrinking and rotting. During construction, the steel framing of steel buildings are bolted to a concrete foundation, making these structures sturdier and more resistant to flooding and frost than pole barns.

Steel buildings will remain straight and true despite the onslaught of extreme weather conditions like hurricanes, heavy snow, high winds, tornados, and even earthquakes.
These metal structures are certified to meet local climactic conditions and building codes.

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