Learn Why Steel Framed Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings
Why Steel?
Compared with other construction types (wood framing, masonry, concrete), steel buildings lead the way in both upfront and long-term cost savings. The speed of construction, durability and low maintenance nature of steel, as well as energy and insurance savings all make steel buildings the obvious choice — and contribute to a low total cost of ownership.
- Low Maintenance – Maintenance costs are less because steel buildings are resistant to the elements that contribute to the typical deterioration of traditional building materials.
- Energy Efficient – When steel buildings are constructed and insulated properly there are fewer places for heat and cold to escape. This saves money on energy costs and creates a more comfortable building envelope.
- Durable – Steel buildings stand up to years of constant use, do not settle over time and are able to withstand harsh weather conditions.
- Pest Resistant – Steel buildings are designed to minimize gaps and cracks in order to prevent infestations of vermin and insects. Because of the inorganic nature of steel, metal buildings do not provide a food source or hospitable living environment for termites or other insects.
- Fire Resistant – Steel buildings are considered non-combustible by the International Building Code.
- Less Expensive to Insure – Steel buildings are often less expensive to insure because of their superior strength, durability, and pest/fire resistance.
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A
- Agricultural Building
- A structure designed and constructed to house farm implements, hay, grain, poultry, livestock, or other horticultural products. This excludes spaces for public occupancy and product processing or packaging.
- Aluminum Coated Steel
- Steel coated with aluminum for corrosion resistance.
- Anchor Bolt Plan
- A plan view drawing showing the diameter, location, and projection of all anchor rods for the components of the Metal Building System. It may also show column reactions and maximum base plate dimensions.
- Apron Flashing
- A flashing located at the junction of the top of the sloped roof and a vertical wall or steeper-sloped roof.
B
- Base Angle
- An angle secured to a wall or foundation used to attach the bottom of the wall paneling.
- Base Flashing
- The lower flashing component of a two-component metal flashing detail, often used for expedience or to accommodate differential thermal movement between building elements or accessories.
- Base Plate
- A plate attached to the bottom of a column that rests on a foundation or other support, usually secured by anchor rods.
- Beam
- A structural member, usually horizontal, that is subject to bending loads. Types include simple, continuous, and cantilever.
- Beam and Column
- A structural system consisting of a series of rafter beams supported by columns, often used as the end frame of a building.
- Building
- A structure forming an open, partially enclosed, or enclosed space constructed by a planned process of combining materials, components, and subsystems to meet specific conditions of use.
- Building Code
- Regulations established by a recognized agency describing design loads, procedures, and construction details for structures, usually applying to a designated political jurisdiction (e.g., city, county, state).
C
- Cantilever Beam
- A beam supported only at one end having a free end and a fixed end.
- Closure Strip
- A resilient strip, formed to the contour of ribbed panels and used to close openings created by ribbed panels joining other components.
- Coil Coating
- The application of a finish to a coil of metal sheet using a continuous mechanical coating process.
- Collateral Loads
- The weight of additional permanent materials required by the contract, other than the Building System, such as sprinklers, mechanical and electrical systems, partitions and ceilings.
- Column
- A main member used in a vertical position on a building to transfer loads from main roof beams, trusses, or rafters to the foundation.
- Continuous Beam
- A beam of variable geometry passing over two supports with overhang on one end or passing over three supports.
- Coping
- The covering piece on top of an exposed wall or parapet usually made of metal, masonry or stone. It is often sloped to shed water back onto the roof.
- Counterflashing
- Formed metal or elastomeric flashing secured on or into a wall, curb, pipe, rooftop unit, or other surface, to cover and protect the upper edge of the base flashing and its associated fasteners from exposure to the weather.
D
- Damper
- A baffle used to open or close the throat of ventilators.
- Deck
- A flat structural element that is fastened to the roof framing members, typically corrugated metal sheets or plywood. It acts as the substrate for non-structural roof panels.
- Downspout
- A vertical conduit used to carry runoff water from a scupper, conductor head or gutter of a building to a lower roof level, or to the ground or storm water runoff system.
- Drip Edge
- A metal flashing, with an outward projecting lower edge, intended to control the direction of dripping water and to protect underlying building components.
E
- Eave
- The line that is usually parallel to the ridge line formed by the intersection of the planes of the roof and wall.
