Anybody have experience with large commercial prefab buildings?

[A930Rocket]

Anybody have experience with large commercial prefab buildings?

I've got a lead on a job at a place that does commercial work using prefab buildings. My background is mainly residential with a mix of commercial, but not prefab. I want to know/learn as much as I can about them, start to finish (from site work to punch out).

Here's a link to the type of buildings they do (it's not the company in the link): Photo Gallery | steel building | Nucor metal buildings

Thanks,
Jim

[gr8fl4porsche]

Done lots of them.

What kind of info are you looking for?

Pour footings or basement foundation.
Truck drops off large amounts of steel and decking materials.
Set steel and roof.
Trench and install buried utilities and plumbing.
Pour slab.
Paint structure if going to be left exposed.
Insulate and skin exterior with provided materials or materials as specified.
Finish interior.
Done.

Makes it sound too easy.

[red-beard]

This is exactly the type of building we will use when we buy our own place.

[A930Rocket]

Sounds like building a house. Piece of cake then!

I was looking for any tips on sequence/schedule/vernacular, etc. All I've done is wood framing. No steel. Once the shell is framed, I suppose the rest is similar to a house. Just different finishes.

Originally Posted by gr8fl4porsche

Done lots of them.

What kind of info are you looking for?

Pour footings or basement foundation.
Truck drops off large amounts of steel and decking materials.
Set steel and roof.
Trench and install buried utilities and plumbing.
Pour slab.
Paint structure if going to be left exposed.
Insulate and skin exterior with provided materials or materials as specified.
Finish interior.
Done.

Makes it sound too easy.

[URY914]

Do you know what a perlin or a gert is?

The holes in the siding are pre-drilled. If you think you need to drill a hole, you are installing the wrong panel.

The erectors that put them together are all slime ball low lifes. The are nomads that will travel 1000 miles to put up a building. The do not shower.

[A930Rocket]

Yes, the purlins crosses the rafters at a 90* angles giving it support and are attached with girts. The roofing sheet metal sits on the purlins.

Did I pass?

Erectors are nomad slime ball low lifes? Sounds like a lot of framers and other trades I know...

Originally Posted by URY914

Do you know what a perlin or a gert is?

The holes in the siding are pre-drilled. If you think you need to drill a hole, you are installing the wrong panel.

The erectors that put them together are all slime ball low lifes. The are nomads that will travel 1000 miles to put up a building. The do not shower.

[URY914]

Did you drill any panels?

[kach22i]

Learning some of the terms would not be a bad idea as someone mentioned (Z-Girt etc....). Look at some wall sections and other typical drawings.

The large span ones using arches often use cables under the slab to contain outward thrust just like wood arches in churches.

The metal is just thick enough to do the job, one dent on a column (just folded metal really, not a true "H" section) and it is toast.

Architects are still used to assure meeting local building codes, structural engineers for footings and concrete slabs, civil engineers for the site plan and so forth just like a real building. There is no law which says these must be ugly eye sore buildings, several firms I worked with made them look pretty good with a few tasteful decisions.

Good luck.

[MRM]

Oops. edit. I missed that the link was NOT to the company you were looking at. I don't know much about metal buildings from an engineering point of view, but I do know a little about Nucor. They are a wonderful company. If you could get a job with them you would be at the top of your career.

P.S. when you interview, refer to them as engineered buildings or modular buildings, not prefab.

[A930Rocket]

Thanks guys. Any links to more information? Mostly what I find is suppliers and builders. Nucor did have some parts manuals, but no diagrams.

[Eric 951]

Pre-fabs are failry simple--almost like a giant erector set.

Not all pre-fab mfgs. use a pre-drilled panel--Butler is the only large one that I can think of that does--they also use pre-drilled steel.

Check some other mfg. to see if you can get an erection manual from their websites.
Butler
Chief
American Buildings

You will want to make sure you use guy wires/cables to rbace the erected steel sections as you go--saw an installer almost collapse (4) bays by not following this advice.

Some mfg. require that you be a certified erector--meaning that you attend training at their facility to become certified.

Nothing all that difficult to build--some just have goofy details that must be followed or the mfg. can void any warranty they provide--yes they will send isnepctors with feeler gauges/mirrirs, etc. to check it was erected properly.

I disgaree with the " slime-ball low-life" comments above. Truly NOT the case.

[A930Rocket]

Thanks for the info.

I read somewhere that cables or similar are buried in the concrete to keep the steel posts/columns from spreading/pancaking? True? I would think proper footers would take care of any spreading/pancaking.

Originally Posted by Eric 951

Pre-fabs are failry simple--almost like a giant erector set.

Not all pre-fab mfgs. use a pre-drilled panel--Butler is the only large one that I can think of that does--they also use pre-drilled steel.

Check some other mfg. to see if you can get an erection manual from their websites.
Butler
Chief
American Buildings

You will want to make sure you use guy wires/cables to rbace the erected steel sections as you go--saw an installer almost collapse (4) bays by not following this advice.

Some mfg. require that you be a certified erector--meaning that you attend training at their facility to become certified.

Nothing all that difficult to build--some just have goofy details that must be followed or the mfg. can void any warranty they provide--yes they will send isnepctors with feeler gauges/mirrirs, etc. to check it was erected properly.

I disgaree with the " slime-ball low-life" comments above. Truly NOT the case.

[JJ 911SC]

Yes, it's modular and we are doing it 220 miles (354 km) miles away thanks to the Canadarm2 (sometime were are still in pijamas...) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/canadian-astronaut-launched-into-space-command/article1693765/

[Zeke]

I once was asked if I would install bus stop shelters all over the state. I realized in a day or so that the money was in the transportation of these things. If I had a truck, trailer and crane, I could have made about what an independent trucker makes.

Think about it.

Maybe raise the bar a bit.