Archive for the 'Pre-Fabricated Building News' Category

Roles and Responsibilities of LEED

Published October 27, 2011 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , going green , Pre-Fabricated Building News Leave a Comment
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In any project, it is the responsibility of each member such as the owner, architect, engineer, contractor and end user who each have a responsibility in their project that will eventually receive LEED certification.  It is crucial that those who are involved in a LEED project understand their roles and responsibilities.  Recently, a project was reviewed by Thomas Taylor who was asked by a general contractor to review proposed contract language for a project which LEED certification was to be issued.

The 29 year old veteran of the construction industry, Thomas Taylor is the general manager of St. Louis-based Vertegy.  Guide to LEED 2009: Estimating and Preconstruction Strategies, his recent book  provides step-by-step information about the LEED 2009 for the New Construction process.

In reviewing a contract, he found that their was a lump sum general contract in which the contractor had no responsibility for the design of the project. The language related to LEED certification had led the reader to believe that the owner may not have been fully aware of which members of the delivery team were responsible for the various activities that are required in a LEED project.  The reason why they had thought this was because of the following statement:  Contractor shall have on staff LEED Accredited Professional who has experience in constructing LEED certified projects and shall, as requested by the owner, administer the LEED certification process using its best efforts to cooperate with architect and assist the owner to achieve the desired LEED certification for the project.

When seeing proposed contractual language such as the above, especially questions such as what is the owner’s definition of cooperation? or how much effort will it take to assist the owner in achieving the desired level of LEED certification? These questions can sometimes take a variety of different meanings. At the beginning of every project, there is usually an optimistic feeling from all the members of the team that everything regarding the project will work out as planned.  As the project moves from design to construction, budgets, value-engineering exercises are required and a lot of the times schedules are disrupted and everything from the planned project gets shifted. When faced with extreme stressors, the project can change completely.  A practical approach to avoid this is to alleviate potential problems that could arise with the use of vague terms such as cooperate and assist is to specify the exact activities required by the contractor or to provide and allowance of hours that may be extended to assist the owner with LEED- related tasks. Create a list of tasks and decide which member will take over each tasks and after allowing a certain amount of hours this will allow the member to complete the task without falling behind.  When the list is followed accordingly, this will allow your project to become successful. For more information on tips about this topic, visit: www.vertegyconsultants.com

For more info on LEED related topics, visit: www.norsteel.com

Strong Demand for Prefabricated Building Systems Until 2015

Published October 12, 2011 Pre-Fabricated Building News Leave a Comment
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Pre-fabricated steel building. Image: Norsteel.

According to a recent study by Freedonia Market Research Group, there will be an overwhelming demand for pre-fabricated steel buildings in the next four years.

In fact, the demand for nonresidential prefabricated buildings is set to increase by 7% every year until 2015, bringing to total growth to around $16 billion. While the demand for such buildings was relatively low in 2010, the recovery in the next four years will focus on the need for more prefabricated office and commercial buildings.

There are several kinds of prefabricated building systems: modular, metal, precast concrete, autoclaved aerated concrete, and fabric. Of all these kinds, metal buildings will still take the larger portion of the prefabricated building systems market, taking up about 45% of the total market share. This particular market will also experience an increase of around 6% annually. Meanwhile, other prefabricated building systems will increase by around 8% annually for the next four years.

While metal building systems will remain most in demand for commercial and office buildings, growth in other kinds of prefabricated buildings is also expected. With modular classrooms growing more popular, modular buildings will certainly be more popular. Precast concrete buildings will also experience a rise in sales, with the improvement of design and sound attenuation qualities.

In terms of nonresidential applications, prefabricated metal building structures will be most common in industrial, commercial, and office markets. In fact, the market for prefabricated metal buildings is set to grow by doubt digits annually until 2015, thanks to the improvement in designs and increased demand for them. Naturally, Norsteel will stay at the forefront of such improvements.

With the increased demand for nonresidential construction activity, economic growth, and population growth, the South and West North American will will experience the strongest regional market gains.

