Your Complete Guide to Steel Buildings

Steel Building Advantages

Steel buildings are the most flexible solutions on the market for contractors, builders, do it yourselfers and their families. These durable, virtually no maintenance building solutions come with significant benefits. Custom engineering and design of today's metal buildings allow owners to have the look they want, with the functionality they need.

The stringent state-of-the-art requirements of today's building owners demand that their building system employ not only advanced designs, but also offer flexibility, energy efficiency, and speedy construction times. When a steel building is used, design, fabrication, and construction times are greatly reduced. And future expansion is uncomplicated.

The increasing popularity of Armstrong's Steel Building Systems has stemmed from pre-engineered metal buildings signature benefits, which include:

1. Durability

Pre-engineered steel buildings are very durable. They are strong enough to withstand heavy snowfall, high winds, and strong earthquakes. The steel roof panels can also be coated with an aluminum compound called galvalume to prevent rusting and increase the life of the panels. They're also non-combustible so it's unlikely they will be destroyed by fire.

2. Quick Assembly

Construction of a traditional wood building takes at least a few months to complete. Assuming that your steel building system is purchased from a reliable provider and does not require significant customizing, they are very quick and easy to erect. Anchor bolt patterns, detailed assembly drawings, and a step by step erection guide are all included with every building. All major connections are bolt-together with pre-punched holes, and most components are precut and numbered to correspond with your drawings for quick assembly.

3. Flexibility

Pre-engineered metal buildings can have few to no interior columns, meaning that their interior layout is far more flexible and better for storing large pieces of equipment, installing lifts, and conducting interior activities.

Pair that with the ability to have much larger door openings (e.g. overhead, rolling, and sliding doors) and the benefits start adding up significantly. Larger door openings make them better for storing large pieces of equipment. From an agricultural or aviation perspective, this makes them ideal for storing large aircraft or farm equipment.

4. Energy Efficiency

Rigid frame steel buildings can be insulated far better than wood frame steel buildings, which boosts energy efficiency and can lead to vast savings on heating and cooling costs.

5. Significant Cost Savings

Pre-engineered steel buildings usually cost less than traditional construction. The construction process with pre-engineered steel buildings is usually not affected by delays like traditional construction. Since the building just needs to be assembled, there are rarely any surprise cost increases. Also, these buildings can be assembled and erected by almost anyone, so labor costs are reduced and you save time in the process.

Additional Benefits

Versatility

Steel Building Systems are versatile. With different framing systems, such as clearspan or modular, a building can be designed for any application. From manufacturing plants and warehouses, to offices and retail, steel building systems are applicable in almost every design. In many cases you won't even be able to tell that a building is made from steel. Also, pre-engineered steel building systems can be incorporated with virtually any other construction material. Pre-engineered steel buildings come in virtually endless sizes, so your height, width, or length can be determined based on your situation. Especially on large buildings where you need uninterrupted interior space, steel buildings have the ability to clear span great distances, not achievable with wood. And future expansion is simple because steel buildings offer endless options for width and length extensions.

No Waste

Armstrong Steel Building Systems are famous for their optimal use of materials. Each building is designed in-house, so there is no residual waste. You only pay for the materials used as opposed to lumber. Also, each and every piece of your building system has been specifically engineered to meet your local loads and codes. This equates to no excessive material usage.

Lower Labor Costs

Since Armstrong Steel Buildings are pre-engineered and designed to fit together seamlessly, labor costs are greatly decreased. With pre-punched connections, numbered components, and detailed assembly drawings, erection is streamlined. All these characteristics help you, the customer, save money.

Are you a first-time builder? Read our next section for more information about purchasing your first steel building with Armstrong Steel.