Pre-engineered buildings are rapidly taking over the construction industry by storm due to its numerous advantages. The structures are sustainable and eco-friendly to the environment. To the uninitiated, pre-engineered buildings (PEB) are steel buildings designed and made by a construction company on the site. The components are either made elsewhere or brought to be assembled.
Steel may be expensive compared to other materials, but it is cost-effective and lasts longer in the long run. Hence, it proves to be affordable material. Many designs are available for the pre-engineered buildings, from the traditional ones to the modern ones customized according to the client’s needs to fit the intended application.
The following are some of the reasons why many people are doing customized pre-engineered steel buildings.
Visual Appearance
Different clients have varied tastes and preferences. Traditionally made pre-engineered steel building had a similar look to the box. Still, customers customize their structures to look appealing and unique.
Climate
Different regions have different climates hence the need to do a structure that is adapted to your region. For example, a client based in an area with colossal snowfall may consider putting snow guards to protect the structure, unlike a customer based in areas of extreme temperatures. When doing quotations for the metal buildings, one should consider the weather and climate in the region.
By-laws and Municipal Compliance
The municipality is responsible for regulating the types of buildings and their quality. To be given a license to do the construction, you should have met their requirements hence the need for compliance. The regulations differ on whether the structure will be built in an industrial area, a light industrial area, or a retail district. If the municipality requires a customized structure, you will have to comply.
Energy efficiency
Everybody needs a building that is designed to cut operational costs like power consumption. This is why some customers will request a structure with several doors and windows to allow natural light to enter during the day. Others will require insulated buildings to minimize power usage hence minimizing the operational cost.
Maintenance Requirements
Most clients require structures with low maintenance costs hence the need to customize buildings. Low maintenance cost saves money that would be incurred by running the facility.
Construction Time
Customized pre-engineered steel buildings save construction time by 25% compared to other building materials. This is another reason why some customers opt to do custom-made PEB structures instead of different structures.
Remember, every PEB structure should be unique as the customer needs; it doesn’t matter if it’s a large commercial building or self-storage facility. Now let’s look at what you should consider when customizing your PEB structure to be unique according to the client’s requirements.
Work on the exterior
The exterior of the structure should be unique to make it appealing and good-looking. The application of the structure mostly determines the material you use on the exterior finish. It is vital to choose the right finish because it gives the appearance of the PEB structure. The following can be used in customizing exterior PEB structures.
Glass exterior finish
This is mostly used by commercial buildings or manufacturing warehouses that require much natural light. It helps in reducing power consumption hence minimizing operational cost.
Exterior insulation finish system (EIFS)
It’s common in storage facility warehouses, especially the ones that deal with perishable goods. Regions with high temperatures may require insulation to keep the facility cool.
Concrete block
Several industrial warehouses use this material in the customization of their pre-engineered buildings. In most cases, you will not be able to tell if you are looking at a pre-engineered steel building after exterior customization.
Alter canopy design
The structure’s shelter matters a lot because it’s one factor that makes a building unique. Remember that the way you design your roofing matters a lot. It would be best to advise you on the different roofing systems’ benefits and drawbacks if you had good designers. For example, we have a gable and hip roofing that is affected by the roofing slope. One should also consider canopy beams, columns, decking, gutter, and canopy flashing when choosing a unique shelter.
Customizable floor plans
Different PEB structures require different types of floor finishes depending on the usage of the building. For example, daycares centers will have different floors from a commercial kitchen.
Creating shades with metal awnings
These awnings create canopies at the building’s entrance or exit points, which provides shade from excess sun and rain. They also make the building more beautiful and appealing.
Use of commercial doors and windows
Commercial Doors and windows are widely used in pre-engineered steel structures because they are easy to install, more secure. Also, they allow natural light in the building. These windows are highly used PEB with retail stores to display products.
The following are some of the advantages of pre-engineered steel building structures.
Cost-efficient
PEB structures are cost-efficient because they are long-lasting and durable. There is no wastage in steel structure building since the scraps are recycled. When appropriately managed, the construction can save from 25-50%.
Saves on time
PEB structures can save up to 25% on time. Unlike other materials like the stones which you have to wait for them to dry, in PEB, there is nothing like that hence saving on time.
Flexibility of expansions
The best thing about these structures is you can expand them in the future quickly without any problems.
Easy in maintaining quality
Buildings made of steel and metal are easy to maintain quality, unlike other materials. For example, stones have different sizes and quality; hence, building uniform quality structures may be complicated. The PEB structures are manufactured in the factory; hence quality and uniformity are assured.
Low maintenance
PEB structures have high-quality paint, which makes them last longer hence low maintenance cost.
The following are some of the applications of pre-engineered metal building structures.
- Vehicle parking
- Factories
- Gas stations
- Bridges
- Showroom
