PUBLIC and CHURCH

Serving the building needs of America's churches, schools and local, state or federal government is a challenge. A church in Tennessee (above) employs a 60-foot clearspan structure with a specially designed hip-roof to accommodate a spacious open sanctuary. Wood and drywall were used to cover the massive steel beams that meet in the center and support the heavy, built-up roof system. Outside, the application of brick gives the feeling of strength and permanence.

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.

Panel Options

Color or Galvalume - Our online system includes both Galvalume Plus® and SMP Colors. For a small price increase you can add a colored roof. Our standard colored panels consist of a Galvalume® sheet that has been primed and coated with Silicon Modified Polyester (SMP) paint. Both panel types of panel are very tough, and both our Galvalume Plus® warranty and our paint warranty run for 25 and 30 years respectively. The Galvalume Plus® panels cost less, but the painted panels give your steel building a more refined look.

Color and Roof Pitch - When considering color over Galvalume, be sure to take the roof pitch into account. Higher-pitched roofs are more noticeable, but with a low-pitched roof very little of the roof can be seen.

Calculated Thermal Values

Basically it is the reciprocal of the calculated U-Value. By definition it is the summation of all the R-Values for each of the building's components. This method of calculation does not consider the thermal short circuit effect of structural members, fastener population or the compression of the insulation at its structural members. It should also be noted that this type of calculation often indicates heat loss values for building envelopes that are lower than those actually found in the finished structure.

Steel Frame Construction

You can feel confident about building with steel. It is not vulnerable to the elements to the same degree that other building materials are. There are a few reasons why steel frame construction stands out more than other building materials. Wood has always been a standby, but its susceptibility to weather and aging make it less than ideal.

Steel frame construction is very sound should there be a detrimental natural occurrence such as an earthquake or severe storm. You steel building should be manufactured to meet all local and applicable codes. Steel frame construction is a serious way to address the risk posed to you and your belongings should a weather emergency arise. Reputable steel building manufacturers only ship pre-engineered steel building systems when standards and codes are met.

It is hard to look past the options and design flexibility that you get with metal and steel buildings. It is not just quality materials that are impressive, but the many accents that can turn a metal building into a beautiful landmark. If you are suffering from lack of space or simply looking for any kind of expansion, check out the range of high quality steel buildings that just might solve your dilemma.