When considering building with steel buildings there are some important things to keep in mind.
Location, location, location. Where are you planning to build the steel building? This is one of the most important considerations as there are many factors that ultimately bear upon the engineering of steel buildings and their manufacture. Steel buildings are specifically designed to meet local building code requirements for any area. For example, buildings to be located near coastlines will be subject to wind and the local building code requirements will take this into consideration so that new construction will not collapse in wind conditions typically encountered in such climates. Therefore, if you live in an area vulnerable to hurricanes, the building you purchase must be designed to withstand hurricanes typical to the area and not blow away or collapse like other construction might. Likewise, buildings to be located in heavy snow areas are required by local building codes to meet or exceed the snow requirements and buildings to be located in high seismic areas will need to be engineered to withstand seismic activity. In seismic areas, pre-engineered metal buildings, with their superior strength compared with conventional construction, withstand seismic activity when other construction may simply crumble into dust. Other factors must be taken into account as well. How near are other structures? Is the building to be located in an urban area, or in the woods?
Steel buildings typically meet or exceed the requirements of all local codes.The location of the building will determine the building code in use in the area. Local building codes can vary tremendously. Code requirements vary in different cities and counties. It is important to check with your local building department to find out what's needed in your area. You may want to check city, county and/or town. When requesting a building quote you will be asked for the county, state and zip code of the building location, for this will affect the building codes that must be met, and ultimately, the price quote.
The self-storage rental facility business has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry over the past number of years as folks find the need to downsize but do not want to discard items they may value. Current businesses are expanding and new companies are starting up every day to meet the growing demand. The housing market crisis has added to the demand for self-storage rental units as homeowners find they are unable to maintain their current homes, yet do not want to part with precious possessions. The self-storage industry, once found mainly in high-density apartment rental urban areas, can now be found in all areas, from residential suburbs to industrial parks, both urban and rural areas.
Universal Steel Buildings construction division recently completed construction of a one-hundred thirty-two-unit mini-storage rental facility in Hagerstown, MD. The storage rental facility is comprised of three 3,000 square foot metal buildings and one 3,600 square foot building totaling out to one-hundred thirty-two rental compartments. Universal Steel Buildings construction division supplied and put up the four Olympia Steel Buildings mini-storage buildings for the large self-storage rental facility project. Sixty-six storage units are provided with three-by-seven foot roll-up doors and the additional sixty-six storage units are provided with eight-by-seven foot roll-up doors to accommodate varying customer needs. All four buildings are insulated with 2” roof insulation.
“Owners and facility managers require that their self-storage facilities meet and exceed industry standards for quality, reliability and accessibility – that’s why they choose Olympia Steel Buildings mini-storage rental unit buildings when they decide to go into the business,” explains Jonathan Mass, Construction Division Design Estimator. “We have twelve panel and trim colors, and our precision fabrication allows the buildings to be erected quickly, minimizing labor costs. All our structural framing is hot-dip galvanized for maintenance-free operation and the buildings can be expanded as the business grows. An added bonus is that steel panels and steel framing provide excellent fire resistance – something that is very important to the customer, to have the peace of mind in knowing their possessions are kept safe.”
“The mini-storage facility owner, Jeff Smith, was great to work with,” stated Mass. “He knew exactly what he wanted to expand his current warehouse business into the growing self-storage rental sector.”
“The guys at Olympia Steel Buildingswere great to work with,” stated Bill Hood, of United Disposal Services. “They worked with us every step of the way to get us the building we needed. Everything went smooth as could be and the building is perfect for what we need it for – we’re very pleased with our Olympia Steel Building and are happy with the fact that it will allow our business to grow.”
United Disposal Services of Mineral County Industrial Part, Keyser, WV, a company specializing in rubbish removal, garbage trash removal, waste hauling, residential garbage service and junk removal services recently purchased a new Olympia Steel Building from Universal Steel Buildings for a truck storage facility to house their growing fleet of trucks. United Disposal’s services also include solid waste disposal, residential and industrial waste removal, containerized waste and rubbish removal, compaction units and commercial services.
