Mini Storage buildings and commercial steel buildings have some similarities but fundamental differences when it comes down to construction. This article explains the key differences between mini storage construction and commercial building construction.
Mini Storage Buildings Construction
Mini storage or self storage, also referred to as pre-engineered metal buildings, are fully enclosed buildings with individual storage units, with rollup doors within the structure.
Typical eve heights are between 8’6” tall to 16’ tall (maximum eve height). Foundations for mini storage buildings do not require preset anchor bolts or piers to support framework. During mini storage construction, the building walls and unit framing are attached to the finished concrete foundation by quick drill wedge anchors, supplied with the mini storage pre engineered building package.
Within the mini storage pre-engineered metal building, the framing and partition walls are installed between the units along with the outside walls dispersing the weight of the building & supporting the entire structure.
With mini storage construction, the completed concrete foundations typically are 4 to 6 inch thick with a perimeter a footer and required notches to receive the outside sheeting and roll up doors.
Commercial Steel Buildings Construction
A commercial style metal building has rigid frame lines that span from one sidewall to the other side wall of the metal building and are connected between the frame lines with purlins in the roof and girts on enclosed outside walls or just the purlins on open wall system.
Typically, the building is a clear span or open inside the metal building. These rigid frames or frame lines also called (bay spacings) that span from one side to the other have a “kick out” with engineering kipps and reactions at the anchor points.
Because of the kickout, a rigid frame metal building requires a pier type at the base of each frame line location with embedded anchor bolts within the piers.
These piers with the anchor bolts, typically preset, are what the frame attaches to during metal building construction.
The piers may be stand alone with no flooring or connected by footers between the piers or complete concrete foundation with piers built within them.
Typical use for rigid frame building is:
- Open RV Storage
- Riding Arenas
- Agricultural Storage
- Storage Warehouses
- Manufacturing Facilities
- Metal Office Buildings
- Steel Animal Shelters & Kennels
- Churches & Religious Centers
- Community Centers
- Pavilion Centers
- Steel Garages
to name some applications.
Rigid frame metal buildings can have open outside walls, enclosed or partially enclosed walls sheets.
Austin Building Systems has been providing high quality mini storage, commercial building and RV Storage building services since 1991. Call us directly at 540-297-1300 or get an online quote today for your next mini storage building project today.