Dri-Design Metal Panels

Published September 20, 2011 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , Pre-Fabricated Building News , Steel Building Tips Leave a Comment
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Dry-design was first invented in Holland Michigan in 1995 by president Brad Zeeff.  Dri-Design has become very popular in the wall panel industry.  Zeef wanted to solve what he thought as the significant shortfalls of metal panel systems which was delamination, staining due to weather, gaskets, a lack of colour and texture options.  He came up with dri-design which is meticulous in engineering, 100% recyclable, pressure equalized rain screen, and architectural metal wall panel system that can attach to any substrate without the use of clips or extrusions. The equalized rain screen can be installed simply over commercial grade Tyvek onto plywood.

Zeeff says “Don’t let its sleek, simple design fool you, the panel system is as innovative as they come.”  Dri-design has a patented design that has passed the most stringent air, water and structural testing requirements in the industry, this includes the AAMA 508-07 test for pressure equalized rain-screens, as well as Miami Dade Country hurricane testing.  The reason why Dri-design is so successful is because of its interlocking system used to fasten the panels to the structure. This also functions as a superior method of water management. It has a unique technology, the panels perform flawlessly in the long term, without the delaminating, streaking or staining associated with silicone sealants, gaskets and laminated competitor products.

Not only are the panels an intriguing aspect of dri-design, the company also utilizes the latest automation technologies to streamline the manufacturing process. Each panel is produced in a matter of seconds.  The interlocking panels system itself simplifies the install process, making it quicker and more efficient than the more traditional ones. Clients can be assured of faster cladding lead times and buildings are occupied much sooner.

The average standard composite panel core is 4mm and is laminated to very thin aluminum skins, dri-design uses only solid plate aluminum, zinc, copper sheet metals to create durable architectural panels that are 100% recyclable. At dri-design, their strict policy is to make sure that recycling and creating products are sustainable.  With Dri-design, customers can be confident that panels are available in a variety of colours and sizes. However, it is dri-design’s distinct customization capabilities that make using their panels system all the more inviting. The panels can be tailored to many different sizes and are manufactured in a variety of gauges of aluminum, zinc, copper, stainless steel, weathering steel, Luvata and titanium. The panels can also be further customized through embossing, texturing and an exclusive process that creates three-dimensional patterns and images. Dri-design has gained major popularity and is becoming huge in the steel building business!

For more information on Dri-design, visit:  http://www.dri-design.com/

For more information on panels, accessories, steel buildings and more, feel free to visit us at www.norsteel.com

Source:  www.metalarchitecture.com

Effective Dust Suppression

Published August 26, 2011 Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News , Steel Building Tips Leave a Comment
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Are you wondering what the most effective method is for dust suppression? Most companies today use a particular method for dust suppression on demolition and recycling projects. The most popular method that is used is to manually spray the area with a hose. But one company by the name of Schielein had been doing some research and found alternative methods for dust suppression. According to the company it was becoming an expensive approach, and one of their employees would spend an entire shift just spraying the work site which was becoming incredibly time consuming. The problem with this method was that it was very ineffective and would dislodge dust from the ground and send it airborne. The volume of the water would quickly soak the debris turning it into a muddy mess. If any of the material had to be taken to a landfill afterwards, it would be very expensive to do so because most of the debris would be water weight.

Finally, after doing some investigating the company purchased a dust suppression unit from another supplier. It would basically create snow and with a few revisions. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointment. The operation and portability were among the primary problems of this machine. After comparing several machines, the company ultimately settled for a machine called DustBoss DB-60 from Dust Control Technology (DCT), it is the largest model in the company’s family of dust management. The machine was very effective. It covered a huge area with a very fine mist. Unlike, other machines they tend to spray huge droplets and create more of spray then fog.

The machine is estimated to save them as much as $2,000 per week. Price always plays a huge factor and before this company purchased this product they made sure to look at less expensive products first.  Maintenance costs and service life was also very important to them before purchasing the DustBoss.  It’s built with all heavy duty components and carries the best warranty in the industry.  They were looking for something with a permanent solution.  This product has been in service for more than six years and it still performing as if brand new.  It’s paid for itself in man power and is helping to avoid work stoppages and potential fines.  The company has also purchased second Dust Boss unit, a DB-30 that’s the right size for on site concrete reycling operations that have become a company specialty. However, the smaller unit is being used for crushing and recycling.  The product has become so successful that the company now is including DustBoss literature in the package when ever they do a quote for a job.  Customers see this as apart of their proposal.