- Endwall
- An exterior wall that is parallel to the interior main frame of the building.
- Erection
- The on-site assembling of fabricated Metal Building System components to form a completed structure.
- Erection Drawings
- Roof and wall erection (framing) drawings that identify individual components and accessories furnished by the manufacturer in sufficient detail to permit proper erection of the Metal Building System.
- Erector
- A party who assembles or erects a Metal Building System.
F
- Fabrication
- The manufacturing process performed in a plant to convert raw material into finished Metal Building System components. The main operations are cold forming, cutting, punching, welding, cleaning and painting.
- Façade
- An architectural treatment, partially covering a wall, usually concealing the eave and/or the rake of the building.
- Flange Brace
- A member used to provide lateral support to the flange of a structural member.
- Footing
- A pad or mat, usually of concrete, located under a column, wall or other structural member, that is used to distribute the loads from that member into the supporting soil.
- Foundation
- The substructure that supports a building or other structure.
G
- Gable
- The triangular portion of the endwall from the level of the eave to the ridge of the roof.
- Galvanized
- Steel coated with zinc for corrosion resistance.
- Gauge
- The thickness of sheet metal.
- Grade
- The term used when referring to the ground elevation around a building.
- Gutter
- A light gauge metal member at an eave, valley or parapet designed to carry water from the roof to downspouts or drains.
H
- Header
- The horizontal framing member located at the top of a framed opening.
- Hip Roof
- A roof that is formed by sloping planes from all four sides.
I
- Insulation
- Any material used in building construction to reduce heat transfer.
J
- Jack Beam
- A beam used to support another beam, rafter or truss and eliminate a column support.
- Jamb
- The vertical framing members located at the sides of an opening.
- Joist
- Light beam for supporting a floor or roof.
K
- Kick-Out (Elbow) (Turn-Out)
- An extension attached to the bottom of a downspout to direct water away from a wall.
L
- Lap Joint
- A joint where one roof panel or flashing segment overlaps another.
- Louver
- An opening provided with fixed or movable, slanted fins to allow flow of air.
M
- Main Frame
- An assemblage of rafters and columns that support the secondary framing members and transfer loads directly to the foundation.
- Manufacturer
- A party who designs and fabricates a Metal Building System.
- Manufacturer’s Engineer
- An engineer employed by a manufacturer who is in responsible charge of the structural design of a Metal Building System fabricated by the manufacturer. The manufacturer’s engineer is typically not the Engineer of Record.
- Metal Building System
- A complete integrated set of mutually dependent components and assemblies that form a building including primary and secondary framing, covering and accessories, and are manufactured to permit inspection on site prior to assembly or erection.
- Multi-Span Building
- Buildings consisting of more than one span across the width of the building. Multiple gable buildings and single gable buildings with interior columns are examples.
N
- Neoprene
- A synthetic rubber (polychloroprene) used in liquid-applied and sheet-applied elastromeric roof membranes or flashings. Also once used as gasketing material beneath the head of metal screw fasteners (although most now use EPDM).
O
- Order Documents
- The documents normally required by the Manufacturer in the ordinary course of entering and processing an order. OSB, and should not be used in roofing applications.
P
- Parapet
- That portion of the vertical wall of a building that extends above the roof line.
- Peak
- The uppermost point of a gable.
- Personnel Doors
- A swinging door used by personnel for access to and exit from a building.
- Pier
- A concrete structure designed to transfer vertical load from the base of a column to the footing.
- Pitch
- The peak height of a gabled building divided by its overall span.
- Portal Frame
- A rigid frame so designed that it offers rigidity and stability in its plane. It is generally used to resist longitudinal loads where other bracing methods are not permitted.
R
- Rafter
- The main beam supporting the roof system.
- Reactions
- The resisting forces at the column bases holding the structure in equilibrium under a given loading condition.
- Retrofit
- The placing of new metal roof or wall systems over deteriorated roofs or walls.
- Ridge
- The horizontal line formed by opposing sloping sides of a roof running parallel with the building length.
- Ridge Cap
- A transition of the roofing materials along the ridge of a roof; sometimes called ridge roll or ridge flashing.
