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BUILDING
STRUCTURES

Whether you need a full building structural design, or you are simply planning on purchasing and erecting a pre-engineered metal building (or “PEMB”, please see our helpful guide comments below), Structural Services & Solutions can help you to get the best value for your money.  An easily constructible design is also an economical one, so let us put our design experience to work for you to accomplish your goals and meet your needs.  This is true for new “from the ground up” designs, as well as for additions and modifications to existing buildings.
    
We have the experience and the tools to help with building structure design in steel, concrete, masonry, wood and timber, and aluminum.  We can design “from the ground up” for custom-designed new structures, or help you with the specifications you will need to purchase your new metal building.  We can also assist with the foundation design for the building's slab and footings.  We match our level of service to your express requirements, so you get the services you need - without the “fluff”.

We can help you with both low-rise buildings (1 – 2 stories), and mid-rise buildings (3 – 5 stories).  Our designs can be based on steel framed structures, concrete framed structures, masonry structures, or wood and timber framed structures, light-gauge steel stud structures, or a combination of types.

Whether you need help with the total building design or just portions of the structure, we can assist there also.  Foundations, piers, piles, retaining walls, utility yards and structures, dunnage platforms, security and access-control structures, platforms, stairs and railings, safety lifelines – we can help you with as much or as little as you might need. Our services are tailored to your specifications and requirements, including your preferred drawing format.

In whatever arena of structural building design you needs may fall, we are poised to help you with your project: industrial, commercial, institutional, research, educational, governmental, municipal, military, residential – you name it

A Helpful Guide Note About Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings (PMB)

If you are planning on purchasing a PEMB (a.k.a.: metal building, or steel building), then there are several things about the process you should know up front, before you specify your building, and especially before you make your purchase:

  • The majority of PEMB fabricators and erectors do not provide foundation design as a part of their “building package”. This design is usually left up to the purchaser, and/or his contractor.
  • A contractor-designed and constructed foundation is not necessarily a code and building-authority accepted foundation (unless he also happens to be a registered professional structural engineer in your state). Having an unapproved foundation and slab could cause you to encounter roadblocks in applying for a certificate of occupancy, having utilities turned on, and obtaining structure and contents insurance.
  • The PEMB manufacturer will typically optimize his building design for his least cost to you (i.e.: your minimum price, which is usually his minimum weight of steel) and not necessarily design it for the overall best use, or total project least cost - including the client-furnished foundations and slab.

With these facts in mind, we suggest that you contact us early in your decision-making process concerning a new, or add-on, PEMB. In fact, the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) highly recommends that the end customer hire an Engineer of Record (EOR) to be responsible for specifying the design criteria for the metal building system, designing the building components not supplied by the metal building manufacturer (including additional building features such as mezzanines, additional floors, cranes and material handling systems, etc., and the foundations) and their interface with the metal building, and providing inspection services as needed or required by the building code.* An hour or two of time spent up front on your plans and specifications now can save you both dollars and headaches down the line as you purchase and erect your new building. We never charge for an initial consultation conference to discuss your needs and plans, and we can arrange for just those services you need to get you going, without holding you back.
Source: * MBMA, Metal Building Systems Manual: 2012