When it comes to metal buildings systems, the benefits are many, including a lower initial investment, lower cost of ownership, faster method of construction, and fewer suppliers involved in a given project. These are a few of the reasons you'll find that over 40% of low-rise, nonresidential construction projects across the country utilize metal building systems compared to other methods of construction.
When the opportunity to incorporate a metal building system into a project you are designing arises, the challenges to create a rock-solid set of specifications can be numerous. To address those challenges head-on, one of the most important items you will need is knowledge to fully understand how to successfully create a set of metal building system specifications promoting a project that meets or exceeds the expectations of everyone involved.
Metal buildings are comprised of steel components such as columns, rafters, roof purlins, wall girts, bracing, roof sheeting, wall sheeting and trims. The completed structure is designed as a system to accommodate the specified code and loads while keeping the elements out of the envelope.
Another way to describe what a metal building is, is to describe what it isn’t. Historically, pre-engineered has been a term used to represent the metal building industry and could lead a designer to believe a standard building design is waiting to be pulled off a shelf, incorporate it into your project, shipped to the job site and erected, promoting an easy button win with high-five’s for everyone as you go home early. Embellished slightly, but 60 years ago this may not have been too far off from the truth.
In today’s reality however, there is little to no pre-engineered about it. In fact, instead of being pre-engineered, nearly all metal building systems today are custom designed to meet the specific intended end use requirements of the owner in regard to size, codes, loads, sustainability, location, roof and wall materials, aesthetics, energy costs, etc. The possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to design and are limited only by imagination, budget and construction timeline.
A designer can create a set of specifications that will clearly and accurately communicate the intended requirements, needs and performance of the metal building system. One of the main points to keep in mind regardless of how your project is going to market, such as public hard bid, negotiated, or design/build, is that you do not have to be the expert at designing the metal building. Instead, it is highly encouraged to focus on utilizing a team of expert resources within the metal building industry to provide input towards the design and specification writing process at the very beginning of the project’s conception.
In addition to the owner, engineer of record and architect, this expert team of resources should include a metal building manufacturing representative, and a contractor and erector who both engage regularly in metal building construction, as well as any specialty equipment manufacturers and suppliers whose products and services are critical to the design and construction process. As mentioned earlier in this article, knowledge is one of the most important items needed, and with a team of experts like this, the abundance of knowledge will help successfully create a specification that will clearly communicate the project’s metal building system requirements.
“That sounds great but how do I go about finding these experts?” you might ask. The good news is that this is a mature industry full of resources. A few places to look include the websites of metal building manufacturers, contractor websites, Metal Building Manufacturers Association, American Institute of Steel Construction, International Accreditation Service, Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute and Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association.
Craig Wastell is the director of learning and development at Nucor Buildings Group, Waterloo, Ind. For more information, visit www.nucorbuildingsystems.com.