Top 5 Most Popular Types of Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are some of the most durable construction solutions on the planet. That’s a well known fact. But did you know how versatile pre-engineered steel buildings are? Steel buildings are more than just a boxy warehouse, and they can accommodate any builder’s need. By my estimation, these are the most often requested types of steel buildings. What type of building will you choose?

Garage/Workshop

One of the most popular uses for a pre-engineered steel building is the garage/workshop because it provides the durability and strength to protect your classic car, motorcycle or power tools. Whether it’s restoring an old Camaro or using an air compressor to do some spray painting, I’m sure you’ve spent plenty of time inside a steel garage doing what you love. Pre-engineered steel buildings are engineered to withstand the elements in your area, like high winds, snow and seismic activity. Engineers use the guidelines, provided by your local municipality, in the design process. Plus, the parts arrive to your job site ready to be erected, unlike wood buildings or pole barns, which arrive to your job site as raw lumber. You can be sure your steel building will be up to the task of protecting your possessions if you live anywhere. Practice your favorite hobby and protect your possessions in a steel garage, or even think about adding the perfect man cave or lady lair to your property!

Commercial/Industrial steel buildings

Are you a small business owner? Have you seen your competition begin an expansion recently? If so, a pre-engineered steel building can be what you need to take your small business to the next level. Pre-engineered steel buildings are easily expandable and can help you grow in your targeted market. When your current building is cramped or too small, consider expanding to a steel building. Pre-engineered steel buildings are half the cost, and generally can be erected in half the time, compared to other traditional construction methods. Not to mention you’re able to utilize a clear span design in a pre-engineered steel building. Clear span buildings don’t have intrusive poles or columns, and don’t need a truss and cord system. All of the space in the ceiling is usable too! Many business owners choose steel because they want to use all of the space in the building, not just some of the space blocked by interior framing. Basically, these buildings are designed to transfer loads from the roof to the foundation without truss systems, leaving the entire square footage open and available. This design really provides you the maximum amount of space for storage, and is the best investment for your business if you’re having the “space debate.”

Agricultural steel buildings

If you’re a farmer, agriculturalist or agronomist, a steel building is your best friend due to its ability to store feed, hay, animals and large equipment safely. Are you worried about your livestock’s well being? Build a steel barn to house your goats, cows and horses. Horses have a tendency to chew on anything or kick internal columns, and they could get hurt and damage the structural integrity of the building. A steel agricultural building doesn’t need internal columns for support, plus you won’t need to constantly replace poles, animal pens or posts due to the wear and tear of animals, rot, fungi and insects. Your animals have a safe habitat to move safely, especially if you construct pens inside. Now, most farm animals can survive some exposure to cold weather. When the temperatures start to drop to below freezing, your animals might not be able to deal with the cold. If you live in frigid parts of the country that gets a lot of snow or ice, you may need to look at heating your steel barn. One of the advantages to a pre-engineered steel building is its energy efficiency. Plus, you can easily insulate steel buildings as well. You’ll want to find insulation with a high R-value and eliminates condensation. You don’t want to lose an animal or crops to any cold-related problems.

Residential steel buildings

Steel buildings might not fit into your stereotypical image of a residential home, but they should. Many people are now building pre-engineered steel buildings for houses and living quarters due to the reduced amount of upkeep, cost effectiveness and improved designs. Steel buildings are generally half the cost of traditional construction methods, and are stronger and require less overall maintenance. Termites and other insects don’t feed on steel either. People across the country are starting to realize a residential steel building doesn’t have to look like a big box, and with different steel building finishing options, it can look any way they want. Really, the outside design options are almost limitless when you purchase a pre-engineered steel building.

Aviation steel buildings

Airplanes require large, open space for storage purposes. You don’t want a cramped hangar! You need uninterrupted space to store an airplane and you certainly get it from a pre-engineered steel building. Like I mentioned before, steel buildings incorporate a clear span design to ensure you don’t have any intrusive poles jutting down into the interior of your building. As a matter of fact, the US Department of Defense even mandates that all government hangars should be steel, most likely for the reason of durability, space, cost and ease of erection. This means you can store large planes and helicopters, or just about any other large aircraft in your wide open space. There are also several airplane hangar door options you can incorporate into your steel hangar building.

Want to see more options? Check out our photo galleries to see how others use their steel buildings!

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