Standing up to Mother Nature
Posted
07/28/2011
"Metal building systems
are more resistant to fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and
other disasters. When we design a metal building, we design it
understanding the codes and the particular area it's being placed
in. We don't design a building that's going to be used everywhere;
we design it for a very specific use, whether it is Florida winds
or upstate New York snow or West Coast seismic activity. A main
metal building system concern is to make sure that the engineering
is right and that the building's design meets or exceeds local
building codes. If there is a mistake with that or if a company
doesn't have a good engineering system, then if a storm, hurricane
or snowstorm hits, and if it hasn't been designed correctly, it
could fail.
One of the reasons metal buildings remain standing after natural
disasters is the building's design is being done in one location
and its being done very efficiently, as opposed to a conventional
structure. With conventional structures, fabricators will send
beams out, someone else will send decks and someone else will send
joists. Everybody is trying to send the right thing, but you don't
always know for sure that building will interact and react with all
those pieces.
It's not uncommon after a hurricane goes through to see many
buildings taken out, but you'll see four or five metal buildings
still standing in the distance. This is because the metal building
is designed as a 'total system' instead of a bunch of components
and you are hoping the other guy has got you covered.
Also, metal buildings are like a suspension bridge because they
are flexible. In an earthquake, it can move. With metal buildings
you can't physically see them move, but they can move in difficult
situations and bounce back. They have some 'give' to them." Wes
Booker, marketing and development manager, American Buildings Co.,
Eufaula, Ala.