The five-thousand square foot pre-engineered metal building has three fourteen-by-fourteen sectional overhead doors to allow for easy movement of trucks into and out of the building. In addition, there are two three-by-seven walk doors. The building also has three inches of insulation on the roof and walls that will keep the temperature in the building both cool in summer and warm in winter, saving the company on energy bills as well. The building was completed with gutters and downspouts installed with the building.
“Universal Steel Buildings construction service not only supplied and installed the building, but we supplied and installed the concrete foundation with a six inch slab,” stated Jonathan Mass, Construction Department Design Estimator. “The best thing about it is that as the company grows, the building can be expanded to meet any future need.”
“Anytime, Anywhere” is the motto of Marine Engine Maintenance, Inc., a GSA Contractor who’s mission is to provide technical advice and service to the U.S. Coast Guard's 87' Patrol Boat Fleet, used to execute law enforcement, marine environmental protection, ports, waterways and coastal security, as well as other Coast Guard missions.
When owner/operator Kevin Simpson recently decided to expand his marine engine maintenance business, he put his trust in Olympia Steel Buildings to get him the best pre-engineered metal building possible and take care of all the details. He opted for pre-engineered metal building construction because of the time-factor: pre-engineered metal buildings take much less time than conventional construction, and steel buildings are more durable, particularly in a marine environment.
The solution was a turnkey Olympia Steel Buildings pre-engineered metal building supplied to Orange Beach, Alabama company, Marine Engine Maintenance, Inc. The five-thousand square foot state of the art steel building is to be used as an engine rebuild shop to service the U.S. Coast Guard's 87' Patrol Boat Fleet.
The Marine Engine Maintenance turnkey metal buildings construction project included building design, engineering and supply, concrete work and erection of the pre-engineered steel building on site, as well as supply of doors and windows.
“They’re very happy for sure, they’re really happy with their state-of-the-art Olympia Steel Buildings pre-engineered steel building,” states Victor Gutierrez III, Senior Building Consultant. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to help keep America safe, helping Marine Engine Maintenance keep the Coast Guard Patrol Boat Fleet afloat and patrolling our off-shore waters. We did it all – we supplied the building with concrete, building erection, doors, everything. I’m very proud. We provided them a great product that will give them many years of maintenance-free service and utility.”
Olympia Steel Buildings Are Custom Designed and Engineered To Meet All Local Building Codes
Steel buildings customers frequently wonder whether the metal building they are considering will meet their local building codes for wind, snow load, and seismic requirements. Simply put, yes. You can be confident that Olympia Steel Buildings factory designs every steel building to meet the requirements of the buyer's local building codes.
Since local building codes vary, generic building pricing is impossible. Every Olympia steel building is engineered to comply with regional building codes, wind load, snow load, and seismic requirements. If you find a steel building company that gives building price quotes without asking where the building will be put up, beware. Some metal buildings companies sell buildings without regard to whether the building will meet the buyer's local building codes. Then when the buyer attempts to put up the building, he finds that his local code will not permit him to erect the building as planned, and is stuck with a building he cannot use and finds it impossible to receive a refund from a metal building supplier that is unscrupulous.
Every Olympia building, whether simple or complex is essentially a custom metal building designed for the exact location where the building will be erected. Olympia also provide permit drawings stamped and certified by one of our registered engineers.
Permit drawings include:
- cover sheet with design loads and drawing index
- anchor bolt drawings
- column reactions
- rigid frame elevations
- side wall framing
- end wall framing
- roof framing, which includes sheeting drawings for side walls and end walls
- detail drawings
NOTE: Foundation drawings are not included, however, they are available for small fee from an outside concrete engineering firm. If full-scale calculations are required, they are available for a small fee.
