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Designing for Roof Loads in Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings (PEMBs) are designed to handle various loads. These include dead, live, and collateral loads. The International Building Code (IBC) sets minimum requirements. But, to design for real-world conditions, we must understand the building’s specific use. This article is about roof loads. Dead Loads Dead Read More

Our company sits in Western New York, an area renowned for major snow events. Buffalo gets over 90 inches of snow each year, on average. Some storms have dropped over 80 inches in a single event. Snow load is one of the most critical factors in designing the buildings we supply. Snow loads may seem Read More

A common misconception regarding pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMBs) is that manufacturers serve as the Engineer of Record (EOR) for the projects they undertake. While manufacturers do provide stamped drawings and calculations for their buildings, they do not function as the EOR. Instead, they deliver a product based on design loads and code information supplied by Read More

The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) has completely changed the metal building industry over the past decade. Manufacturers have spent many years developing products to satisfy the code better. Insulated metal panels have gained an incredible amount of market share. Insulation producers have continued to develop technology around High-R fiberglass insulation systems. Some metal building Read More

Standing seam roofs are superior to screw-down roof systems for several reasons. The most obvious is weather tightness. Standing seam roofs utilize a clip to attach the panel to the roof framing, minimizing the use of exposed fasteners. Fewer fasteners (or penetrations in general) mean less likelihood of leaks. Handling panel expansion and contraction is Read More

As a pre-engineered metal building contractor, I would love to tell you that every building can be constructed using a metal building system. But, while metal buildings are highly diverse and their capabilities continue to grow, there are better solutions than traditional metal buildings. A hybrid building system can be a great alternative when a Read More

If you looked at using a metal building system in 2021 and the pricing and lead time didn’t work for you, it’s time to reconsider. The metal building industry got hit early and hard by the COVID lockdowns. Pricing rose, and lead times ballooned fast. Lead times were as long as 52 weeks for some Read More

For the past ten years, direct-to-consumer (DTC) metal building providers have grown in popularity. Many contractors in the metal building industry hate DTC metal building suppliers because they see them as a threat to their business. But in my opinion, they do more good than bad for the metal building industry. Here is a summary Read More

Metal buildings are designed to accommodate snow build-up on roofs based on the local snow load requirements. While under typical snow storms, the roof is well equipped to handle the weight of the snow/ice build-up, some conditions can cause the load to exceed the capacity the roof was designed for. It is important to understand Read More

Pole barns and metal buildings can often appear very similar on the exterior. While both systems typically utilize metal roofing & siding, the two systems are very different. For those who aren’t familiar with pole barns, a pole barn or “post frame” building is described by the National Frame Buildings Association: “Post-frame construction is an Read More