One can opt for many choices while constructing a building. What would be the building method? Will you hire a contractor? Will it be built of conventional method or using pre engineered steel or metal? There are some factors to be considered before arriving at a decision.
Pre-engineered buildings (PEBs) are designed by a manufacturer and fabricated in a controlled environment within the factory. The manufacturing methods used mets both design and structural requirements, thus enabling fast and accurate construction. Below is a brief comparison between conventional metal buildings to that of PEBs.
1. Design
In PEBs, the design setup is quick, due to it’s modular structure and systematic sections. There are international design codes which are put in place. The design is computer generated and therefore the measurements are accurate, leaving minimal chance of human error. This results in saving of money and time. On the other hand, traditional metal buildings are designed and built from the ground up, which requires significantly longer time with lesser accuracy and design tools.
2. Fast construction and delivery
It is no unknown fact that PEBs can be delivered pretty fast as compared to traditional steel buildings. An usual delivery speed of PEBs is 6 to 8 weeks as compared to 20-26 weeks for a conventional building.
3. Foundation
As PEBs are predesigned, the construction team is aware of the weight and how much foundation it will need for complete support. Compared to their traditional counterparts, PEBs are much lighter and therefore requires lighter foundation. In a conventional construction, it is often difficult to gauge the exact weight of the building. Therefore foundation capacities are taken in excess to as to allow more support if required.
4. Cost Projection
The predesigning offers another advantage in PEBs to achieve higher accuracy in estimating the cost. The overheads are less as there is minimal heavy equipment involved. Statistics show that the cost of pre engineered buildings are upto 30 percent lesser than conventional buildings.
5. Architecture
PEBs designers use computer programs to create the details and the interfaces, which offers greater control over providing better architecture at lesser costs. Conventional buildings on the other hand require doing more research and groundwork, thus adding to the cost.
6. Ease of Future Expansion
PEBs make it easier to expand due to its connecting design structure. Whereas, expansion in a conventional structure is often more tedious, incurring higher costs and labour.
7. Performance
The components in a pre engineered building are tested for efficiency. It can work together with other components as a system. This increases the performance. In conventional buildings, the different components are all designed and built individually. But there is no guarantee that these parts will integrate well and work seamlessly.
It is thus evident that Pre Engineered Buildings have numerous advantaged over their conventional counterparts. It is therefore becoming a widely adapted technology in construction. PEBs are fast to construct, accurate and trouble-free.