Olympia Steel Buildings Stand Up To EF2 Tornado
A town of about 2,000 residents, Big Rock is located in Stewart County in north central Tennessee about 70 miles north of Nashville. The tornado activity in this area is slightly above the state average and 95% greater than the overall US average.
On Monday evening, May 23rd, at 6:30 PM an EF2 tornado traveling at about 115 – 120 mph touched down in Big Rock and ended its trail of destruction in Fort Campbell. The tornado left a path of devastation 150 yards wide and 7 miles long damaging 64 buildings and destroying a half dozen homes. The tornado destroyed the Stewart County Fire Service building in Big Rock and the town’s Post Office sustained damage as well.
Included in the damage were two buildings on the property of Daley Contracting, Inc. The roof blew off one of their buildings but their Olympia steel building received only minor damage to an overhead door and man door. The Olympia steel building itself went unscathed. Justin Daley, company Vice-President, was in the building at the time of the storm and happily reported that the building held up quite well under the severe weather conditions.
Daley Contracting purchased the Olympia building in 2010 and erected it themselves. The company is a woman-owned hub zone company located in Big Rock, Tennessee.
Olympia Steel Buildings: One Company's Story Of Success
On December 3, 2009, a ground breaking ceremony took place at 3121 West Market Street in Warren, Ohio to begin construction of a new Olympia Steel Buildings pre-engineered steel building for expansion of an existing manufacturing facility. By September of 2010 construction was complete and Reinforcement Systems of Ohio LLC (RS) opened their corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility on the 17 acre site. The company manufactures welded wire reinforcements (WWR) used in concrete products such as box culverts, modular metal buildings, span bridges and tunnel segments. Their custom engineered prefabricated reinforcement mats are designed and manufactured at the new Warren facility and save pre-casters thousands of dollars in material and labor costs through the WWR process.
Bill Gallenz, president of RS said that when making their decision about the right building for their needs, the owners did a lot of research and took three main things into consideration: cost, quality and service. Olympia Steel Buildings met all of those requirements. The 60,000 sq. ft. RS manufacturing plant houses state-of-the-art fully automated machinery in the main part of their facility with an extensive system of overhead cranes to move materials and product. The plant is bright with large exhaust fans and a complete insulation system to keep the plant comfortable. A spacious fabrication room is part of the facility and all areas of the plant are fully accessible to large 18 wheel trucks for unloading coils of raw material and loading manufactured product through large overhead doors. The attractive exterior of the building is light-stone in color with burnished slate wanes coating.
Arnold Davis, President of Olympia Steel Building stated, “It was important to address all of the OSHA requirements in addition to building codes on this building. For example, numerous exit doors had to be strategically placed. Some design changes occurred after the building was delivered, and we worked with Reinforcement Systems and the contractor to accommodate all requirements.”
Mark Martin, owner of Reinforcement Systems, established the company in 2009. As a native of Warren, Ohio, Mark fulfilled a promise to bring jobs to the city where he grew up. His $28 million plant is expected to employ 65 workers within the next three years with room to double the plant size as the company grows. Martin also has a warehouse in New Mexico.
“Because Olympia steel buildings are naturally ‘Green’ and because we want to do our part in being environmentally responsible, Universal Steel Buildings, sole supplier of Olympia Steel Buildings has once again renewed its membership in the U.S. Green Building Council to demonstrate our support of sustainable building practices and our commitment to Green Building principles and design,” recently stated Arnold Davis, President of Universal Steel Buildings Corp.
The U.S. Green Building Council is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices and advancing structures that are environmentally responsible, cost- and resource- efficient, and healthy places to live and work. Their Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System emphasizes state-of-the-art practices in five areas: site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
Pre-engineered steel buildings are an innovative building solution featuring solid steel I-beam metal building construction and they are leading the way in the Green building movement, meeting Green building design goals with innovative building design, engineering and use of materials. “Steel buildings are durable, cost effective, energy efficient, and Green,” asserts Davis, and sustainable pre-engineered steel buildings can qualify for LEED certification.
