Disclaimer: Today’s construction prices vary significantly due to supply chain issues and consumer demand associated with current events. Therefore, please use the following building cost information as a general guide for pricing red steel metal buildings.
Iron steel building kits offer many benefits that make them superior when building large spaces for storage, warehousing, manufacturing, and more. Allied Steel Building kits provide design flexibility, solid structural integrity, financial advantages, and eco-friendly features. We strongly recommend you get in touch with the building experts at Allied Steel to help you design a red iron steel building that fits all your needs.
What is a Red Iron Steel Building?
Red metal buildings or red iron barns use heavy steel beams that allow for clear-span construction. The beams provide exceptional strength to support the building’s weight and manage the loads.Therefore, red iron metal buildings do not need interior columns but still require either a series of concrete footers or a concrete slab.
Pre-engineered red iron buildings gained popularity in the 1950s for constructing large commercial facilities that required wide-open storage space. Prefabricated red iron steel buildings (like Allied Steel building kits) can be used for various purposes: storage, agricultural, retail, equestrian arenas, warehouses, factories, and more.
Fast and straightforward red iron building kits save nearly 5 percent on labor and material costs. In addition, red steel buildings create clear-span structures with no interior columns.
Definition and Key Features
Red iron buildings are a type of metal building made from industrial-grade steel primed with a coat of red-tinted iron oxide mixed with other alloys. These metal buildings boast a high strength-to-weight ratio, making them ideal for large-scale construction projects. The corrosion-resistant coating protects the steel from rain and snow, ensuring longevity.
Configured into a capital “I” shape, known as an I-beam, these structures shorten construction times and can be customized in terms of length, width, and interior design. Red iron buildings come with a 50-year structural warranty and a 40-year paint warranty, providing peace of mind for decades.
Design Benefits of Red Iron Steel Buildings
Clear Span Construction
Clear Span Allied Steel buildings allow builders and architects to create expansive, enclosed, obstruction-free space with no interior columns (up to 300 feet). The clear span frame style lets users move machinery or rearrange floor plans without limitation, providing an ideal choice for warehouses, agricultural storage, factories, and more.
Unlimited Size Option
The framing dimensions for Allied Steel Buildings provides architects and builders near-unlimited width, length, and height options suitable for single and multi-story buildings, as well as mezzanines.
- WIDTHS: 10’ to 300’ or more of unobstructed space with a clear span design, up to 600’ and wider possible, with minimal interior columns
- HEIGHTS: 8’ to 60’ and more
- LENGTHS: Limitless
Limitless Accessories
Allied Steel has many accessories available for your steel building, including insulation, doors, windows, roll up doors, gray coat primer, canopies, overhangs, galvanized framing, skylights, transmitting panels, ventilation systems, partition walls, and more. Everything you need to build a steel building to your needs and specification is in one convenient place!
Structural Advantages of Red Iron Steel Buildings
The sheer strength of steel can support greater loads and provides more efficient use of materials than wood construction.
- Some Allied Steel models resist severe weather, standing up to 180 mph and snow loads of 120 lbs. ft2.
- The ductility and strength of steel buildings will absorb seismic forces without adverse effects (like collapsing).
Moisture-resistant steel also stops the growth of unhealthy and structurally damaging mold. Steel doesn’t expand or contract when it gets wet, allowing it to maintain its original measures over time (unlike wood). Steel also doesn’t warp or split or crack like wood.
Termites, mold, and rodents pose no threat to red iron steel buildings, unlike wood.
Non-combustible steel will not burn like pole barns or other wood-framed structures. Steel offers more protection against fire than wood, but can melt under extreme heat.
Red iron buildings are designed with safety in mind, featuring fire-resistant and non-combustible materials that offer superior protection compared to traditional wood structures. The weather-resistant coating shields the steel from rain and snow, preventing rust and corrosion. The linked I-beam frame allows the building to withstand fierce winds and heavier snowfalls without sustaining structural damage or risking roof collapse. These buildings can meet or exceed local building codes and regulations, ensuring that they are a safe and reliable choice for any project.
Financial Benefits of Red Iron Steel Buildings
The strength and integrity of a well-maintained metal building will resist moisture, pests, and natural disasters.
