Archive for the 'Pre-Fabricated Building News' Category

Laying a Concrete Pad for your Steel Building kit

Published June 11, 2009 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , Construction and Workplace Safety , Pre-Fabricated Building News , Steel Building Tips Leave a Comment
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So you’ve received your steel building kit, or it’s on its way. Congratulations! So…have you readied your buildings foundation yet? No? Not to worry. Luckily, you can ready your concrete base in just one quick weekend and here’s how.

Step 1

Decide on a flat location for your building. You can check the ground is flat enough by using a string line as a level. Just tie the string between two stakes and stretch it out. Flatten the ground where necessary to ensure the string is the same height above the ground.

Step 2

Hammer a stake into the ground one corner and then hammer a nail 3.5 inches above the ground. Tie a string to it and measure out the length of your steel building kit. Stretch the measured string to the opposite side, and insert a stake. Do the same for the other two corners with stakes.

Step 3

Dig down 3.5 inches to create the sunken bottom surface in the entire marked off area.

Step 4

Plant a post in each corner and create a frame by placing a 2×4s along the sides and, after ensuring they’re level, nail to the posts. Pack the area behind the 2×4s with dirt to keep poured concrete from pushing the 2×4s away from the posts.

Step 5

Roll mesh out on the bottom of the sunken area, cutting it 3 inches from the sides of the sunken bottom area. Overlap each mesh sheet and twist the edges together then flip the entire sheet over so it doesn’t curl up.

Step 6

Fill the form with concrete using a wet rake to spread the concrete. Work fast and remove any air pockets by tapping the top of the concrete and the 2×4s to settle.

Step 7

Wait overnight for the concrete to dry and then remove the 2×4s leaving the raised concrete pad. Fill in the area around the pad with dirt making the surrounding dirt level with your concrete slab.

That simply you’re done! And now you and your friends get to continue the fun and erect your brand spanking new steel building.

Safety – Keeping It Clean At Work

Published March 20, 2009 Construction and Workplace Safety , Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News Leave a Comment
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One of the main reasons accidents occur in the workplace are when people trip over extension cords, lumber, and other stuff that never got put away properly.  In an industry with so many potential hazards, those resulting from poor housekeeping are relatively easy to eliminate.  If you hate on-site housekeeping, consider asking why it is a logical efficient way to work.  Here are some ideas: 

 

If your workplace is orderly and things get put away when people are finished with them, you’ll be able to find them when you need them.  The few minutes it took to put a tool away might have half an hour of trying to find it later.

If your workplace is tidy, and free of old lumber and debris lying around, you’ll be able to see if something is dangerous right away.  It will stand out because it will be out of place. 

 

When chemicals, solvents and dirty, oily rags get put into the right kind of containers and in the right places, there’s much less chance that they’ll catch fire.  Fire could cost thousands of dollars in damage, probably more.  It could cost lives.

 

Whenever you procrastinate about doing something, and leave it until it’s unbearable, it becomes a bigger, more time consuming task.  Taking a few minutes every now and then to tidy up throughout the day will mean you will save the time, energy and aggravation of doing a big cleanup when things get out of control.

 

When your site is orderly, there is much less chance that you (or anyone else) will get hurt by tripping over something or by slipping on mud or grease.  You’ll be saving yourself the prospect of physical pain and time lost at work if you clean up as you go.

 

When you get into the habit of cleaning up as you work, you’ll also get into the habit of noticing things that are not quite right and things that could be hazardous to others.  That’s a very efficient way to achieve two goals at the same time – eliminating hazard and being more safety conscious. 

 

Housekeeping doesn’t have to be a chore.  When everyone does their part, it’s actually not a big deal. Making your personal contribution to keeping your site orderly and tidy is one of the best things you can do at work, both for yourself and everyone else.  You’ll be creating an environment where people look out for each other and where nobody goes home hurt. 

 

For more information on additional resources please call: 604-436-0232/1-866-860-0232 or you can visit:  www.safetynetwork.bc.ca

 

You can also take a look at our blog for more safety tips!

