How to determine your building needs. (Building/Construction).

When it comes to constructing large structures, many in the market are choosing pre-engineered buildings as a way of significantly cutting construction costs.

Pre-engineered steel building systems (SBS) have a variety of uses and are a good option when someone is looking at a large, low-cost building from one to four storeys, such as big-box department stores, warehouses, hangars and even apartment blocks up to three floors high.

The design and construction of the project can greatly depend on the customer's wishes. The contractor can meet with a dealer who specializes in pre-engineered buildings to discuss what it is exactly the purchaser is looking for in the construction of the building. The contractor will then pass on those requirements to the manufacturer.

One of the advantages of the pre-engineered building is in the weight and, thus, the cost. Because the building is constructed for simplicity - essentially a building shell - a minimum of steel is required in construction. And, in an industry where the cost of steel is measured by the pound, that can be a major cost-saver.

There is also a major cost savings in the engineering and design of a building. Pre-engineered means that the contractor has supplied their dealer with the specifications of what the customer wants and that the engineering of the building has already been done in-house by the manufacturer.

As a result, there is a lot less engineering or architectural work needed from outside sources. From the simplicity of the design and the minimum of materials going into the building shell, the cost of erecting the building has been brought down from as much as $280 per square foot to as little as $120 per square foot.

The purchaser also has less to worry about the building meeting municipal building codes.

Of course, there are some important questions that the purchaser needs to ask:

What is the purpose of the building?

What are their expectations of the project?

What are their plans for the building - is this the size it will stay at, or are there future plans for expansion?

Are they sure that this is the option that they want to go with?

These questions affect not only the choice of whether or not to go with a pre-engineered building, but also what sort of design changes might be needed in the package they have ordered to allow for possible expansions.

There is also the question of how large the building is expected to be. Although pre-engineered buildings are modular, they are limited in their size. Building sizes can range from 2,000 square feet to as much as 400,000 square feet, although most are an average of 10,000 to 20,000 square feet.

The strength of steel means that spans can be constructed as wide as 250 feet, which is enough to provide sufficient clearance for a Boeing 747.

Most pre-engineered buildings are restricted to only being perhaps three or four floors in height. Larger buildings have more elaborate concerns. Although a 50-storey building might look boxy and modular in its design, one is not likely to see a pre-engineered sky scraper any time in the near future.

Other aspects such as door styles, cladding, ventilation and flooring can be worked out between the purchaser and the contractor.

Some people may be concerned with the esthetic appearance of the building. After all, the building is simple in its design. They can add on a variety of fronts to the building, as well as put any number of changes inside. But if their plans are for something a little more elaborate, such as an office complex, they may choose instead to go with a more elaborate design/build program.

Finding a company that sells pre-engineered buildings and a contractor to erect it is as simple as going to the Internet or leafing through the Yellow Pages.

Questions to ask the contractor

- Are they trained in erecting these systems?

- Can they supply a list of past customers?

- Are they a financially stable company?

- Do they have sales and marketing ability, as well as the construction capability?

- Do they have a high local reputation?

- And do they have CSA-A660 certification for the building that is being erected? This is a quality assurance standard initiative by the Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute that requires steel buildings be designed and built according to Canadian codes.