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Your building idea must go through several important steps before it can be manufactured. With the aid of your sales representative, the building design must be completed. Next, the building will be sent to our Technical Services department where it will be engineered and detailed to make sure it is structurally sound. Then it will head to manufacturing to be created. By understanding the design and engineering processes, you may avoid the problems we often face when trying to create buildings. There are certain guidelines and standards that have to be maintained at all costs in a steel building. And these standards sometimes require minor changes in your original and optimal design. We'll try and show you all the important points so you can make more informed decisions when the time comes. |
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DESIGN
This is the fun part for you. Tell us what your building use and requirements are, and we'll assist in designing a structure that meets your needs functionally and aesthetically. Here are several subjects that you need to understand before we begin design work:
- Width & Length- In trying to determine the size of building you need, think about what you would be using it for. Our buildings can accommodate just about any purpose, from a small workshop to a large storage building. We can easily accommodate anything up to 120' wide and 400' in length. If your project requirements are larger than this, your Mueller sales representative will assist you.
- Height - A critical part of any building structure is height. In steel buildings, the term "eave" height is used to determine how tall a building will be. Note this does not mean clearance inside the building, but simply the height of the outside wall. Determine how much clearance is required inside your new building and how tall of a door you want. A general rule of thumb is that building height needs to be 2 feet higher than your door requirements. See the framed opening section below.
- Roof Slope - The roof slope, or roof pitch, determines how steep the angle of the roof is. This measurement is given in terms of rise over run. For example, a 1:12 roof pitch would rise 1" for every 12" of width. So say you have a 24' wide building with the peak of the building in the center. The roof is going to "run" for 12' before reaching the peak. A 1:12 roof pitch would rise 1 foot, so the peak would be 1 foot higher than the eave of the building. A 2:12 pitch would rise 2 feet, etc. If you need extra height in the center of your building, we can easily accommodate pitches up to 4:12.
- Framed Openings - Large doors require us to frame the opening. This involves structural changes in the building, and it is important we know their exact location and measurements. Typically, a framed opening needs to be 2' shorter than the building height to allow for door mechanisms to work properly. For example, if your building requires a 10' roll-up door, your building height will need to be at least 12'. The bulk of the door itself is housed in the space about the door header when opened. The door jambs (side door supports) need to remain 2' away from all columns.
Another factor affecting framed openings is wind bracing. Wind bracing will be explained later, but you need to know that at certain places along the wall of the building, cable bracing will be inserted to strengthen the building. This bracing will keep you from being able to put a framed opening in certain locations. There are alternatives that will allow you to place a framed opening just about anywhere, but they are much more costly compared to the cable bracing.
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