 

Source:  Supply Post Western 

 

 

Homebuyers Expect Builders to go Green

Published March 3, 2009 Pre-Fabricated Building News , Steel Building Tips , going green 1 Comment
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According to a recent J.D. Power & Associates Survey conducted for EnerQuality Corp, more than 2,000 recent homebuyers in the GTA and Ottawa, virtually 98 percent of buyers expect builders to offer energy efficient features, yet only four of 10 builders are talking about energy efficiency with their buyers. 

Almost half of homebuyers purchased energy efficient features and half of those who didn’t said it was because they were simply not aware of them.  Builders are missing an opportunity to directly address a key concern of our buyers.  73 percent of the survey respondents said energy efficiency is important to them, or that nine out of 10 say they will buy an energy-efficient home next time.  This is an incentive for builders to go green.

While environmental protection, reduced monthly operating expenses and higher resale value remain the key motivating factors for buyers to invest in energy efficiency, almost a third of respondents cited higher quality construction as the most important benefit to them.   The survey also found there is more satisfaction with the design of a new home when energy efficient features have been offered – 828 out of 1,000 on the Builder Rating on Overall Physical Design Index compared to 626 when it’s not offered.

Last year, The Building Industry and Land Development Association started offering courses to builders on how to build more energy-efficient homes, and to builders’ sales personnel on how to sell the benefits of energy-efficient construction.

When it comes to perceptions of certification labels, 58 per cent of respondents thought they were important, with more than three quarters citing proof of energy efficiency as the top reason for wanting a label.  Energy Star for New Homes ranked highest in brand recognition among certification labels; it was cited by 83 per cent of buyers.  As of last fall, there were 265 participating builders.  More than 10,000 Energy Star homes have been enrolled in less than three years since the program started in Ontario.

For more information on the courses mentioned above, you can visit: http://www.bildgta.ca/

For more information on the survey results, you can visit:  http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/345301

New Green Products

Published February 23, 2009 Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News , going green Leave a Comment
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Looking to make your building environmentally friendly, safe and energy-saving?  Take a look at these new products in the market today!

If your looking for a product that is energy-saving and a daylighting system, consider Cambridge Architectural’s Solucent daylighting mesh shading system.  It’s developed to meet the ever-increasing sustainability needs facing architects today but without sacrificing beauty in design.  The system combines the aesthetic of architectural mesh with its shading and daylighting capabilities to create a one-of-a-kind energy and light management solution.  This system reduces solar heat gain by blocking the sun, leading to significant savings on cooling costs!

FreedomGray Copper Roof Drainage Systems from Berger Building Products Inc. is a distinctive gutter system formed from Revere FreadomGray 16-ounce architectural copper sheet coated on both sides with a unique, patented tin-zinc alloy.  FreedomGray offers all the advantages of copper and provides an environmentally safe finish with a soft, naturally weathering earth-tone gray colour.

Green flooring systems created by Vulcraft’s Ecospan give architects the option to go greener by using recycled steel.  The system uses 99 percent recycled material in the joists and 70 percent recycled material in the decking.  The composite design allows for longer span, lightweight shallow joists and offer greater rigidity. 

Fabral’s Solar SSR is a standing-seam metal roof system that harvests energy from the sun.  The Solar SSR, a photovoltaic solar laminate, produces electricity when exposed to sunlight and offers a green solution for metal roofing applications.  Electricity generated by the laminates is fed through the electrical system into the power grid.  The flexibility and durability of these laminates make them ideal for metal roofs, where expansion, contraction and curving are considerations.  The panel/laminate bond has been created to withstand winds up to 160 mph.

An adjustable cladding system that has been created by C.R. Laurence Co. Inc. which is a deluxe wet seal wall panel cladding system that provides the extra strength required when large panels are being used.  The mounting system simplifies design, installation and panel alignment which allow individual panels to be removed without the need of removing surrounding panels to gain access.  Interlocking mounting clips aid in panel-to-panel alignment and at the same time, allow for panel expansion, contraction and seismic movement without buckling or undue stress.  The mounting clips are free to slide along the frame’s length making design and erection of the building’s supporting members a simplified task.  The cladding system can be used for exteriors and interiors.

Source:  www.metalarchitecture.com

For more information on green building and products, you can also visit our website!

