Steel Building construction

[mcurcio1989]

Anyone have any experience with this? I am looking to build a 50' x 80' (or so) steel building with 22'-24' eave. I want this to my garage / hangar / home. There are so many different pre-engineered steel building manufactures out there it is almost overwhelming. I'm not sure how much location really matters. LMK if you have any experience and I'll give more questions. Thanks

 

[BadeMillsap]

I used Mueller and am very happy. I hired a professional erector firm and they did a great job. This is a Texas company.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Rock knocker]

I used to be a ironworker for a pre-engineered building erector.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

22-24 ft for an eave is hugely tall. Depending on your roof pitch, this will give you a 26-28 ft peak if you do a 2/12 pitch. Mine is 16 ft eave with 21 ft peak on a 60x60, and I have 14 ft high clear opening on the doors.

I have a 19 ft scissor lift and this just barely allows me to reach the lower part of the roof outside and works well inside for wiring and lighting. The heights you are proposing will require a taller lift.

Sounds like you are planning on building a two story house inside. We have a 60x75 in my neighborhood, with 16 ft eave that has a 1500 or so sq/ft home built in the back 25 ft of it. The area on top of the living space was made as storage and the living room area walls go up to a ceiling that is full height of the building inside. Be careful of second stories as fire codes will require access you may not be able to provide. You will also have to do a firewall (4 hr?) between the living space and the hangar space. This will have to be well sealed around the walls and roof too. This will also require self closing fire doors at passageways from house to hangar.

Also check with local building officials as codes have recently changed and many places now require sprinkler systems in "garages" that are attached.

You are better off with a somewhat local or at least in the same area of the country, building company. They will be more familiar with wind and snow load requirements for your state and county.

Charles

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Go to your GJ profile and update your personal info to include what state or area you live in, it will help greatly when people answer your questions.

Charles

 

[Jagmandave]

I think hiring the right contractor is as important as which building you buy, so unless you plan to GC it yourself, I'd interview some local contractors first, and ask them who/what they like to use.

Location does make a difference - whether you're dealing with snow and/or wind loads makes a big difference on how they build it, and what kind of heat, insulation, moisture control etc you want also determines a lot about the building's design.....and cost.

 

[mcurcio1989]

Wow, lots of replies! Thanks. I updated my profile with location.

I plan to GC it myself. I don't have experience with this kind of construction but I have a really good network I can reach out to. I am a very active member of an experimental aviation association chapter at our local airport and we have a building that is essentially exactly what I plan to build. The building was all built by club members and I know they will be happy to advise me and help out as needed. They did the concrete work and erection - everything. I'm planning on meeting with the gentleman that managed the construction of it soon here. I think I will get loads of information from him as he has a lot of experience with this.

I did mean 22-24 foot peak not eave.

Charles - I do have a brief understanding of fire code related issues. I don't want to trouble myself with it to much until I get to that stage. I guess my big nagging question is glass. I really want to have some big windows into the hangar area and I'm not sure if that will require special fire rated glass or what. At this stage I am really focusing on figuring out the plan and budget for the building and then I'll meet with the country and look into fire code issues. I know these things are totally dependent on the county.

It does sound like your neighbors house is very similar to what I want. I was at first planning two stories but then I realized that I really want the kitchen and bathroom area to be on the first floor.

I know I am going to have a 22x22 foot finished garage portion as a nice climate controlled shop area in the front corner. The front 22' x 50 feet will be finished space (including that garage) but I think the second floor portion will only really be the area above the garage. I definitely want the kitchen and bath to be on the first floor. I think I may do the bedroom as a sort of split level. I know some people despise them but I love the feel / look.

My other big question is foundation. I don't necessarily know that I want to spend the money out of the gate to have concrete poured on the entire hangar area.


Keep in mind here that I am a 25 year old guy 2 years out of college (no debt) who purchased an amphibious airplane with cash 5 months ago. I say that because at this time I don't have the savings to pay for this and I recognize that new construction on undeveloped land with a unique design like this is going to be very difficult to get any kind of financing for. I am confident I will get the money together but I'm going to be watching my budget.

