Steel Arch buildings?

Anyone out there ever build one of those Quonset-style steel arch buildings, like a Steelmaster or ArchBuilding? I have priced them out and compared to a new fabric hoop building and a wood post and steel-frame building all of the same size. For just cold storage of machinery the steel arch building was the best price for every size I priced - what am I missing??? Just wondering on other folks experiences before I choose a building type. I have a fabric hoop and a couple wood-post metal buildings already so know their good and bad points.
 
I have a steel master 35 wide 40 long I use it for a shop for working on trucks tractors keep my pickup in it. Good building a little hard to put up done it with a help from friends. Its a good building concrete floor been using 10 years.
 
Brent, three of my neighbors have them. One neighbor erected the first one, liked it, and put up a second one. They put both of them together their selves on that farm - had good plans/instructions, and it was one piece at a time. Lotsa panels, lotsa bolts. At two of the farms, they had minor damage from severe high winds. Both buildings that were damaged faced east/west. The third building was close by and had no damage, and it faced north/south. These three buildings had no ends in them. Fourth building was a couple miles away, west end enclosed - no damage. Don't know the name brand of the buildings.
 
Brent I have put up several when I worked at a lumber yard years ago. When assembling, do NOT tighten down 1 bolt till you get the whole thing assembled. After every bolt is in place then go back and start tightening them down. I speak from experience.
 
I don't know but a friend has one to put up. 50 ft by 50 ft. We don't have any experience so it will be learning as we go. He has the instruction that came with it. Looks like we will have several others to help and one of them has put 2 up. They look like nice buildings. Tommy
 
I helped put up a 30 x 150 arch building in 1989. Like everyone said lots of bolts. Its still standing and being used for round bale storage. My boss just gave a quote for concrete for 30 x 100 arch building per manufacturer's specifications, it was more than customer expected. There also were tie downs that need to be fabricated. There is only dirt floor in the hay barn, we poured 2x2 concrete footer that had a 6 inch deep groove that building sections set in. I was wondering how other buildings were attached to foundations? I am in New York so frost is an issue! Hope this helps. Greg
 
Greg, I was over at my neighbor's place when they were putting up the first one. They had a knee wall about 18" out of the ground if I remember right, and it had the groove in it that you mentioned. I'm sure the knee wall had a couple of feet of depth in the ground, but I didn't see it at that stage. They set the ends of the hoops in the groove and bolted each successive hoop in place. When they got them all bolted together, they grouted the groove, inside and out, that the ends of the hoop were sitting in. It's a little tedious finishing off the grout around all of those ridges. I would worry about a big wind coming up before I got the thing grouted. It would sail like a styrofoam cup if the wind got under it right.
 
I have a 40X60X16 US Buildings brand. It took a team of ten four hard days to put it up and I had the sections already bolted together. You will need a foundation and I will tell you to buy the Z track that bolts to a flat slab instead of building the U shaped footing. I could had had the same size built with doors for the same money, of course I did not know what the extras were going to run. First was the concrete foundation was 3,000.00 floor was only 5,000.00,you will need scaffolding with wheels and a couple of 2X6X8 bolted to the top with a way to adjust them up and down. That is the way you keep your building level as you build. Also it will come truck freight and you will need a tow motor to unload the truck, I got them to ship mine on three skids and that was almost too much for the rented tow motor. With out ends you can not find a place to stand in mine that you will not get wet in a rain with any wind at all. My boat was blown out of the building twice. If I was doing it again I would not build one.
I can buy right now, a 30X40X10 with a 5 inch floor for 10,500.00 and all you have to do is wright a check.JMO
 
I put up a 40 X 60 Miracle Span quonset in 1982 and wish I had put up a larger one. One end has the steel sliding doors and the other end I built in with a 12x10 overhead door and a 8 X 7 overhead door and I also have a side door on this end. This building sets in a gutter in concrete footing and after be plumbed in gutter you grout the building to footing. I love it that there is no place for birds to nest and in high winds you never hear it creaking. In summer time open doors on both ends and always get air moving through it.
 
Thanks for the great feedback guys, nice that we can depend on others who have pre-acquired knowledge to help us make good decisions. I have put up a couple grain bins in my time so I am guessing that the number of bolts would be similar to that? I was looking at the metal base channel with pre-welded brackets that the arches bolt to and you attach this channel to your footings - it is about $800 more than going with the concrete groove and grouting afterwards - I think your feedback sold me on that now. Thanks!
 
I brought a uncles land behind me and one of'em came with the deal for 10K more. It set in the corner of the lot so to get the hole lot I had to buy the building... My uncle is a cheap arse that always haft arses every thing he does... What he did was build it on a flat slab then lay angle iron down and pour cement in the V slots. It leaked around the base and stayed damp in it all the time. I am not sure about pouring cement on metal it will rust the base away. I have just got it to were it stays dry by adding vents in the top and flashing around the base... If it were me I would add a slant to the floor were the side and end walls set are use a Chanel if not water will be your enemy...





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Hey Brent.

I built a 40x60 Wedgecor arch building about 20 years ago.

I wanted to use it for truck lettering so it had to accommodate a tractor-trailer combo inside.

I eventually decided to pour 4 foot knee walls to allow for two units inside if needed. This gave me an app. 18 foot ceiling.

I put the building up myself with to teenage boys in about a week.

Has been an excellent investment. Sheds snow and ice and is all free span inside.

I poured 7 inches of 5000. with 5/8" rebar and #9 rollout on the traffic areas.

Email is open if you have questions.

Brad
 
I have had several big trees fall on it, it did a little damage but nuttin I had to repair... Those that I have cut recently in the pix were the small ones I had the big'ns took out about 5 years ago on the back side....
 
(quoted from post at 14:38:37 03/20/14) Anyone out there ever build one of those Quonset-style steel arch buildings, like a Steelmaster or ArchBuilding? I have priced them out and compared to a new fabric hoop building and a wood post and steel-frame building all of the same size. For just cold storage of machinery the steel arch building was the best price for every size I priced - what am I missing??? Just wondering on other folks experiences before I choose a building type. I have a fabric hoop and a couple wood-post metal buildings already so know their good and bad points.

We recently made a steel building from a well-known steel building company amfsteel.com. Indeed, steel building is best in every terms. They hardly take 2 weeks to complete whole building. So a better cost effective and instant building option is steel building.
 
Brent,
I watched a guy here in Michigan putting one up over a period of time (weeks?). Had a pretty good windstorm when it was about half up and there were panels bent and twisted all over the place. Sat that way for about a year, I suspect he was wrestling with the insurance company during that time. Only comment I would add is "watch the weather and get it up as fast as you can"
 

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