As the global population grows, so does the need for products and services in the supply chain for consumables, durables, disposables and other sundries. To implement manufacturing, production, warehousing and distribution, you need large-scale buildings that will stand the test of time.
Are you looking to build a facility? There are many material and construction component options, but your best bet is a steel building. Is this the right material, and does this structure make sense?
To answer the question, why use prefab buildings? The answer is, why wouldn’t you? They far exceed environmental concerns, are very flexible, and are the strongest and toughest materials to use in a building. If you want to construct a building, the answer should be clear: get a prefab steel building and invest in your future.
Here are the five benefits of prefab buildings:
Durable
A prefabricated steel building is a structure made entirely of steel. This includes:
- Beams
- Frames
- Walls
- Columns
- Roofing
- Siding
Steel also experiences wear and tear differently from other materials like wood. Prefab steel buildings won’t crack, split, creep, expand, or contract, which means they keep their structural integrity. Steel is also typically coated with aluminum-zinc for rust and fire protection, making this galvanized product even more durable.
Versatile
Because of steel components’ inherent strength, you can do much more with building design and layout. This eliminates the interior columns with wood construction, so your building’s interior is wide open, ready for anything you need to do inside. Interrupted space and a larger facility allow flexibility as they accommodate bulky equipment and machinery.
Having an obstacle-free area inside also reduces construction costs because extra support is unnecessary. They are boundaryless in that you can easily add to the structure to increase the building footprint.
Customizable
Steel is among the most customizable building materials because it is melted and molded into whatever structural and aesthetic design you need or want. With wood framing, most building materials are standard dimensional lumber cut on-site to fit the design.
Prefab steel buildings are made in a manufacturing plant. After they are molded, they are shipped to the site and pre-drilled with all the bolts and other parts ready for assembly. If there are any changes, these can be quickly incorporated into the manufacturing process so there are no delays once the material arrives at the building site.
All metal components are very accurate, so they don’t need to be modified during the building’s erection phase.
Quick and Easy to Assemble
As mentioned above, every steel component in the building was prefabricated at a manufacturing plant. This means that when it is shipped to a building site, it is ready to be put together. While a traditional wood-framed building takes months, a prefab steel building takes weeks. This includes placing columns, support beams, bracing, steel roofing, and exterior walls.
When the material arrives on site, you follow an anchor bolt pattern and erection guide, along with your assembly drawings, to put the building together. This also requires a smaller workforce, as a crane lifts the components, and workers bolt them together.
Steel building erection is very cost-effective because there are no on-site delays and extra materials. Time is money, and when you add the speed of erection and the small workforce, a steel building is much cheaper.
Energy Efficient and Eco-Friendly
Steel is unique in its ability to lower utility costs in a building. As solar heat and energy reach the metal roof, they are deflected, keeping the building cooler. This translates into lower cooling costs. Steel buildings also allow for much better isolation to enhance energy efficiency so you don’t lose heat.
Wood is a natural resource, but when cut, it is used once and deteriorates over time. Scrap wood is typically thrown into landfills or burned. However, steel doesn’t suffer the same fate because it is recyclable.
Recycled steel can be utilized in new construction, older buildings can be removed, and the metal can be melted down to make new components. This is unique to construction as it is a multi-cycle product. If you want to be part of the green movement, you must use this sustainable product and build your structure out of steel.
