A Brief History of Pre engineered Buildings over the last century
Pre engineered buildings have gained widespread popularity due to the immense benefits it has to offer. It is fast to construct, economical and can be dismantled and reused. Other than this, pre engineered buildings also have fire resistive capabilities. As per available data, the oldest record of using metals for building construction dates back to the late 18th century. British cotton mills were notorious for fire breaking out, causing irreparable losses. So by the end of the eighteenth century, metal, particularly cast-iron was adopted for constructing columns and framework of a mill building.
With passage of time, business owners began to understand the benefits which included cost savings and metal’s ability to resist fire damage to a certain limit. Consequently, the demand for metal buildings surged.
Innovation happened at the start of 19th Century
At the beginning of the nineteenth century and henceforth, architects and builders used iron predominantly for making building frameworks. Since metal buildings were a novelty, there was high product cost and shortage of labour, which led to very little innovation. That was all that the nineteenth century witnesses in development of metal buildings. In 1859 Copper Union Building in New York City was built using rolled iron beams, after they were perfected. Their popularity grew from there.
The second major development in the history of metal building construction happened when Henry Bessemer discovered a way to burn carbon and silicon out of pig iron, thereby transforming it into steel. Each step in iron and steel manufacturing led to a more innovative approach in designing buildings.
The Evolution of Metal Building Systems over last 100 years
Metal building systems have undergone huge transition in the last hundred years. Some of the notable pieces of history are as follows:
1901 – A Garage for Your Model T
The Ford Model T was a revolution that showed the world the future of small cars. Obviously everyone wanted to own and needed a garage! Butler Manufacturing addressed the need by planning the primary pre-created metal structure for human use. Corrugated metal sheets were deployed and an elegant looking curved building became the brand’s signature product! It went on to influence many metal buildings in the future.
1917 – Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings
The Austin Company, based in Cleveland, Ohio, pre-engineered as many as ten commercial building designs that were put in a product catalogue. This was revolution in the construction industry back then! This meant orders could be shipped within weeks and did not need to be designed individually,
Post World War II
Metal buildings have been in use for hundreds of years. They first became popular during WWII when the aluminum industry was booming and metal airplanes were being built left and right to help with our war effort. After a brief hiatus, they came back into fashion again after World War II thanks to Quonset huts that could be quickly made on site at military bases around the world!
This so far, is the brief history of pre engineered metal buildings. At EPACK Prefab, we specialise in this product, having 24 years of manufacturing experience. Contact us for a free quote!
