50x60x16 with 6x6 posts? and vented soffit?

[braol]

A friend had a 50x60x16 shop built last year. I went to check it out the other day. Couple things stood out. It uses 6x6 posts, are those big enough for a building so big? And then has 3-ply 2x6 posts on the gable walls. Talked to my builder, they say they use 8x8s for a building that size. What's the biggest shop you have seen with 6x6 posts?

The other is he plans a vented attic. On the soffits, they use corrugated metal instead of vented soffit material. Will that vent the soffits enough for a vented attic?

 

[firebirdparts]

"Enough" is a strange concept. In a house, it gets dang hot up there, and it effects how much you're paying for a/c. I don't suppose heat in the attic would really harm the building.

I'm sure it's pretty leaky. But again, I don't know what "leaky enough" means. Vent area on buildings is always pretty small compared to the soffit area.

 

[stingry]

Here in Western Nebraska virtually all pole buildings that I’ve seen use 3 2x6’s laminated together for vertical posts. 6x6 posts are difficult to find that are straight and not warped And twisted.

 

[545_days]

The real question is how many posts spaced how far apart? Are there interior columns as well? Huge buildings can be built with 2x4 lumber if you use enough of them.

 

[braol]

The real question is how many posts spaced how far apart? Are there interior columns as well? Huge buildings can be built with 2x4 lumber if you use enough of them.

No interior columns. Posts are 8ft on center.

 

[ericm]

The 40x80x14 building they just put up for me uses posts made from three 2x6s on 8' centers (except where the 12' doors are of course).

There's not a huge amount of weight being held up by the posts- just the trusses, roof girts and sheeting, plus snow load. The metal skin provides some stiffness to resist racking while the poles provide the rest.

 

[racecougar]

The other is he plans a vented attic. On the soffits, they use corrugated metal instead of vented soffit material. Will that vent the soffits enough for a vented attic?

Does it have a ridge vent? No, I wouldn't expect corrugated metal to provide adequate soffit venting.

Here in Western Nebraska virtually all pole buildings that I’ve seen use 3 2x6’s laminated together for vertical posts. 6x6 posts are difficult to find that are straight and not warped And twisted.

Same here.

 

[rixtrix1]

The 40x80x14 building they just put up for me uses posts made from three 2x6s on 8' centers (except where the 12' doors are of course).

There's not a huge amount of weight being held up by the posts- just the trusses, roof girts and sheeting, plus snow load. The metal skin provides some stiffness to resist racking while the poles provide the rest.

Hopefully they add some X-bracing, at least in the corners, for shear resistance. Check out RR Buildings on YT. Best pole barn/post frame builder I've seen! Morton Buildings did a 50x100x20 for my father-in-law in western NE 45 years ago, 3-ply laminated posts on 8' centers, 1' soffits with perforated material all around with a ridge vent, cross bracing on every other bay. Wind blows constantly in Scotts Bluff County.

 

[rixtrix1]

The other is he plans a vented attic. On the soffits, they use corrugated metal instead of vented soffit material. Will that vent the soffits enough for a vented attic?

Soffit area is big enough, but I can't imagine how corrugated metal would let any air in to vent the attic? Where are the openings?