There are many attributes that qualify pre-engineered steel buildings as sustainable, energy-efficient and Green. Pre-engineered steel buildings employ sustainable building design and construction. Steel building components are manufactured to precise specifications in a metal building factory using the highest grade commercial American made steel available. Modern American steel manufacturers employ energy efficient methods in steel production that help substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The steel used in metal buildings manufacture has a high proportion of recycled content. Steel building construction does not require cutting down valuable old growth forests. When a steel building is razed to make way for new building construction, the steel can be recycled, not dumped into landfills as are asphalt shingles, concrete, brick and wood. Steel can be recycled over and over again without loss of the quality of the steel. More steel is recycled than all other recyclable materials combined. “Cool” paints for steel buildings and metal roofing reflect up to 70 percent of the suns rays acting as a thermal barrier to keep the inside of metal buildings cooler. Metal roofs can also save energy and the environment in cooler climates. A painted metal roof not only reflects heat in summer, but also retains heat inside the building on cool days, saving on heating costs and keeping the indoor environment healthy and comfortable in both summer and winter.
“What this means to you, the customer, is that when you purchase an Olympia Steel Building, you will have the opportunity to save money and build Green with the latest in Green building technologies,” affirms Davis. “You may qualify for energy credit under the Federal tax codes, and you will be able to apply for LEED certification for your building project.”
Jewart’s Gymnastics, a recreation center in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was experiencing growing pains and knew they needed to expand their facility if their business was to continue to grow. They needed more than just space; they required a large column-free area for gymnastic equipment, rings, mats, basketball hoops and court area, balance beams, uneven bars and the like to accommodate a gymnastics training, practice and competition space that would be both attractive and affordable.
“They found Olympia Steel Buildings on the web and liked what they saw,” stated Arnold Davis, President of Universal Steel Buildings Corp., sole supplier of Olympia Steel Buildings. “Because the building site required a design for new athletic facilities that expanded on existing construction, we were able to provide a custom steel building that was perfect for their needs,” explained Davis. “Olympia’s pre-engineered metal buildings designers and consultants engineered and supplied a custom pre-engineered steel building for Jewart’s Gymnastics that was completely clear-span and afforded tons of practice space for trampoline, parallel bars, uneven bars, balance beam, rings and everything.”
The new space provides locker rooms, restroom facilities, equipment storage and practice space with multiple stations designed for a variety of athletic activities. Olympia Steel Buildings recreational buildings, athletic facilities and sports arenas provide 100% clear span interiors in widths up to 300 feet and unlimited lengths. These buildings easily accommodate gymnasiums, event centers, sports arenas, hockey skating rinks, indoor driving ranges, indoor tennis courts and paintball arenas – any type of facility needing column-free interiors, high ceilings and design flexibility.
At Olympia Steel Buildings, the customer comes first. You can trust our more than 40 years of metal building design, engineering and construction experience to design, engineer and supply the building and provide construction services. Our full turnkey package includes building design, supply of pre-engineered steel buildings, and management and construction of the building or buildings, with all phases of project development and metal building construction, including foundation, insulation, heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical, sheet rock, painting, doors and windows, handled by an experienced team of steel building construction specialists.
Olympia Steel Buildings Construction Services help you get the job done on time and on budget every time. We develop the project around your building requirements and work with you to design, supply and build a facility to fit your building needs and business plan with complete design work and provision for future expansion.
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We prepare the foundation, put up the building, install windows, doors, gutters and downs, and install optional insulation packages. If you already have your foundation prepared, no problem – we put up the building on your prepared foundation.
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With our mechanical systems option, we install all mechanical systems, including plumbing, electrical, heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation.
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With Olympia’s complete turnkey service package, we not only prepare the foundation, put up the building and install all mechanical systems, we finish the building interior, install drywall, flooring and fixtures and complete all interior painting. We can even provide optional landscaping services.