- Rigid Frame
- A structural frame consisting of members joined together with moment connections so as to render the frame stable with respect to the design loads, without the need for bracing in its plane.
- R-value (Thermal Resistance)
- The reciprocal of the U-factor (thermal transmittance). Units of R and h•ft2/Btu. Higher R-values indicate a material’s ability to resist more heat flow.
S
- Sag Member
- A tension member such as rods, straps or angles used to limit the deflection of a girt or purlin in the direction of its weak axis.
- Scupper
- An opening in a gutter or parapet wall that allows excess water to escape.
- Sealant
- A single-or multi-component polymeric or bituminous-based material used to weatherproof construction joints where moderate movement is expected. The material comes in various grades: pourable, self-leveling, non-sagging, gun grade, and tapes.
- Sectional Overhead Doors
- Doors constructed in horizontally hinged sections. They are equipped with springs, tracks, counter
- Seismic Load
- The lateral load acting in any horizontal direction on a structural system due to the action of an earthquake.
- Simple Span
- A term used in structural design to describe a beam support condition at two points which offers no resistance to rotation at the supports.
- Skylight
- A roof accessory to admit light, normally mounted on a curbed framed opening.
- Slide Door
- A single or double leaf door that opens horizontally by means of sliding on an overhead trolley.
- Soffit
- A material that covers the underside of an overhang.
- Soffit Vent
- A pre-manufactured or custom-built air inlet located in the soffit of a roof assembly.
- Soldier Column
- An intermediate column used to support secondary structurals; not part of a main frame or beam and column system.
- Span
- The distance between supports of beams, girders, or trusses.
- Specification (Metal Building System)
- A statement of a set of Metal Building System requirements describing the loading conditions, design practices, materials and finishes. A tool used by erectors to line up holes and to make up bolted connections; a wrench with a tapered handle.
- Stainless Steel
- An alloy of steel that contains a high percentage of chromium to increase corrosion resistance. Also may contain nickel or copper.
- Standing Seam Roof System
- A standing seam roof system is one in which the side laps between the roof panels are arranged in a vertical position above the roof line. The roof panel system is secured to the roof substructure by means of concealed hold down clips attached with screws to the substructure, except that through fasteners may be used at limited locations such as at ends of panels and at roof penetrations.
- Strut
- A member fitted into a framework that resists axial compressive forces.
T
- Tapered Members
- A built up plate member consisting of flanges welded to a variable depth web.
- Tensile Strength
- The longitudinal pulling stress a material can bear without tearing apart.
- Thermal Block
- A thermal insulating material that is placed between the metal building roof and the compressed insulation over the purlins. Also known as a “thermal spacer block”.
- Through-Fastened Roof System
- A through-fastened roof system is one in which the roof panels are attached directly to the roof substructure with fasteners which penetrate through the roof sheets and into the substructure.
- Trim
- The light gauge metal used in the finish of a building, especially around openings and at intersections of surfaces. Often referred to as flashing. When contrasted, “trim” is generally more decorative, while “flashing” serves more as functional weatherproofing.
- Truss
- A structure made up of three or more members, with each member designed to carry a tension or compression force. The entire structure in turn acts as a beam.
U
- Underlayment
- A secondary waterproofing sheet material installed between the substrate and the roof panels, usually used in hydrokinetic roof construction. Some types may be self-adhering.
V
- Vapor Barrier
- Material used to retard the flow of vapor or moisture to prevent condensation from forming on a surface.
- Vent
- An opening designed to exhaust air, heat, water vapor or other gas from a building or a building component to the atmosphere.
- Ventilation
- The process of supplying or removing air by natural or mechanical means to or from any space.
W
- Wainscot
- Wall material used in the lower portion of a wall that is different from the material in the rest of the wall.
- Wind Uplift
- The differential pressure resulting from the deflection of wind at roof edges, roof peaks or obstructions, causing a drop in air pressure immediately above the roof surface. This pressure, combined with “Internal Pressure”, produces an upward force on the roof components. In “Built-Up Roofing”, wind uplift may also occur because of the introduction of wind pressure underneath the membrane and roof edges, where it can cause the membrane to balloon and pull away from the deck.
Z
- Zinc-Aluminum Coated
- Steel coated with an alloy of zinc and aluminum to provide corrosion resistance.