 

[Rock knocker]

The engineered plans will tell you what you need as far as concrete footings and the like. I suggest that you don't GC the project, but if you do, let the ironworker erect your building and stay out of the way. At that point, you'll be able to add your MEP and architectural details. The problem you may have is that the ironworker will want to be paid 100% when he's done, but your permit won't be finaled for a long time afterwards. If there are any corrections required by him, you'll have hell to pay to get him out there.

 

[Rock knocker]

I guess my big nagging question is glass. I really want to have some big windows into the hangar area and I'm not sure if that will require special fire rated glass or what. At this stage I am really focusing on figuring out the plan and budget for the building and then I'll meet with the country and look into fire code issues. I know these things are totally dependent on the county.

There are limits to the size of fire glazing on a demising wall. It's going to be very difficult to get any decent sized glass on a two-hour plus assembly.

Have you spoken to an architect yet?

 

[Morio]

I am currently doing something like you suggested. The link is in my sig

 

[readhead]

You will have to provide plans for a permit anyway so I would start there. Contact a draftsman that is familiar with metal building construction. The building company will not supply foundation info. That will come from the engineer working for the draftsman using the reactions supplied by the building company.
I sell and erect metal buildings and I see this all the time. People start looking for the building first instead of designing what they need and then getting a price for a building.

 

[Rock knocker]

You will have to provide plans for a permit anyway so I would start there. Contact a draftsman that is familiar with metal building construction. The building company will not supply foundation info. That will come from the engineer working for the draftsman using the reactions supplied by the building company.
I sell and erect metal buildings and I see this all the time. People start looking for the building first instead of designing what they need and then getting a price for a building.

Sounds like we have an expert on board. Am I right to remember that you generally need a slab edge or perimeter curb to grab the bottom girt, unlike many pole buildings?

Do you see very many used as a residence on one side and a more hazardous use on the other side of the demising wall? Where I'm from, it can be very difficult to achieve that fire assembly connection on the side and top of the GWB where it meets the tin metal. The detail Morio showed would not pass for that use in the Puget Sound area.

 

[PugetDude]

www.aviationbuildingsystem.com

I highly recommend them for hangar buildings. They ship building packages all over the US.

Full Disclosure: I'm not affiliated with them in any way.

 

[readhead]

We have done houses and mixed use. Glass in a fire wall can be done but it gets expensive.
There is no bottom girt if you are doing a slab. The most common is a base angle with a sheeting notch in the concrete or an angle with base trim. Personally I prefer the notch. You can use a base chanel if you are going to install liner panel, drywall or plywood.
The foundation will be designed by the engineer to satisfy the local building department.

 

[macdabs]

I would look into Corle construction out of Imler Pa. They ship all over and they can engineer your steel building how you want it. I built a 40 x 80 with a 4/12 pitch and 24'' over hangs to match my ranch house . The foundation engineering was included with the building and they always answered my calls and changed the stamp drawings on the modifications I made in the middle of the build. I was the G.C. and hired a local Iron worker for the erection of all the steel and concrete. I did my own electric and in floor heat system. The Iron worker travels all over doing the General Dollar store buildings and I know would build in your location. I could not pay myself to erect the building for the price he charged me .

Good Luck,
Mac

 

[mcurcio1989]

You will have to provide plans for a permit anyway so I would start there. Contact a draftsman that is familiar with metal building construction. The building company will not supply foundation info. That will come from the engineer working for the draftsman using the reactions supplied by the building company.
I sell and erect metal buildings and I see this all the time. People start looking for the building first instead of designing what they need and then getting a price for a building.

I'm hoping that you can expound on this somewhat. My thought was that I don't want to go to great effort designing what I want interior wise only to find out that it cannot be done with a building within my budget. At the end of the day I don't really need anything other than a bedroom and a kitchen - the rest is bonus.

I that I want / need a 50 x 60 ft hangar portion and a 20 x 50ft living portion what exactly more do I need to determine. Are you getting at the building loads that will be placed on the steel? I guess my thought was that the interior would be built off of the slab and thus there will be little to negligible load placed on the building.

It sounds like you are very comfortable with a project like this could you go what the major steps from start to finish would be for you were going to design and build something like this?

I want to do as much of this work as possible. I'm an engineer and pilot - taking on new projects and learning new skills is what I live for. I understand there will be areas where that will not be possible or reasonable due to safety and code concerns. Just saying that to keep in mind.

 

[readhead]

Sent a PM. Call me.