If you’re looking for a machine that will do just this, please visit:  www.recyclingproductsnews.ca or http://dustboss.com/

For more information on our company, please visit: www.norsteel.com

Making Recycling Easier

Published August 26, 2011 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , going green , Pre-Fabricated Building News 1 Comment
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Looking to make your recycling process easier? Well there is a product called CleanStream which is designed to increase recyclers profitability.  This process combines the power of the company’s P-Rex drum magnet and the new Shred 1 separator. Making it easier to separate garbage as well as shredding it.

The drum improves ferrous recovery by one to two percent while the shred1 separator produces a low copper content.  In this process, the materials will go through a permanent rare earth drum magnet which is designed using sophisticated modeling techniques up to 40 percent strong than any electro drum. This requires no operating power and can move large spherical objects at twice the distance. Keep in mind that current electromagnetic drum technology is not capable of sustaining a deep enough magnet field to attract much of the heavy spheres referred to as meatballs and knuckles.  The next step in this process is that the materials go on to the shred1 separator which will use ballistics to automatically separate high grade iron rich ferrous from mixed metals and waste. This will utilize  a high speed conveyor belt and will subject the material to forces that push different materials into a trajectories. This will result in the smallest and purest items that will be pulled from the natural trajectory of the larger and less pure ferous and ferrous composite items such as meatballs, tires, etc.  The more pure ferous items report to the shred chute and move to a stacking conveyor.

The second fraction is the larger size ferrous items and lower grade ferrous including meatballs and wiring harnesses. This streamline represents 10 to 20 percent of the original stream and proceeds to hand picking stations.  Because the cleanstream has reduced the volume, the handpicking can be equipped with slower and narrower belts and will require fewer picking personnel.  The third stream represents the non-value wastes. Most of the bulk of this material is usually steel belted rubber tires.

Cleanstream enables shredders to deliver low-copper content shred which steel mills will pay a premium because of too much copper being melted and because of this it will also embrittle the steel batch and affect the surface quality of the end of product. And finally, factoring in the value of meatballs and other copper and nonferrous items that are recovered as discrete saleable commodities.  They are worth several times more by weight than shredder steel and automated equipment recovers more of the material than manual sorters can. If your interested in the Cleanstream product, there are many advantages and this will also make your recycling product so much easier! See below for product info.

For more information on this article and products you can visit www.recyclingproductnews.ca and for more information on steel buildings, visit us at www.norsteel.com

Back-up Panels in a All in One System

Published August 8, 2011 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News Leave a Comment
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A problem that many architects and contractors face is finding a back-up wall system that will keep moisture out and the heat in.  Even though most component back up systems consist of layers of batt or board insulation, exterior gypsum board, air barriers, vapor retarders or building wraps, there is a company called Moon Township who offer an all in one MetalWrap series insulated composite back-up panel.  This consists of a single thermal, air and moisture barrier back up system. These panels can be used with element exterior or mixed medium buildings using a metal brick and terra cotta exteriors.

Today, builders are looking for a high level of performance as well as easy insulation.  The MetalWrap series does just this by positioning the panel component instead of several separate building materials.  A lot of the problem areas are being removed by providing a single component. This will give the ability to provide a continuous air and thermal barrier for the envelope.  If the layers of the traditional multiple component back up system fails, this can lead to moisture build-up and entrapment within the wall cavity of the building and will result in mold, poor insulation and corroded studs.  With the MetalWrap series panels, they have vapor, water, air and thermal barriers which are all included in one single piece. This will lower the risk for failure by combining all barriers into a single-component.  A major benefit to this is that the system will simplify the speed up for construction.

The problem with traditional system is that they need multiple work crews, more job-site deliveries and coordination of scheduling and sequencing.  With MetalWrap systems, it allows for faster close-in and dry-in and minimal construction waste.  It also includes advanced thermal and moisture protection technology which will control moisture without loosing thermal efficiency.  The way the system works is by combining insulated foam core with a durable metal rainscreen, air and moisture barrier and unique clips, anchors and supports that will meet the requirements of each exterior building material. Most architects do not have to worry about what they are putting behind a building  if they have a combination of brick and metal facade on a building because of the various details that are going to take to transfer from one exterior material to the other. The system can be used on this type of elevation.

