Understanding the Different Types of Steel Buildings: A Guide for Homeowners and Businesses

As steel buildings keep gaining traction in the construction industry, you are probably wondering: Are they the right choice for your next project? At Armstrong Steel, we recognize the huge impact of steel buildings in modern home and business space construction. After all, these structures are cost-effective, durable, and versatile — everything you want a building to be. That’s why we’ve expanded our offerings to provide a wide range of steel building solutions for industrial, commercial, agricultural, and residential applications.

Not all steel buildings are created equal, of course. To make a solid decision, you need to understand the different types of steel buildings available and their unique features. Not sure where to start? In this guide, we’re exploring the different metal structures available and their applications to help you find the perfect steel building for your needs — whether you’re building for personal or business use.

Framing systems

Because they are available in different framing systems, steel buildings are versatile for any use. Clear-span and modular frames allow us to design your structure for different applications, from warehouses to manufacturing plants to retail establishments, offices, and barndominiums. Let’s delve into the popular options below.

Clear-span

Clear-span framing systems are widely used in projects that require wide and open spaces with minimal to no interior supports or columns. Steel’s innate flexibility and strength make this possible. For this reason, clear-span steel buildings are preferred for sports and equestrian facilities, aircraft hangars, and warehouses. Their versatility extends to other structures that can benefit from the unobstructed interior space, including churches and massive garages.

Multi-span

Multi-span framing uses interior columns to support the walls and roof, making it suitable for larger buildings. Also known as column-and-beam structures, they are often used in malls and large storage facilities. Although there are interior columns, these are strategically placed within the structure to suit any layout requirement and to minimize obstructions.

About pre-engineered steel structures

When you choose a steel building for your next project, you can save time and money on construction and labor costs. At Armstrong Steel, we make this possible by designing and fabricating your structure in-house and ensuring every aspect of your structure is ready to assemble when we deliver it to your site.

Not all pre-engineered metal buildings are the same

Our approach to pre-engineered and prefabricated steel buildings differs from other fabricators. Where others use cookie-cutter and recycled designs, we offer a higher degree of customization options to ensure a high-quality and personalized structure that meets your functional and aesthetic requirements.

At Armstrong Steel, we don’t follow the standards of our competitors. We constantly commit ourselves to design improvements by ensuring each project is approached differently from another. Our building experts pay attention to every connection plate, weld, and other aspects of your steel building, ensuring everything is meticulously engineered and designed to meet your local codes and loads.

Guarantees for your structure

Steel buildings are known for their durability, which allows them to withstand harsh weather and seismic activity. They are strong enough to survive high winds, heavy snowfall, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Plus, the non-combustible nature of steel protects your building from burning down completely in case of a fire.

That said, we want to give you more peace of mind when you choose an Armstrong Steel product. This is why we stand behind your steel building with the following guarantees:

• 50-year structural warranty: Conventional construction typically doesn’t have this warranty and those that do offer only short-term coverage. Our 50-year guarantee is among the longest on today’s market.
• 35-year roof warranty: This covers rust-through-perforation, which you won’t find on traditional structures that don’t withstand the elements as well as steel buildings.
• 40-year paint warranty: Unlike traditional construction that often uses less durable paint finishes that fade quickly, our steel buildings feature baked-on coatings with a 40-year warranty. This ensures your building maintains its looks for many years.

The more versatile way to build

Pre-engineered steel structures offer the highest degree of customization without compromising precision. That’s our promise here at Armstrong Steel. This makes our buildings suitable for a wide range of applications, including agricultural, industrial, and commercial uses. Our steel buildings can be customized in any construction material and interior or exterior finish. Plus, they support all roofing and wall designs, from stucco and metal panels to CMU, shingles, and brick. This ensures your structure won’t look too industrial to your liking, especially if you want its aesthetics to align with your branding and corporate image or personal style.

Exploring the applications of steel structures

When you choose a reputable fabricator like Armstrong Steel, your steel building can be anything you imagine. Whether you need a warehouse, office space, airplane hangar, or even your dream home, our modular and clear-span framing systems offer endless possibilities. Our experts can help you design a layout that maximizes the space and functionality of your structure.

Agricultural buildings

Steel buildings are highly versatile in the agricultural sector, serving as livestock housing, farm equipment storage, and barns. Armstrong Steel guarantees a robust construction that withstands the elements, ensuring a reliable and safe environment for machinery and animals. We have engineered and fabricated many durable and attractive farm structures that are still standing today.

From simple specialized projects to larger farms, our team has what it takes to create a custom prefabricated steel building that meets and exceeds the industry’s standards. Our structures offer excellent ROI to farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs because they require minimal maintenance and repairs. Plus, they are longer lasting.

Residential buildings

Do you have a picture of your dream home? Armstrong Steel will work with you to make it happen! We have years of experience transforming steel buildings into one-of-a-kind houses that meet the specific aesthetic and functional requirements of homeowners.

These structures offer a modern and long-lasting dwelling solution that can evolve with your lifestyle and changing needs. Plus, they are more cost-effective than traditional construction in today’s housing market. With our design expertise, we leverage the durability and strength of steel to create contemporary designs that will make you forget your home is made from steel.

Our building consultants have years of experience maximizing unrestricted spaces to offer more flexibility for any floor plan. A clear-span steel building maximizes interior space and allows for flexible layouts and ample room. We also offer interior finishing services to save you time, money, and effort.

Recreational facilities

Clear-span and modular framing systems are ideal for a variety of community projects, such as community centers, equestrian facilities, and indoor pools. Their adaptability and efficient construction make them a popular choice.

Armstrong Steel is proud to have worked with private organizations, cities, churches, and schools that needed our flexible designs and value engineering to realize recreational facilities. Our steel structures are customizable in any color to suit your preferences. Plus, we use metal panels in various styles and profiles for all roofing and wall applications.

Aviation structures

At Armstrong Steel, we understand that hangar design isn’t merely about building big. Aesthetics also matter, so we avoid reproducing designs. We can transform a steel building into an aircraft hangar that suits your needs. Our large clear-span designs can go up to 300 feet wide, ensuring your aircraft can fit. Our team also provides detailed engineering drawings to help you secure construction permits and speed up the assembly and erection of your new facility.

Garages

Do you need more space for your growing collection of vehicles? How about secure parking for your everyday cars? We got you! Our top-quality steel buildings make the perfect garages with their unmatched flexible interior layouts that can accommodate larger openings. And since you’re building with steel, you can count on the material’s longevity and durability to keep protecting your assets.

Workshops

Whether for business or personal use, a steel building can become a workshop with customized spaces for any activity, such as woodworking and welding. We can customize your metal workshop with door and window styles of your choice. Plus, we offer many color options, roof styles, and architectural features to help you personalize your building.

Our steel buildings are prefabricated, making them excellent DIY projects. We can also help you find qualified contractors to assist in assembling and erecting your custom workshop.

What are you building?

Check with us today to see how a steel building can benefit your project. Talk to our experts by calling 1-800-345-4610 or get a quote here. You can trust Armstrong Steel to provide the best solution and deliver it on time.

Home » Armstrong Network » Understanding the Different Types of Steel Buildings: A Guide for Homeowners and Businesses