Many hold the view that when they think of architects and building designers, an industrial steel building can only possess four walls and a roof or fundamental structure that is essentially a box. However, this notion is far from the truth, considering the advancements made in every aspect of metal fabrication over the past few decades. Manufacturers are concentrating on leveraging the spanning features of steel products to construct optimal space with fewer columns. Structures can provide a vast array of end-use applications, cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing solutions, and supplementary architectural components.
Pre-fabricated metal constructions or PEB steel buildings have surpassed the limits of architecture and are now widely used in various settings such as workplaces, auto repair shops, religious establishments, and educational institutions. These metal constructions are highly adaptable and capable, which have led to pushing design boundaries and exceeding the expectations of architects, designers, builders, and clients alike. These complex construction projects were once deemed unfeasible with PEBs, but they are now considered the most efficient and effective way to complete them within a short timeframe.
Complex Design Conditions
Despite the widespread usage of the term “pre-engineered,” all manufacturers of PEB structures create tailor-made materials that are best suited for the project. It is important to understand the construction challenges that can make the project appear “complicated.”
Aesthetic features
Architects are often hired to incorporate embellishments and complex shapes into structures to enhance their aesthetic appeal. However, these enhancements may also complicate the underlying building infrastructure.
Complex roofs
The existence of high points and inclines on the roof is a commonly occurring structural trait that adds to the intricacy of a building.
Multi floor construction
Extra tiers enhance the intricacy of a structure, whether it be a cellar or an upper-level walkway.
Facilities & Bays
Enormous overhead cranes and other machinery attached to the structure are utilized in production facilities, which considerably amplifies the design load. An increasing number of building ventures now necessitate wider gaps between upright supports, particularly for vast cathedrals, storage facilities, and indoor sports arenas.
Codes and loads
Modifications in regulations and geographical deviations in airflow, tremors, snow precipitation, climate, power consumption, and demographic classification might necessitate the amplification of the edifice. The intricacy of the edifice can also be elevated by supplementary burdens for machinery fixed on the roof, like lamps, conduits, and water sprayers.
Efficiency in energy
The robust insulating characteristics of structural steel buildings are often favored, and insulated steel or metal panels additionally enhance R-values. Energy costs can be further decreased by utilizing daylighting or maximizing the amount of natural light that enters. Despite significant advancements in technology for incorporating daylighting into standing-seam roofs, the design remains challenging.
BIM
With the increasing complexity of steel building designs, the utilization of building information modelling (BIM) is becoming more frequent. This software generates a graphical depiction of the numerous interrelated components of a building’s blueprint, which encompasses the framework, the outer covering, and the mechanical, plumbing, and electrical arrangements. This assists all the diverse professions in anticipating potential intersections or interactions in actuality, thereby averting any potential problems from occurring beforehand.