The panels are available in 2 to 4 inch thick with up to an R-27 value and can be installed horizontally or vertically. They are manufactured with a high volume of recycled content and are Cradle to Cradle Certified at the silver level and may aid in LEED points. The panels also meet thermal and fire code requirements.

For more information on panels, please feel free to visit www.norsteel.com

Source: Metal Architecture Magazine

Steel Walk doors

Published August 8, 2011 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , Pre-Fabricated Building News , Steel Building Tips Leave a Comment
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Deciding which steel walk doors to install in your steel building can sometimes be tricky. There are many factors to consider such as where do I buy steel walk doors and which type of steel walk doors do I purchase and often the choice is based on a convenient place to buy them rather than the most important factor which is the price and quality of the doors.

You must make sure that for every building, you consider each door for application and usage.  There is a guide that can help you with this, it’s called “Selection and Usage Guide” which has been created by The Steel Door Institute.  This guide can help with exterior and interior applications and is an excellent guide to determine choices.  The tougher the environment and the more frequent the usage, the more probable the need for heavier gauges and higher grades of hardware.  For example; if you are using a standard 20-gauge door and this is pretty standard for many applications, however a heavier 18-gauge door is probably the most recommended choice for entrance doors especially with higher traffic requirements.  You may also be looking at a heavy duty Grade 2 lock or a Grade 1 lock which might be necessary in this situation rather than a light of medium duty Grade 2 or 3 lock. There is a huge variety so it’s important to research these more thoroughly before making a final decision. Keep in mind that there are other key choices to be made with larger pricing implications not just gauges of doors, frames and grades of locks.

A typical choice is the door core. Exterior doors should have an insulated core, with polystyrene or polyurethane filler. Polystyrene is the most common and cost effective and typically carries an R-value of around 4-5.  Here is a little bit more info on Polyurethane, in case you are not familiar with it. They are widely used in high resiliency flexible foam seating, rigid foam insulation panels, microcellular foam seals and gaskets and much more.  It is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane (carbamate) links. Now back to the R-Value, something to consider on your door is the R-Value.  This will include the frame and components of the door.  Because doors and constantly being opened and closed, the seal on the door has a much greater impact than a static door R-Value and this is based on the warm and cold air that passes through the system. So you need to ensure that the doors are well sealed through a high quality screw on or kerf type weather seal and the cost will illuminate your need for a polyurethane core ensuring the best economic fit is provided.

For more information on this product or any accessories for your steel building, please visit us at www.norsteel.com

Things to Consider When Buying Horse Stables

Published March 29, 2011 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News Leave a Comment
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When thinking about purchasing a steel building for your horse stable, there are many requirements that you need to think of.   Horse stables need to be extremely durable, structurally sound, wind, weather, fire and insect resistant, and capable of housing animals that weigh nearly a ton. You also need to think about climate, whether the stable will house breeding stock or riding horse and other considerations must also be taken into account when selecting the type of building to use.

A steel building barn meets all of the necessary requirements and conditions. They are maintenance free once erected, can be built to specification on a firm footing or pre-existing slab, and provide a warm, safe environment for the housing of horses or other livestock.

The advantages of steel building and barns over more traditional buildings include:  Speed of construction. With pre-engineered barn buildings, a steel horse barn can be manufactured, delivered and erected in a matter of a few months as opposed to the 6-9 month time required for building a structure composed of traditional materials

Durability. Steel horse stables are free from insects that cause damage to wooden structures. They are also less likely to house vermin. In addition, steel will not rot, crack or deteriorate like a wooden barn.

Insurance benefits. Due to the fire resistant nature of steel, property and fire insurance premiums are much cheaper for steel buildings and barns – in contrast to hefty insurance costs for traditional wooden stables.

Safety. Horses are more secure in a steel building or barn. Steel will not splinter if kicked, and there is no exposed wood for horses to bite or chew on, eliminating concerns about ‘cribbing’ or injuries caused by ingesting treated wood fragments.

Cost. Barn construction costs are far lower with a steel barn and are less expensive to maintain over time. They do not require painting or other protection from the elements, and can carry a significant snow load. Whether a rigid frame building or a more traditional pole barn style is selected, steel is cheaper in the long run compared to other building materials, due to the expected life span of the building.