Environmental Needs Met by Metal Panels

Published February 17, 2009 Pre-Fabricated Building News , Steel Building Tips , going green Leave a Comment
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The 52, 000-square-foot new Natural Sciences Building at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, Washington, features 6,592 square feet of Kalzip TF8OOR on its exterior walls from Kalzip, Michigan City, Indiana.  The three-story building was designed to complement an existing science lab and classroom building on the western edge of the campus.  The Kalzip 0.040-aluminum decor helped fulfill both aesthetic and functional needs.  Kalzip also provided extruded aluminum flashings to colour match the panels.

Ben Dalton of Miller Hull Partnership, Seattle, was the project manager and the firm was architect of record for the project.  The project was completed in October 2008. 

“Our design started with a fiber composite panel that was rather high end,” Dalton said.  “The change to metal was actually a value added decision initiated by the owner.  We chose Kalzip because it was unique and reinforced the linear building elements.  It was something we hadn’t used before and turned out to be less expensive.  The panels were very easy to install and the panel profile does a great job of concealing the fasteners.  We’re very pleased with the result.”

Kalzip’s products provide colour fastness, adhesion and resistance to extreme weather conditions and can be reused or recycled at the end of the building’s life cycle.  Kalzip’s TF8OOR system offers a twin-triangular micro ribbed profile that creates a sleek appearance through the interplay of light and shade to highlight the individuality and character of a building.

The new Natural Sciences building targets LEED Gold certification and sits in a wooded environment.  It provides specialized instruction for geology, physics, anatomy, chemistry and microbiology.  It also helps create a Natural Sciences Complex that is purposely clustered around storm water detention pond, which encourages using the site’s water management as an active educational tool.

For more information on Kalzip products click here.  You can also visit our website for information on walls, roofing, insulated panels and framing.

Source:  http://www.metalarchitecture.com

How To Use Your Steel Building

Published February 10, 2009 Before You Buy Your Steel Building , Pre-Fabricated Building News , Steel Building Tips Leave a Comment
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Looking for a place to store your items?  Steel Buildings are a great choice!  They are strong and durable and can offer years of protection for all your items.  Steel buildings are completely versatile and have extensive options, customizable features, and premium finishes. They are affordable and can be delivered in as little as five weeks.


Steel buildings can be used for many different storage needs including: storage for your car, boat, motorcycle or other vehicles, shelter for farm crops and farm machinery especially livestock, storage for your airplane or helicopter and much more.

 

Skylights and windows are a great idea if you are planning on using your building as a garage to store vehicles.  You can also incorporate non-metal finishes such as masonry, glass, or skylights. Several roof, wall, panel, colour and hybrid options are also available.  Venting and insulating for heating and cooling efficiency can be customized to suit farm machinery or livestock.  You can also add panels to enlarge the building and provide more open storage.  Commercial storage space can have added steel inner walls or partitions to create separate storage areas or offices.

 

There are many types of steel buildings.  They are: commercial buildings, riding arenas, airplane hangars, back yard shops, storage building or storage facilities, schools, warehouses, office buildings, and customized pre-fabricated buildings. 

 

If you’re interested in being economically friendly, green buildings are also an option!  There are many benefits to green building. They can save money with energy efficiency and water efficiency, conserve materials and resources for additional savings, improve the quality/purity of life for people/employees working within your green building, and reduce your carbon footprint.

 

Also, take a look at our mini-storage website.  They offer customized, economical, prefabricated mini-storage buildings in several styles to suit a variety of purposes.


If you’re in the market for a steel building, Norsteel Buildings can help to fit the needs of your next storage, commercial or industrial project. 

Largest LEED Platinum Building in Canada

Published February 2, 2009 Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News , going green 1 Comment
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The University of Calgary’s Child Development Centre (CDC) is the largest LEED Platinum building in Canada.  This 125,000-sq.-ft. building has achieved the highest level of sustainability certification a building can reach in North America.  At four storeys, the $23-million facility was designed by Calgary-based Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning and has been certified LEED Platinum by the Canada Green Building Council for its high level of sustainable design and construction features.  The facility focuses on supporting organizations working together for the benefit of children and its vision was to functionally integrate different disciplines of the university’s research departments with Calgary Health Region practitioners within the space.

