Types of steel buildings

Steel buildings are fast providing the needs of the commercial building industry today. These metal structures quickly meet the demands of both builders and clients alike. It is no wonder that the popularity of steel buildings continues to grow exponentially.

Why are so many people using steel buildings? Basically because of the many great benefits that steel buildings have to offer. For one, steel buildings are strong and durable. They are also much safer structures in the sense that they remain very stable during earthquakes and are highly resistant to fire. The materials and the ingenious construction methods used for steel buildings allow them to be constructed much faster and much cheaper than conventional buildings.

There should be no second thoughts as to why you should choose a steel building over other types of commercial buildings. If there is anything to question, it should be what type of steel building you should choose. There seems to be many kinds of steel buildings in existence but all of them fall into three general types. The three types of steel buildings are:

1. Straight-walled
2. Arch
3. Clear span

The straight-walled type of steel building is a simple structure that provides the maximum amount of usable space. Because straight-walled steel buildings are pretty much just a square box, its uncomplicated design makes it very easy and very fast to build. There is a lot of room for additional design and expansion in a straight-walled steel building. These types of steel buildings do not require posts or sometimes even floors. The straight-walled type of steel building is often used for structures such as office spaces, churches, living areas, factories, warehouses, and etc.

Arch steel buildings are also called Quonset hut steel buildings. If you want to be cost effective, pick this type of steel building. The exterior sheeting of an arch steel building is what makes up the building itself. Additionally, this type of steel building is self-supporting and does not require extra support beams or internal columns. Aside from being typically the most inexpensive steel building, arch steel buildings are also very easy to put up. Arch steel buildings can be easily disassembled and transferred to another location. The dome shape design of arch steel buildings may make it hard to put windows or doors on that area, but it makes them more resistant to the elements. This is the reason why arch steel buildings are often used in the agricultural industry as farm barns, crop storage places, and tools and equipment warehouses.

The clear span type of steel building gets its name from the huge expanse of unobstructed space that this type of structure provides. Clear span steel buildings eliminate the need for support columns inside the building by strengthening the overhead support beams. And because there are no posts inside clear span steel buildings, you get to use every square inch of space under its roof. Structures such as gymnasiums, churches, arenas, auditoriums and other places that cannot tolerate interior columns can greatly benefit from a clear span type of steel building.