Pre-engineered steel housing offers many remarkable advantages over traditional wood framed or cinderblock construction. Perhaps the average home buyer has not yet heard of steel framed homes, but they have been around for years, with steadily improving technology and benefits.
Did You Know…
Stran Steel Corporation formulated one of the earliest designs
for a
steel home - it was featured at the 1933 World`s Fair in Chicago.
At that time steel production did not make this new technology for home-building economically viable. However, times have changed!
Here are just some of the many advantages of using steel to build your new home…
- designed to withstand 140 - 150 mph winds
- one of the strongest building materials available; many times stronger than wood (the greatest strength for the least weight and the greatest value for its cost)
- non-flammable- will actually contain a fire and keep it from spreading
- does not shrink, swell, warp, settle, or deteriorate and weaken over time under a load as wood does and it is impervious to termites, rot and mold.
- virtually ageless- walls and rooflines remain straight and true, doors and windows always shut properly, garage openings stay horizontal
- retains its value and new appearance, increasing your home’s resale value
- maintenance costs are almost nonexistent
- quicker and easier to erect than a traditional house (it takes about 6-10 people to build a steel-framed house compared with 40 to build a conventional wood-framed house)
- a simple 2000 SF house should have the frames assembled and erected in 1-2 days (complicated and/or large designs require more skill and time)
- long lifespan, long warranties on both structure and painted finishes
- a “green” choice - choosing a steel building system is an environmentally responsible construction option
- steel homes are pre-engineered...
The Pre - Engineered Advantage
The term, “pre-engineered or prefabricated steel home” refers to the design, engineering and manufacturing process of today’s metal houses. The process of designing and engineering a metal building has been greatly improved over the years, due to the implementation of sophisticated computer aided design and drafting (CADD) of the building. A pre-engineered home purchased today is highly technologically advanced.
The steel home you purchase is actually designed according to a particular building code which is correct for your location, and meets specific dead loads, wind loads, roof loads, seismic forces and other factors. Each home is reviewed and certified by an engineer licensed in the state the home will be delivered to. The properties of every component, right down to the bolts and screws, are taken into account, as well as how each design element affects the overall structure. Every detail must meet local codes. (click here for more info on building codes)
A pre-engineered building is sometimes called a “metal building system,” referring to the fact that all the differing components of the building are engineered to the required specifications and load codes, and shipped together to the job site.
With a pre-fab steel home, very little needs to be out sourced from other vendors. Windows, doors, roofing, trim- all are custom fit to each building. This pre-designed system is therefore extremely efficient, and easy to assemble, as each part is a perfect fit to each other part.
Some steel home manufacturers only sell kits for pre-designed styles, but many can provide a custom design from sketches or photos that you provide.
Almost any style of custom design can be created. Frequently, the use of an architect is neither necessary nor desirable. The steel home manufacturers’ engineers will do the architectural design.
Usually when a steel building manufacturer does the complete design, the framing package is less expensive than if an architect does it. This is because most architects don`t understand how a steel building system works and don`t take advantage of steel`s strength; they are still designing with wood in mind.
Steel Homes Look No Different Than “Regular” Homes
Steel houses look identical to any other site built, conventional homes, with the possible exception of the colored roof. Steel roofs are virtually maintenance free as well, and last 2-3 times longer than an asphalt shingle roof.
One giveaway that you are looking at a steel framed house is that the walls are always straight! Conventional wood headers and roof ridges sag- steel framing stays straight and rigid.
Other than that, you would not be able to tell a steel home apart from any other home. They can have any type of brick, stucco or stone facades to create beautiful and stylish exteriors.
Because of the strength of the steel itself, pre-engineered steel home designs can include many features that would be much more expensive to construct with wood. For example, it is significantly cheaper to add vaulted ceilings to a steel home than to a wood framed home.
The inside framing of a steel home is covered with sheet rock and then painted. Steel framing is compatible with other building products. You can incorporate such features as wooden windows, doors and moldings and use any exterior finish.
Clear span construction allows you to design any floor plan you want. The interior walls are not load bearing- you can even move these walls if you decide at some point to remodel.
