Steel Prefab Commercial Buildings and the Shortened Construction Schedule


How do Steel Prefab Commercial Buildings - or any metal building package for that matter - shorten the construction schedule? The answer is that there are a number of factors contributing to a faster, more streamlined schedule.

First, you must understand the construction cycle and how it applies to the schedule. Once a Prefab Metal Building style, or type has been decided upon, the construction schedule can start. However, no actual construction will occur at this point.

1. This step is to finalize the design - What accessories will you need?… What special conditions such as special loading etc. will you require?… How many man doors openings will you need?… How many windows?… What about large door openings? You can get help with this information from a couple of metal building suppliers/manufacturers and/or contractors.

2. Now the preliminary structural design phase starts so that a building cost can be calculated. The prospective manufacturers of the Steel Commercial Building Packages will do this. At the end of this phase, you should have a few prices for your commercial building.

3. Next is the assessment and evaluation stage. This is one of the most important phases in your metal building purchase. You must look at every item on each of the Manufactured Commercial Buildings quotes and compare what the suppliers are providing. If you have any questions, talk to the suppliers - Ask why they have included this item or have not included that item.

4. Now is the time for your decision. With careful evaluation you can make an informed decision on which metal building package to purchase.

5. Once the purchase agreement (or contract) has been signed, the manufacturer will begin the final engineering of the structure of your metal building. The first information you will want from them are the calculations required for the foundation design which will normally be completed by another engineer that you or your contractor will hire. The reason for this is so that the foundation work can be completed while the metal building package is being manufactured.

6. By the time the civil construction work for your building - excavations, footings, foundations, backfilling and compaction - are completed, your prefab metal building kit should be ready for delivery.

7. Upon delivery, you or your contractor will organize the site and the steel building materials. This is often called 'shaking-out' the building. (In the case of a panelized metal building package the wall panels will be delivered in the order that they would be required for erection.)

8. Now the assembly or erection starts. This part of the building process will proceed much faster than it would normally take for a building that is not a prefabricated metal building kit. Components are either sub-assembled, or are fabricated like a giant 'mechano set' that you might have had as a child.

9. Upon the completion - and sometimes even during the final stages of erection - the building finishes can be completed.

This is a very broad look at the construction schedule of a typical steel building package. Each of the items above can be broken down into minute detail to provide the owner or developer with an accurate time-line for the completion of the building shell. This schedule can be used as a 'bench-mark' and to track the actual progress of your steel building project.

 



What to Do Next

· Check out the other articles relating to metal stud panelized building kits and residential building packages on our Metal Building Kits Articles Map