An increasing number of leading international contractors and designers, who previously specified conventional building structures exclusively such as concrete buildings, recently switched to the pre-engineered buildings approach. They now benefit from significant cost savings and various advantages thanks to this concept.
1. Introduction of pre-engineered buildings
A pre-engineered building is designed and fabricated in-house, using a predetermined inventory of raw materials and manufacturing methods that can effectively satisfy a wide range of functional and aesthetic design requirements. Pre-engineered steel buildings can be fitted with different functional subsystems including mezzanine floors, crane runway beams (to support crane systems), roof platforms, walkways, etc., as well as aesthetic features such as fascias, parapets, canopies, and roof extensions.
2. Advantages of pre-engineered buildings
– Cost efficiency:
The foundation of a pre-engineered steel building is lighter than the concrete building. In terms of maintenance and operating costs, there is virtually no maintenance required for the wall panels; roof panels require only periodic cleaning, while annual washing of the gutters to remove dirt and trash is considered sufficient.
– Quality control:
Since pre-engineered buildings are fabricated completely in the factory under qualified controlled conditions, it is easier to manage quality than on-site projects.
– Architectural flexibility:
Aesthetic features such as fascias, parapets, and curved eaves greatly enhance the architectural appearance of the pre-engineered buildings and empower designers to create unique buildings. In addition, a wide range of wall and roof panels, flashing and trims are available in various shapes and colors, etc.
– Functional versatility:
Pre-engineered steel buildings have large clear spans, long bay spacing and can be easily extended for future requirements.
– Fast construction time:
Standard steel buildings are typically delivered in only 8 weeks (including engineering time) and may be reduced to as low as 4 weeks for special “fast track” projects. This is because the components are prefabricated in factories and shipped ready to be assembled. Additionally, anchor bolt installation plans and anchor bolts can be delivered earlier than the building supply to start the construction of foundations prior to the delivery of steel buildings.