Energy Efficiency- Built In
Because steel homes are designed and constructed to be energy efficient, the temperature stays more constant and the home actually feels more comfortable. The savings in energy costs for heating and cooling a properly engineered and outfitted steel home are considerable over the life of the house.
Both efficient and innovative, radiant barrier insulation installed to the roof and walls acts as a thermal break and stops 97% of radiant heat penetration in the summer and radiant heat loss in the winter. Regular insulation doesn`t stop radiant heat. (the kind of heat which makes car interiors so hot while sitting in the sun.)
click here for more info about radiant insulation
One distinct advantage of a steel home is it can have a “cool roof” colored roof system. This is a heat reflective coating on the steel for energy efficiency. These types of roof panels have reflective properties capable of lowering the temperature of the roof up to 100 degrees!
Your steel home can also be designed with a ventilated attic, using vented soffit and ridge caps. This inexpensive design feature provides continuous air flow through your attic. You can put as much conventional insulation in your attic as you like.
Another exciting difference in a steel framed house is that the exterior wall studs are 6”-8”, as opposed to wood framing which is done with a 4” stud. Of course, modern 2 x 4’s are only 3-5/8 inches wide, which means your wall will not even hold enough insulation for an R-13 (using fiberglass bat).
The wider steel stud allows you to use much more wall insulation, if you live in a climate where that is called for. You can fill the cavity with enough insulation (fiberglass, cellulose, etc.) for an R-19. If you add foil insulation, your wall could have an effective R-value of 30 or better. This results in tremendous energy savings as well as a much quieter home.
Air leakage from expansion cracks is less because steel doesn`t warp or expand/contract as humidity changes. These advantages can help reduce heating and cooling costs by 50% or more.
A wee bit of history...
During the “gold rush” in the late nineteenth century, a “portable iron house” was developed, and hundreds were sold to the prospectors who were seeking to strike it rich with gold.
Erecting a Steel Home
Many steel home manufacturers design their homes so that the average person can build it themselves and save money.
It’s usually necessary to use a forklift, backhoe or a front-end loader to unload the steel home off the delivery truck. Depending on both size and design of your house, it should take about 2-3 hours to unload- then you can use your forklift to start erecting the frame.
Are you wondering if the idea of erecting your prefab home yourself is realistic? Whether you are a first time builder or highly experienced with this type of construction, there are many things that can be done to make the erection of the house proceed smoothly and easily.
The foundation must be laid and "cured" before any construction can begin.
Here is a highly condensed version of the basic steps in erecting a steel house…
- Erect the primary framing, consisting of I-beams. These are the first components that you will bolt together and fasten to the anchor bolts already in your foundation.
- As soon as some of your primary frames are in place, you can start to bolt the secondary framing, comprised of girts and purlins. Running horizontally the length of the building, they provide support for the wall and roof sheeting.
- The wall and roof panels attach via the use of self drilling fasteners.
- Weather stripping is installed with the wall and roof panels to keep the building from leaking.
- Trim finishes off the building both in appearance and weather proofing.
- Accessories, such as doors, windows, vents and gutters are the last step- then, it`s on to the interior and exterior finishes!
click here for more detailed info about erecting a steel building
Of course, if building it yourself is not your cup of tea, a local contractor or metal building erector can erect it for you. Make sure you hire someone experienced- there are various types of steel homes and each one is constructed somewhat differently.
Foundations
The foundation of a home is vital to give the house a stable base, and hold it down in the event of hurricane, flooding, or earthquake. A pre-engineered steel home is designed to be anchored into concrete “piers” that extend well below the concrete slab floor. These piers will hold the structure firmly in place, even against forces of nature that could uproot a typical shallow slab. The main columns of the frame are connected to these piers with “anchor bolts” up to one-inch thick that are set in place when the piers are poured.
Your foundation engineer will determine the exact dimensions for your foundation, based on local soil conditions and the specs of your particular house. Because the foundation is so important, hiring an experienced professional is strongly recommended.
Steel Homes in Hurricanes and Earthquakes
Earthquakes…
One of the qualities which makes steel a superior home building material is “ductility.” This means that steel can be deformed far beyond its elastic limit without breaking. This quality is very important in extreme circumstances like earthquakes and hurricanes.