 

“Achieving Platinum is a huge success for our firm and we are proud to be a part of the movement towards sustainable standards in Alberta and Canada,” says Bill Chomik, principal at Kasian. “We discovered a lot about the level of collaboration that is required for a project of this kind. Every design element incorporated into the facility had to be considered from a complexity of angles — functionality, efficiency, sustainability, budget, and aesthetics.”

 

Photovoltaic arrays are just one of the environmental features of the CDC.  They are capable of producing 65,000 kilowatt hours worth of electricity per year.  This is enough to run six single family homes for a year.

 

Access flooring and moveable walls enable building flexibility so that the spaces can adapt for different uses. High-performance boilers and water-efficient fixtures were utilized, and natural light is present throughout the building to reduce electrical costs and to create an open and pleasant environment for building users.  Zinc cladding was used on the building exterior to increase building durability and decrease the need for maintenance.

As a result of these and other features, energy costs will be reduced by 70 per cent and water use will be reduced by 55 per cent per year.  Additionally, 83 per cent of construction waste from this project was diverted from landfills.

For more information, please visit: www.kasian.com

Source: http://www.building.ca

How To Put Up Your Self Storage Steel Building

Published January 26, 2009 Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News , Steel Building Tips 1 Comment
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Are you considering buying and putting up a self storage steel building and you’re not entirely sure where to build, or who to get to help you build it?  Here are some tips on how you can go about purchasing a self storage steel  building as well as how you can put it up. 

It would benefit you to hire an expert to help you assess if you should build a self storage building, and if so, where. If you’ve already got a location in mind, an expert can help you find out what to build and what to charge. This also known as the “feasibility” phase, where you analyze everything about the project: the true start-up costs, the anticipated income, the market, potential locations for construction, demographics, proximity of competition, what customers are likely to pay, and what kind of self storage will appeal to them most, just to name a few.

You’ll also have to take into consideration city fees, county fee, state fees, jurisdictional fees and other miscellaneous fees that you may have to spend before you can even begin construction. That’s not counting what you’ll have to pay for the land, site work (tying in to existing sewer, water, electric and gas lines, importing and exporting fill, soil conditions, rock excavation, etc.), design and construction.

This phase can give you a good idea of the bare minimum you’ll be spending to get your self storage steel buildings up and running. If you and the expert determine that the anticipated income for your self storage building will be worth the start-up costs, then you’ll be ready to move on to the design phase.

Design isn’t just about drawing a square on a piece of paper and marking off where the self storage units will be. Though you’ve probably already determined the best mix of unit type and size during the initial phase, now you need the architect to put it all in a design plan. Design plans include the actual site plan as well as landscape design, civil engineering, architectural engineering, MEPs (e.g., electrical and plumbing drawings) and structural engineering.

Each plan usually requires a specialist to design it. For example, a civil engineer has to handle the civil engineering design plan because he would be familiar with policies and restrictions on land use. This is the guy who is responsible for watershed, zoning and placing utilities, to name a few.

Once you’ve completed the design phase, it’s time to move on to the construction phase. This is typically where a general contractor comes in. A general contractor will be responsible for coordinating the construction and providing quality control. The contractor may provide labor and materials, or he may hire subcontractors. He’s also responsible for establishing a timeline of the construction.

You should be particularly careful when choosing a general contractor or construction crew for your self storage steel building. You want to make sure that you get somebody that carries insurance and has extensive experience in erecting self storage steel buildings. They should also be professional, which means that they sweep out the units and clean up once the job’s done.

Source:  http://www.ehow.com/how_2174894_storage-steel-building-ground-up.html

Looking to purchase a self storage steel building?  Check out our Mini-Storage website!

New Building Materials Go Green

Published January 19, 2009 Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News , going green 2 Comments
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The year’s newest home-building technologies are related to green building and reducing the amount of energy that is consumed every day, such as  low-energy choices, including light-emitting diodes and manifold plumbing systems.  Whether residential or commercial and remodeling, they are becoming prevalent in new construction.  The reason for incorporating these new technologies is that consumers recognize that even if there is greater upfront cost, energy efficiency can provide substantial savings in the long run.

