Design Considerations for Steel Buildings

Design Considerations for Steel Buildings

Most steel building manufacturers and suppliers have developed diverse building systems. This allows consumers to select the proper system best meeting their building characteristics and specific building load specifications.


One building system is the steel hybrid structure. Hybrid structures integrate the integrity of the metal building system construction processes with the strength of conventional steel. Hybrid structures are able to meet or exceed heavy loading requirements by providing effective design profiles. There is marked design flexibility inherent with a hybrid steel structure. Hybrid structures are generally supplied by one vendor; making shopping around for ancillary components and accessories unnecessary.

Hybrid steel buildings are able to be erected quickly with comparative ease. Consequently, hybrid structures go up in a fraction of the time of more conventional buildings. No matter how large or complex you plan on your building being, a wide expanse of engineering options can fulfill your design requirements. Substantial cost savings occur in regards to large projects when you go for hybrid structures and not traditional buildings. In the future, it is highly likely that steel buildings will be considered THE traditional way to build.

There are many configurations utilized in steel building construction to best fit and adapt to your specific needs. The first design configuration explored is the lean-to. Specifically designed to give you additional square footage either under your roof, or alongside your existing building structure. A lean-to attaches right at, or just below the eave of your existing structure. Providing shelter for a variety of uses; including storing goods either perishable or non-perishable, storing your equipment or keeping your livestock. Depending on your design requirements, a lean-to can be partially or fully-covered.

Another building design option is the single slope. This is a simple sloping roof in one plane. The slope of the roof on this steel structure is from one side wall to the opposite side wall without a gable. Retail strip malls favor this type of construction.

The unsymmetrical gable steel building is a popular choice. This is a ridged or otherwise known as a double-slope building, where the ridge of the roof is specifically designed to be off-center. This is used by some restaurants or specialty shops.

The last design configuration is the symmetrical gable steel building. A ridged or double-sloped structure on which the ridge of the roof is located in the center of the building. This is the most popular configuration of steel building chosen used for a vast array of design configurations among many consumers.