Business is Better!
by Jonathan McGaha | 24 September 2012 12:00 am
After weathering a major recession, the metal building systems
(MBS) industry is invigorated by the strong sales figures from the last few quarters. Last quarter, in fact, was the best first quarter in terms of domestic building shipments in four years-an exciting and promising statistic!
MBMA members report that the first quarter dollar shipments were 15.91 percent ahead of the first quarter in 2011 and were at the highest first-quarter level since 2008. Tons of steel shipped in the first quarter were up 5.17 percent from the same period in 2011-again, a level not seen in a first quarter since 2008.
This is very positive news and reflective of growth in private construction and of the everimproving perception of metal building systems. Growth in manufacturing and energy is also helping to propel sales; and metal buildings are gaining market share as owners and specifiers see the energy efficiency and sustainable benefits that metal buildings offer.
In addition, more and more of the low-rise commercial construction market is turning to metal buildings as they see the adaptability and flexibility they offer for virtually every application, from strip centers to auto dealerships to free-standing retail. Metal building systems have economic and technological advantages over other forms of construction, and more and more owners are recognizing these attributes.
Research Builds Knowledge
As the MBS industry continues to improve, the technical research performed by the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) is paying dividends and should give building owners and contractors even greater confidence in the attributes of metal buildings. MBMA provides engineering leadership through many research programs. For example, an increasing research interest in the energy efficiency of non-residential conditioned and semi-heated metal buildings has prompted new studies underway through a partnership between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and MBMA. The estimated five-year research plan, involving the analysis of a one-story metal building system used as a flexible test research platform, is a portion of the Maximum Building Energy Efficiency Laboratory (MAXLAB) project. It was awarded to ORNL under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Historically, the energy research on metal buildings has occurred at the component level via hot box testing, cool roof tests, air barrier tests, etc. This new research initiative will provide a whole-building analysis that will take into account the complicated interactions among the building components and the effect of human behavior and its impact on energy demand and usage. This research will improve the performance, efficiency and quality of metal building systems, and elevate the technology used to produce them. ORNL and MBMA have partnered on many significant research activities through the years and expect that this current initiative will provide groundbreaking data of importance to owners, specifiers and contractors/builders alike.
Coming Soon! New Metal Building Systems Manual
One very exciting announcement is that the new “2012 Metal Building Systems Manual” will be printed shortly and you can reserve your copy today at www.mbma.com/bookstore. The manual is the industry’s definitive resource and belongs on the bookshelves of every design-build professional in the country. Its 650-plus pages offer answers to essentially every issue that relates to metal building construction. The hard copy version of the manual will be shipped with a complimentary electronic version along with ready-to-use metal roof AutoCAD details. The manual reflects changes based on the 2012 International Building Code and incorporates the results of the latest research sponsored by MBMA.
Here are just a few examples of some of the excellent updates and research compiled in this manual:
• Considerable updates were provided in the Design Practice and Load Application chapter, which provide guidance on the applications of loads to metal buildings from the 2012 International Building Code (IBC).
• The ASCE 7-2010 standard provided major revisions to both the wind design and seismic design provisions, which are clearly delineated in the updated manual.
• The Climatological Data by County chapter includes a spreadsheet of all of the counties in the United States and now includes revised wind, seismic and rain loads based on updated loads referenced by ASCE 7-2010 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, respectively.
• The Fire Protection chapter includes two new fire-rated metal building exterior wall assemblies recently tested at Underwriters Laboratories (UL). These new assemblies offer greater flexibility for construction and incorporate more wall insulation to meet today’s energy code provisions. UL Design No. W404 is the one-hour wall assembly and UL Design No. W413 is the two-hour wall assembly. This chapter also includes updated commentary on how to utilize the head-of-wall fire-rated assemblies in conjunction with the updated IBC 2012 provisions.
Accreditation Raises the Bar
MBMA Building System member companies are all required to achieve and maintain accreditation in accordance with the International Accreditation Service (IAS) AC472, the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Inspection Programs for Manufacturers of Metal Building Systems. The comprehensive quality assurance program adds value for the end customer and differentiates the metal building systems industry from other forms of construction.
AC472 is the most comprehensive quality assurance accreditation program of its kind and no other association related to the metal building systems industry has anything like it. It underscores MBMA’s commitment to quality and to furthering the credibility and image of metal building systems; it prepares MBS members to deal proactively with codes in the future and it continues to improve quality within the industry.
Business is Better if You’re in MBMA
If you are associated with MBMA, you’re in great company. About 99 percent of our members survived the downturn. I believe this is because they are well-run companies with savvy business leaders whose firms are positively impacted by the accreditation activities, research and statistical data that MBMA offers.
MBMA is uplifting members and customers alike by supporting activities that have a profound and positive impact on the industry. Its membership represents more than $1.6 billion in annual steel shipments and accounts for approximately 39 percent of the total non residential, low-rise construction market in the United States. These numbers can only grow as the industry’s image and influence continue to rise. We are excited and encouraged as we look forward to a renewed business economy.
Fred Koetting is chairman of the Metal Building Manufacturers Association, Cleveland. To learn more, visit www.mbma.com.
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