Although it is not new, engineered wood is another viable green option for many builders, it offers flexibility (you can get it in greater lengths than natural wood), and is agriculture harvested rather than torn down, says Dana Bres, research engineer for HUD’s Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology (PATH).

The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has added five new technologies or materials that are mostly all green-building related to its PATH Technology Inventory.   The five added were as follows:

1. Plastic ductwork systems (sub-slab): Plastic ductwork systems work well in underground applications because they are resistant to rust and other forms of corrosion, according to PATH and its companion site ToolBase Services, a part of the National Association of Home Builders’ Research Center (NAHBRC). These systems are manufactured with either high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). When installed properly, they are watertight and airtight and can withstand temperatures up to 150F, according to ToolBase.org.

2. Self-sealing duct components: A recently introduced alternative polypropylene product promises quicker installation and fewer leaks in the forced-air delivery system. This connector includes a double-sided adhesive gasket and nylon draw clips that mechanically hold the take-off collar in place. When installing, remove the gasket paper, press the connector to the duct board or sheet metal trunk line, and pull the four one-way locking nylon draw clips.

3. Whole-house air filtration: This is available in two filtration methods: mechanical or surface media, and electronic.

Electronic air filtration makes use of electrostatic precipitation, which charges particles and pulls them out of the air stream. It can be a one- or two-stage system.

4. ICF roof/deck systems: Insulated concrete forms ( ICFs) for decks are reinforced polystyrene forms that make up the floor or roof assembly when placed and filled with concrete. These forms provide thermal resistance of approximately R-3.8 per inch. After shoring, bracing, and reinforcement are installed, 2- to 4-inch-thick concrete is placed on top of the deck assembly, and may be finished decoratively.

5. Irrigation controllers: There are two types of controllers that have been developed to distribute water only when needed: evapotranspiration (ET) controls, and weather and ET controls. The ET (water loss by evaporation or transpiration, a plant process) controls contain, at the minimum, “program algorithms specific to climate regions that are based primarily on solar radiation, temperature, relative humidity and wind to estimate a plant’s water requirement.” The weather-based controls factor observed climate conditions with the ET algorithms assuring that watering patterns are based on local conditions.

For more information on new building materials & technologies, please visit:  http://www.pathnet.org/ 

Source:  http://www.lowesforpros.com/new-building-materials-and-technologies-go-green

Buildings’ LEED Performance Predicted By BIM Software

Published January 12, 2009 Norsteel Buildings News , Pre-Fabricated Building News , Steel Building Tips Leave a Comment
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BIM software takes a three-dimensional approach using building geometry, spatial relationships, geographic data, and quantities and properties of components in order to maximise design, construction, and lifecycle performance.  

Partridge, a partner with HIP Architects in Edmonton, has been using BIM software in his case Autodesk’s Revit since 2002.  He uses it to work out basic plans and necessities during the earliest stages of planning a small office building in the city suburbs.

“We developed a simple, rudimentary building information model with the sole purpose of informing us about its energy footprint and the way it would be put together. Then, we looked at potential problems. Anybody knows that -40 degree temperatures and wind are not good things in Alberta, so we looked at where problems might occur, using computational fluid dynamics to put together a simple picture. We weren’t trying to be wind engineers — we were just using the tools that BIM allows us, and which you can’t do with CAD.” Patridge explained.

Partridge used BIM to model different scenarios.  They turned the building to face away from the wind, then added factors such as ventilation, looking at the impact in different areas with help from third-party structural analysis and design software.  They analyzed the thickness of walls and the thermal abilities of the glass to optimize building envelope performance.  As a result, Partridge said, the client had a good idea how his building will perform and how it stands in terms of achieving potential LEED credits, facilitating his pursuit of requests for proposals.  Patridge says that BIM can help reduce the number of people needed on site.

Contractors and tradespeople are just beginning to work with BIM software. While the automotive and aerospace sectors have used it for many years, it’s just emerging in the building trades says Partridge.

Base BIM software providers include Autodesk (Revit), Graphisoft (ArchiCAD) and Bentley Architecture, with additional providers of third-party plug-in software that lets users do scheduling, costing and other tasks.

Source:  http://dcnonl.com/article/id31407/green 

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