Convenience. Using steel for horse stables means that adding stall features such as dividers, doors, feeders and watering options is as simple as bolting components onto the steel. Partitions can be erected to provide areas for feed and tack or equipment storage. Kits with all the necessary parts for a fully functional horse barn can be customized for the desired number of stalls as well as any additional features.

For more information on steel buildings, please visit: www.norsteel.com

Source: www.buildingsguide.com

Steel Warehouse Buildings

Published March 17, 2011 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News Leave a Comment
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As long as you have the right tools and correct guidelines, building a steel warehouse building can be easy.  Warehouse designs are more advanced and available as they were not in the past.  A good manufacture will provide features that will make your planning and constructing process easy.

There are a few factors that will influence the design of your steel warehouse building.  Below, you will find a few key factors that you must consider before  constructing. The first one is building code, you must make sure that you know your local code information. You can find this out by calling your local building department and telling them that you would like to build a metal building at the given location. It is up to you, as the customer, to give the metal building supplier the final code information. It’s also a good idea to look into the setbacks and other code information that may prohibit the use of a metal building or any building on a given lot.

The second factor is the building dimensions of the building. Gather the dimensions of your warehouse building and indicate where you would like to have doors and windows and what color walls, roof and trim you want to have as well as the height of the building. This is extremely important when constructing a warehouse building, as doors must be the right size for large machinery and the dimensions will determine what inevitably can fit inside your warehouse. When it comes to the height of your building, please don’t forget to consider these two factors which are the overall height measured on the outside and the interior clearance.

Roof pitch – The dimensions of your roof are important to consider when constructing your  building.  Take a look at both the shape and the pitch of the roof as rigid frame metal buildings can come with several types of roofing options. Here are some options of roofs: a single slope roof construction starts with one side wall higher than the other and the roof simply slants from the high wall to the lower. A peaked or gable roof is more of a traditional peak with the roof running down both sides.

There are a few more things to consider, once the design of your building is complete. The first thing is engineering.  Once the basic design is complete and you’ve paid a deposit, an engineer needs to create the specifications and blueprints for the building. The next step is fabrication and delivery- This is when the production begins. The beams, posts, girders, side and roof panels, and even the fasteners to hold the building together are all produced at a factory, then shipped to your construction site. Next, site work – this is when the building site can be readied and foundations are poured. Now the last step!  It’s time to build.  When the components arrive and foundation is ready, construction can take place. This can be done by you, or you can hire an erector to put up your steel building. When finishing up your building, this will require insulation, interior walls, exterior finishes, doors and windows.  Finally, when all is complete and your building is up and running, you must have a building inspector approve your steel warehouse building.

For more information on constructing a steel building, please visit us at www.norsteel.com

Source: http://www.buildingsguide.com

 

Self Storage for your Steel Building

Published February 28, 2011 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , Mini-Storage Buildings , Pre-Fabricated Building News Leave a Comment
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The good thing about steel buildings is that they are highly functional in usage and utility. When it comes to quick construction and long lasting buildings, most people find that steel buildings are the best option. They are durable, eco-friendly, and are usually constructed much faster than buildings using other materials; costs are usually lower compared to traditional building methods; they are lighter weight; they are easier to maintain; and they carry a reduced risk of fire. They are also resistant to termites, creeping, cracks, splitting and rotting, and increasing durability.

Steel buildings also offer interior self storage systems which has become the newest benefit of the construction alternative.  The wonderful idea behind all this is that it allows steel building owners to convert their vacant space into self storage facilities.  This is a major bonus in commercial steel buildings. For any space that you have in your steel building, you can simply convert any of these spaces to an interior self storage system.

These self storage systems are a very profitable conversion allowing spaces that are idle; they are becoming a good way to be turned into a good source of income. Self storage systems in steel buildings are equipped very well with temperature controls and different features that make them a perfect area to store commercial storage.  Most companies out there such as: liquor companies, pharmacies, toiletries etc. need a good place to store such things especially in a temperature controlled area.

Converting an area in a steel building into a self storage system is easy! In a matter of just a few months, you can turn your steel building into a commercial self storage. This is very popular and is being done everywhere, its revenue generating as well as profitable.  Many companies are investing their time and money in the self storage process because self storage facilities are quite useful and are in high demand in the commercial sector.

Thinking about turning your steel building into a self storage system? Visit us for ideas at www.norsteel.com

Source:  http://www.citysteelbuildings.com

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