Structural Design

We design and manufacture pre-engineered steel buildings, and offer you a number of advantages over conventional construction techniques. Steel buildings are inexpensive and incredibly tough. Our bolt-together design is assembled quickly without any specialized skills. Each rigid frame is comprised of two or more columns supporting a rafter across the width of the building. In most steel buildings, endwall bearing frames support one-half the load of a rigid "main" frame. In most situations, we utilize the more economical "bearing" end frames. Adding an expandable endwall or rigid frame is only a click away. Unlike any of our competitors, we allow you to choose the endwall condition of your building. Depending on design considerations, our endwall rafters and columns may be either hot rolled or cold-formed.

The space between the rigid frames of a steel building is referred to as a "bay."- an 80' long building has been divided into four 20' bays by spacing the frames 20' apart (4 x 20' = 80'). This configuration is described as "four bays at 20." A 100' building could be configured with four bays at 25 (4x 25' = 100')

Endwall bay spacing is usually determined by the building width. You can add one or more framed openings to most buildings. Endwall bay spacing can usually changed to accommodate your needs without changing the price.

Steel Building Packages

Steel building kits are shipped with all the required hardware to construct a solid structure. Forget about running around town looking for bolts or brackets with steel building packages. When investigating steel building packages, request information about the different options that are available from each steel building manufacturer. Panel material or galvalume colors can complement any building and help to exceed your expectations. You can begin with more standard steel building packages and adjust them suit your specific needs.

Working with veteran professionals is the best way to build your new steel building. Completing the steps that help you decide on different configurations for your pre-engineered building insures your ultimate satisfaction. Each part of the design process should be explained and offered for your approval. Steel building manufacturers should be acquainted with commonly asked questions and should be able to anticipate your concerns.

Proper Ventilation of a Building

Proper ventilation in a building can be an effective measure for condensation control. The end use of the building must be the controlling ventilation design parameter, especially above drop ceiling areas. Ventilation system design should be done at the initial building design stage. Use of a design professional is strongly recommended to assure the best possible system.

CONDENSATION CAN BE MINIMIZED THROUGH CONSIDERATION OF CLIMATE, RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND THICKNESS OF INSULATION.

Steel Building Packages

Steel building kits are shipped with all the required hardware to construct a solid structure. Forget about running around town looking for bolts or brackets with steel building packages. When investigating steel building packages, request information about the different options that are available from each steel building manufacturer. Panel material or galvalume colors can complement any building and help to exceed your expectations. You can begin with more standard steel building packages and adjust them suit your specific needs.

Working with veteran professionals is the best way to build your new steel building. Completing the steps that help you decide on different configurations for your pre-engineered building insures your ultimate satisfaction. Each part of the design process should be explained and offered for your approval. Steel building manufacturers should be acquainted with commonly asked questions and should be able to anticipate your concerns.

Heat Transfer

Effectively controlling temperature in a steel building requires insulation to be present along exterior walls and roof. When a temperature differential is present in an enclosed steel building, heat will work from warmer areas to colder areas until the temperature in the building has stabilized. At the point of thermal stabilization, the cooler (and heavier) air will be present at lower elevations and warmer air will be present at the roofline. The function of insulation is to help stabilize air temperature at more desirable levels. When it is hot outside, preventing heat from transferring into the building is the goal, and of course in the winter we want heat to remain inside.

Heat transfer occurs in three ways:

Conduction : Occurs in a solid or liquid when heat from one object is transferred by touch to another object. An example of this occurs when a pot on a stove will heat up by conductive heat transfer from an electric coil.

Convection : Occurs with the physical movement of air. There are two types of convectional heat movement. The first is natural, where hot air rises displacing the cold air and moving it down. The second type is forced or mechanical convection. This occurs when an object, like a fan, physically moves or "forces" the air to move.

Radiation : Occurs when an object is warmer or hotter than the air around it. For example, the sun, which is hotter than everything around it, radiates heat waves that travel through the air and is either absorbed by or reflected by the surface it comes in contact with.