Choosing steel buildings over other traditional ones for your office, factory, industry, warehouse, godown, or any other structure is a smart decision. Considering the countless benefits of steel buildings, they can be utilised for any commercial purpose. Apart from choosing from various financing options available for steel buildings, getting building permits, and choosing the right contractor, you also need to focus on an essential aspect of the construction process - site preparation. As the name suggests, site preparation refers to the process of making the desired land ready for the construction process so that the steel buildings can be erected with precision for sustainability. If you are wondering what is involved in the site preparation process, take a look at the steps mentioned below.
1) Select a Site
Have you selected the best site for your future steel building? No? Then do it carefully now. Consider several aspects while choosing the right site for your project. Some of the aspects include:
Drainage: See how water will drain from the site. Make sure that water will drain away from the steel building without any hindrance. Also, check if buildings around the site will interfere with the drainage system.
Access: Understand how wind, rain, sun, snow, and the surroundings will affect the final steel building.
Utilities: Make sure you don’t interfere with any existing utility line such as electrical, gas, or water lines.
Pavement: Find out which places on the site will require permanent paving after the steel building is erected.
Once you find a site where everything is just as it should be and where you won’t have to put a lot of effort during the construction process, move on to the next step.
2) Grade the Land
After selecting the right site, it’s time to prepare the land to erect your steel building. Firstly, demolish any existing structure on the land and clear the site thoroughly. Grading and soil levelling is necessary to ensure that your steel buildings are constructed smoothly and they stand tall for decades without any structural or foundational issue. Constructing on a steep slope or an uneven surface can create serious problems for the stability of your steel building. So, grade the soil well before moving on to the next step. If there are any big stones and debris on the surface, get rid of them and break them into fine soil. Get rid of less stable clay-based or silt-like soils during construction. Most steel buildings require a deep base of about 2-3-inches deep. Larger or more complex steel buildings may require a more significant base. So depending on the scope of your project, your steel building expert will suggest the necessary depth of the base. Keep some of the excavated soil on site so it can be used later to level the ground and fill any remaining holes after foundation work is complete. Smoothen the area to create a firm and level pad for the foundation. The foundation bed must be thoroughly compacted before the foundation work begins.
3) Get Ready for Construction
By the time you get your foundations in place, you must also prepare for the actual construction process. Based on the type of construction you have decided for this building, your preparations will differ. For instance, if you have decided to opt for the modular or prefabrication method of erecting steel buildings, you will have to get the components or modules of your building ready. Talk to your fabricator, and plan a rough sketch of your building ready. Depending on that, the fabricators will start manufacturing and engineering those components. Depending on the scope of your project, this process may take anywhere between two weeks to a month.
If you have planned to go with the traditional way of building steel buildings, you will have to get the raw materials ready. Your fabricator will be able to estimate the required quantity of materials. Make sure you get them on time.
4) Start Constructing
Once you have prepared the foundation and have all the materials with you, it's time to get started with the actual steel building erection process. If you have opted for the prefabrication method, all the components should now be transported on the site. With the help of machines and equipment, the components will be placed together like pieces of a Lego puzzle. The components will be welded together for structural integrity.
If you opted for the traditional method, the duration of the construction process will be longer. Firstly, your fabricators will start with building the frame structure of the building. This step in the metal building construction process includes installation of the I-beams and support columns. Once the framing process is completed, the next step will be sheeting. This phase includes installing the wall panels, including weather stripping around the panels, and securing panels to the secondary framing. During this process, the insulation is put up as the walls are installed. Once the walls are secured, the roof panels will be installed. The rest of the steel building construction will take place, just like any other type of building. Once the building is ready, all the accessories and installations you opted for, such as doors and windows, vents, skylights, ventilation system, etc. will be installed.
Your steel building contractor will keep you in the know and complete the project keeping in mind several other secrets of steel building erection. If you haven't found the right contractor for your construction project, don’t delay any more. Give us a call on 780-467-1522 and talk to our builders specialised in steel buildings.
