More Building For Less Money

I recently participated in a local farm show and a gentleman walked up to me and went over the parameters of a building he was looking to put up for his business.  He wanted a shop area at a certain height with a lean-to off the side at a lower height for a small office and storage area.  One of the main reasons behind the different eave heights was to save money on the building.  The perception was that he would be saving money but in this scenario he would actually be saving money with a larger, full height building. I'm sure you're asking much like he did, how can that be true?  Let's take a look at the variables.

First, let's look at the building geometry.  The span of the main building was 32 feet and the lean-to was only 18 feet for a total span of 50 feet.  For steel building construction a span of up to 90 to 100 feet is relatively economical.  Larger clear spans are definitely possible but the cost of the frame starts to escalate a bit more.  In this scenario with a modest span we can not only make the building costs reasonable but we eliminate the columns where the main building and lean-to join.  We have effectively pushed the structural steel vertical columns to the outer walls of the footprint.  This will also will reduce the weight of steel used for the project which is always a governing factor in the end cost of the building.

The second cost savings comes in the erection price of the building due to the reduced labour hours required.  By eliminating the row of columns and having two horizontal steel members, the crew can now lift in place the entire horizontal beam all at once.  In addition, the need for more time consuming flashings at the high/low junction are eliminated and the roofing panels don't have to be cut and installed at shorter lengths.

Lastly let's take a look at the end result within the building.  With the office and storage room height lower than the eave height, we now have created a mezzanine space above that can be used for further storage.  The shop space in this scenario is going to be unheated so there are no additional costs for heating for example.  It depends on the size of the building but if they were to heat and/or cool the space, the additional load on the equipment might not be substantial.  I've mentioned it in other articles, but insulating a building always makes good business cents regardless on whether or not the building will be heated.

When you take the time to review your building needs versus the building cost, make sure to consult an expert in the metal building industry to see how to maximize the building and possibly reduce other related costs.  A good professional has the experience to think outside of the box...the steel box that is!