DESIGNING YOUR METAL BUILDING
Your design may undergo several important steps prior to it being manufactured.
- Your Steel Depot representative will help you design your building.
- Your building design will be delivered to the Technical Services and Engineering department to verify that your design is structurally functional.
- Your design will delivered to production to be manufactured.
By following theses design and engineering steps, you will likely steer clear of the problems some customers face when attempting to erect a steel buildings. Steel construction standards sometimes require minor alterations in your original design and Steel Depot personnel will discuss these details to help you make informed choices.
DESIGN
Discuss with Steel Depot personnel the purposes, uses, and needs your new building will serve and we will help in creating a structure that meets your requirements both functionally and visually.
Width & Length– Consider the uses of your building. Our structures can accommodate nearly any purpose, from a small workshop to an enormous industrial building. We are able to easily accommodate anything as much as 120′ wide and 400′ long. In case your project needs are bigger than this, your Steel Depot salesman will help you.
Height – A vital a part of any building structure is its height. In steel structures, the word “eave” height can be used to establish how tall your building will be. Note: it doesn’t mean clearance within the building, but merely the peak from the outside wall. Figure out how much clearance is needed within your new building and the height of your doors. As an over-all guideline your building height must be 2 ft greater than your doors.
Roof Slope – The rooftop slope, or roof pitch, determines the angle of the roof. This measurement is calculated by rise over run. A 1:12 roof pitch would rise 1″ for each 12″ of width. If you want extra height in the heart of your structure, we are able to easily accommodate pitches as much as 4:12.
Framed Openings – Large doorways require us to frame the door. This often requires structural alterations to your building’s design, requiring us to know their exact place and dimensions. If your building needs a 10′ roll-up door, the structure height will have to be a minimum of 12′. The majority of the door is located in the space above the door header when it is open. The doorway jambs (side door supports) have to remain 2′ from all columns.
Another factor affecting openings especially framed openings is wind bracing. Wind bracing is going to be described later, but you should know that at certain places cable bracing is going to be placed to bolster your building’s structural strength. This bracing will prevent you from putting an opening in a few locations. Cable bracing helps you control the cost of your new building.