Steel-framed buildings have been studied extensively, and always have the best record of survival during major earthquakes, because of their ability to absorb a large amount of energy. If you live in an earthquake prone area, be sure to purchase a home with the highest seismic rating for home construction- “seismic 4.”
Hurricanes…
Contrary to popular opinion, the main cause of a hurricane’s destruction to one`s home is not blowing the house down from the outside, but rather blowing it down from the inside! When airborne debris breaks through the "building envelope" (by breaking a window, etc.), the wind can then enter and pressurize the interior of the home. As this pressure increases, it can lift off the roof, blow out the walls, or even dislodge the house from its foundation.
Because of steel’s strength and ductility, as well as a steel building’s construction, where the connections are bolted together, and the frame is bolted to the foundation, the structure will hold together in high winds. Steel homes are specifically manufactured to withstand 140-150 mile an hour winds! If a window is punctured, nothing can stop wind and water from entering the house, but the frame and the roof will remain intact. When it’s all over, you will still have a house.
Is a steel home at greater risk of being hit by lightning?
In a word- “no.” This is one of the many misperceptions about steel houses. A steel framed home is no more likely to be hit by lightning than a wood framed house.
However, there is a significant difference if the house is actually hit!
When lightning hits a wood framed house, it bursts through the roof and sets it on fire. With a steel framed house, the solid I-Beam steel columns provide multiple grounding points. The lightning is conducted out through these columns, dissipating the energy safely, with little or no structural damage.
Some insurance companies actually label steel framing as "Superior Construction" and offer discounts on homeowners insurance up to 35%. Check with your insurance carrier for more details.
Steel Homes and Fire Resistance
In terms of the safety of your home and family, a major advantage of steel framing is that it’s non-combustible. It does not burn and will not provide additional fuel to the fire. With enough heat, the structural members will deform and reach a critical point where eventual failure will occur, but they do not provide additional fuel, nor perpetuate the fire growth. Steel homes often have lower insurance premiums because of this advantage.
According to a study done by the National Fire Protection Association, house fires are responsible for over 4,500 deaths and over 19,000 injuries each year. The (wood) framing that homes have been buildt with traditionally is ranked third on the list of "first ignited" material in a home.
Steel is a “Green” building Material
Although classified as a renewable resource, more timber is cut down every day that will never be replaced. Each year, 78 million acres of rainforest are cleared, a rate that will strip the planet by 2060. It’s obvious that we must reduce our dependence on wood.
Steel provides a fantastic alternative. Not only is it a superior building material, but steel has the added advantage of being almost 100% recyclable. Did you know that steel is the most successfully recycled material on earth? Best of all, steel recycling saves energy and protects valuable resources.
Take a look at these impressive facts:
- Steel is 100% recyclable, and all new North American steel currently being forged contains recycled steel.
- Every ton of steel that is recycled saves approx. 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone.
- Both air and water emissions from steel production are a whopping 90% lower today than just 10 years ago.
- Almost all the hazardous waste once generated by the steel industry is now being recycled for beneficial use.
- The reflective properties of steel roofs provide significant savings in energy consumption.
- Heat and cooling loss, especially around doors, windows, foundation, and roofing, are significantly lower than other types of construction.
“A typical 2000-square-foot home requires about 40 to 50 trees, about an acre’s worth.
With steel, only the equivalent of about six scrapped automobiles is needed.”
-The Steel Recycling Institute
For all these reasons, and more, steel homes are an idea who`s time has come!
*************************************************************************************
REFERENCES:
National Fire Protection Association, http://www.nfpa.org/index.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1
The Steel Recycling Institute, http://www.sustainable-steel.org/
New York Times, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E7D9133FF935A3575AC0A96E958260
http://www.kodiaksteelhomes.com/planning/
http://www.iq-home.com/Steel/steel_home_construction_history.htm
http://www.ihexports.com/ws.html
http://www.toolbase.org/Construction-Methods/Steel-Framing/steel-framed-modular-housing
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/wildfires/20080320-9999-1ez20steel.html
http://www.recycle-steel.org/PDFs/brochures/residenfram.pdf
http://www.livingsteel.org/steel-homes-following-katrina
http://www.buildingsguide.com/steel-homes.htm
http://www.azom.com/News.asp?NewsID=9761