Readily available, iron steel is an affordable building solution for constructing warehouses, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, and more. The larger the steel building, the greater the savings. Moreover, the recent rise and volatility of the cost of lumber makes steel a more economical choice for building materials.
It costs between $12 to $19 per ft2 to construct a steel building, while a wood-frame building costs $24 to $43 per ft2 to build. Steel frame construction can cost significantly less than wood-frame construction. This is partially due to fewer warranty call-backs, since steel does not split, shrink, or warp. This can lead to nail pops or drywall cracks.
The components in Allied Steel prefabricated red iron building packages arrive pre-cut and pre-measured at the job site, allowing for quicker and simpler construction with less labor and minimal waste. Steel buildings typically have a shorter lead time for construction, compared to wood. Builders can quickly assemble the building kits with just a couple of basic construction tools. However, due to the heavy weight of red iron, larger buildings may require more expertise and more extensive equipment.
Allied Steel Buildings maintain their integrity during their lifespan because they resist common causes of deterioration (moisture, mold, termites) and can effectively withstand natural disasters (hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes) better than wood-framed structures. Some Allied Steel models can resist winds of 180 mph and snow loads of 120 lbs. per ft2, protecting your crops and saving on costly repairs.
Insurance companies often base a building’s premiums on the structure’s resistance to damage. Allied Steel Buildings’ moisture, disaster, and pest resistance can reduce insurance rates by 30 to 40 percent compared to wood-framed buildings.
Eco-Friendly Allied Steel Red Iron Buildings
100-Percent Recyclable
Hundred-percent recyclable steel does not degrade over time. Allied Steel Buildings are made with 90-percent recycled content, significantly reducing your ecological carbon footprint.
Limit Landfill Waste
Pre-engineered, durable steel frames last longer and create less waste than traditional building methods. This reduces the use of natural resources and landfill space. The construction of a red iron Allied Steel Building generates zero waste.
Comparison to Other Building Materials
Red iron buildings offer several advantages over traditional building materials. They enable faster construction timeframes, and the lower upfront costs make them an attractive option for budget-conscious businesses and individuals. But there are many other benefits to choosing to build with red iron.
Metal Building vs. Traditional Building Materials
Red iron buildings provide numerous benefits over traditional building materials:
- Faster construction timeframes: Red iron buildings can be constructed in a matter of weeks, compared to traditional methods that can take months or even years.
- Lower upfront costs: These buildings are often more affordable than traditional materials, making them an attractive option for businesses and individuals on a budget.
- Increased durability: Designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and pests, red iron buildings offer greater durability than traditional materials.
- Environmentally friendly: Made from recycled materials and designed to be energy-efficient, red iron buildings are a sustainable choice for businesses and individuals.
Building Process and Timeline
The building process for red iron buildings typically includes several stages, including:
- Design and planning: This stage involves working with a designer or architect to create a custom design for the building, ensuring it meets all your specifications.
- Permitting and engineering: Obtaining the necessary permits and ensuring the building meets local building codes and regulations is crucial in this stage.
- Manufacturing: Pre-engineered building components, including I-beams and roofing materials, are manufactured during this stage.
- Construction: The final stage involves constructing the building on site using the pre-engineered components, ensuring a quick and efficient build.
Construction Timeframe
The construction timeframe for red iron buildings can vary depending on the size and complexity of the project, but typically correlates with this timeline:
- Design and planning: 2-4 weeks
- Permitting and engineering: 2-4 weeks
- Manufacturing: 4-6 weeks
- Construction: 4-12 weeks
Overall, the construction timeframe for red iron buildings can range from 12-26 weeks, depending on the size and complexity of the project. This efficient timeline makes red iron buildings an attractive option for those looking to complete their projects quickly and reliably.
Enjoy All the Benefits of Red Iron with Allied Steel Buildings
Pre-engineered Allied Red Iron Steel Buildings offer an affordable, flexible, robust, and eco-friendly method for building large, clear-span structures for warehousing, manufacturing, recreation, and more. Long-lasting and durable, red iron steel buildings will save you money during and after construction. Allied Steel Building kits give you all the design flexibility you need to meet the needs of your building projects.
Get in touch with Allied Steel professionals today, to learn more about the benefits of a red iron steel building.