need help with metal building construction questions

[tom william]

Do call your local building department and explain that you would like to build and give them the location where you want to built.

[Erik France]

The problem is TX has no uniform building code and my county has none.

I'm pretty sure Texas has adopted the 2006 International Codes, and I think the 2009 IECC. I couldn't easily find it in Texas law, but I have read it before when researching some multifamily projects in the past. The ICC lists the 2006 Codes on their site as being adopted by Texas: http://www.iccsafe.org/gr/Pages/TX.aspx I don't know if your building falls under the scope of the legislation. Even if there aren’t any codes applicable; I would make sure it is at least built to the current IBC. If it is air conditioned the 2009 IECC should apply as well. A lot of places don't have enforcement of the Building codes, but many are still required to comply with them by Texas law.

If the building isn't for your private use (a commercial shop) it would also have to conform with TAS (Texas Accessibility Standards). If the construction cost is over $50K then it would also need to be registered with TDLR and have accessibility inspections.

If you are going to air condition it, you might consider using foam insulation and thermal blocks on the purlins. The blocks will help to keep the metal roof from conducting heat onto your metal framing. Doing the foam insulation on the underside of the roof deck and walls will permit you to not have to ventilate. It is more costly, but it will perform a lot better than doing just batts.

Was there any geotech done for the foundation? Any engineering? Were there any larger footings specified under the columns? If not, I think the exterior grade beams are a bit undersized.

[Jim Riseborough]

Ask them to supply drawings and calculations signed and sealed by a professional enigneer. If they cannot, dont buy from them.

[Jim Andrew]

In the original post, don't recall seeing anything about piers. If it is not securely attached to the ground, wind will scatter out your building. We had a neighbor who built his own steel building out of I beam, it was plenty strong, but he did not dig in piers, and the building was scattered out over about 1/4 mile. His insurance company made sure he had adequate piers when they replaced the building. In my neighborhood, a 18" x 48" deep hole is minimum.

[David Sharp]

Not sure where the 11 gauge columns are going but that is pretty light. The difference in price is going to be the gauge of the skin, the gauge or thickness of the z and c purlins, etc. It wouldn't hurt to x brace the roof and bays with 1" sucker rod to keep the building from racking in a high wind. Whirlwind and Butler both have websites to compare parts and prices. As has been pointed out, 4" on the slab is minimum. Rebar in the slab and footings will make a much stronger slab than wire mesh. Forming the slab and tying the rebar goes pretty quick with a couple of helpers. You can save quite a bit if all you have to pay for is the pour and finishing. The county should have requirements for the slab and footings and minimum psi on the concrete.

[Tom Scott]

For goodness sakes, people, quit giving advice on structures, structural engineering and construction that you have absolutely no business giving (unless you have graduated from an ABET accredited college, spent 4 years under direct supervision of a registered engineer, pass a 16 hour exam and then be willing to put it all on the line by placing a couple of initials after your name)......someone might actually think you know what you're talking about and do what you say.
The best advise in this thread was to get a structural engineer to design it for you. If you want to construct it yourself after that, then fine. But please don't be giving advise on major structures (this is not a table or even residential wood framing) just because you or a friend did it and it hasn't fallen down yet. Do you know for sure it won't next time? There's a big difference in having a wood ceiling joist sag a little and a multi-thousand pound steel bent come crashing down. And do you really want someone to spend $40,000 + on a new steel building and then put it on a foundation that you told them to use...in an area where you know nothing about the soils? If so, then make sure you include your phone number so they can call you.
Rant off.

[Bob Venable]

^^^^^
Excellent advice from Tom.
There is too much at stake not to have a professional design the building.
When I built my 30 x 50 2 story metal building for my shop I had a structural engineer I happen to know do the design and oversee the construction from the slab to the finishing touches.
I worried a little about the cost not only of his fee but also what I thought was "overbuilding" the structure.

I live in coastal NC and when the next hurricane came through my shop was unscathed...and I was wishing that my house had been built as well as the shop.
In the end....money well spent.

[Jim Riseborough]

What Tom said. When your spending $40K for hip replacement, are you going to ask whats the best way to do in on a internet forum?

Most metal building manufactures will supply the deisign for the building, but you have to hire a local engineer to design the footings, along usually with a soils engineer to give you a soils report. Usually money well spent. While the engineer can make sure it doenst fall down, the soils guy will help the engineer design the footings so the building also doesnt settle, move around. What good is a new building if the slab is all cracked up in 6 months because "Joe Schmoe 4 posts up said 4" slab on grade is fine".

[Brian Libby]

A Metal building Company like Butler will engineer your building to meet snow/wind loads and they have factory authorized installers.

[Michael N Taylor]

I have been involved in metal buildings in commercial construction from 1978 to 2010. The top of the line buildeing is Butler, they have the MR24 roof system that is seamed together like the seams on a cars gas tank, they also have screw down roofs call Butler Rib. The next best building IMHO is Kirby and Gulf State they are similar to Butler but not quite the same quality. The all furnish engineered drawings of the building including anchor bolt layouts etc, if I was wanting a building that would last with minimal mantenance I would look at these three, they will cost more on the front end bt in the long run they will better serve your needs. In Texas you do not have to worry about snow loads but wind is a major component in the design and building of a metal building. A 4 inch slab is ok as long as you remember that you do not need to drive large equipment and loaded trucks on it, a 6 inch slab with 6x6x10x10 wire mesh will handle anything you could ever use it for and be sure to saw the slab the same day it is poured in no more that 15 foot squares with 12 foot being the best all a round.

[tom william]

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