Rhino Steel Buildings Blog
7 Green Benefits of Pre-engineered Steel Buildings
Saving America’s Resources with Eco-Friendly Steel
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
“A green building is a structure that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout its life-cycle.”
Pre-engineered steel buildings fit that criteria perfectly. Here are seven reasons why red-iron steel makes a great green building material:
Steel is recycled far more than any other material.
Why?
One, steel separates easily from the other waste materials with huge electromagnets. Two, steel can be recycled endless times without losing and strength. Three, recycled steel is actually needed to produce new steel.
RHINO steel framing contains on average almost 90% recycled content.
2). Steel Buildings Help Save Landfill SpaceConstruction and demolition (C&D) waste constitutes a huge part of the debris thrown into landfills. Steel-framed buildings last longer than most conventional structures, automatically reducing C&D waste. Since steel recycles so easily, most old steel bridges, appliances, trains, ships, cars, pipes, cans, and other items wind up at recycling center, rather than the local dump ground.
3). Steel Buildings Save TreesThe more structures framed with steel, the fewer are framed with wood. The less lumber used in construction, the fewer trees that are sacrificed for lumber.
Trees suck up carbon dioxide from our atmosphere while producing life-giving oxygen. The more trees alive and well, and the better off we all breathe.
4). Steel Buildings Save EnergyA properly insulated prefabricated steel building cuts heating and cooling bills drastically. That significantly reduces energy expenditure over the lifetime of the structure.
Pre-engineered steel structures go up straight and true. They stay that way throughout the lifecycle of the building. There is no shifting, creeping, or loosening in steel framing as … Read more »
7 Ways to Save Now with a RHINO Steel Building
Affordable Metal Buildings Save Money from Order through Construction
There is more to the bottom line of a building project than material costs. Attention must also be paid to the expenses associated with materials, labor, construction time, shipping, foundation, and more. When studying the overall picture, it is clear prefabricated steel buildings save money from start to finish— and even beyond.
Here are seven ways prefab metal buildings systems save time and money:
A man-made building material, steel produces a consistent building product with constant qualities. Every column, rafter, girt, or purlin supports an exact and known load. High-tech engineering software quickly creates a design which takes full advantage of the strength and stability of steel.
The result is a strong, durable framing kit with the least possible steel. There is no guesswork, no waste, and no over-engineering.
This efficient use of steel keeps pre-engineered steel buildings affordable.
2). RHINO Offers Multiple Shipping PointsPre-engineered metal buildings ship to the job site by truck. Delivery charges are based on the distance from the factory to the job site. The farther the truck travels, the higher the freight costs.
RHINO Steel Building Systems ship from multiple locations across the U.S. Producing each metal building at the manufacturing plant closest to the delivery point holds shipping costs to an absolute minimum.
3). Metal Buildings Save Money on FoundationsTypically, prefabricated metal buildings save money on foundations, too.
Steel possesses the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any building material. Since fewer components are needed to create an extremely strong structure, there is less stress placed on the foundation. Often steel buildings require far less concrete for the … Read more »
7 Ways Metal Buildings Save Time
Building Faster and Smarter with a Prefab Steel Building System
Saving time on a construction project is vital, because time really is money. Pre-engineered metal buildings save time— and therefore money— many ways.
The quicker a structure is completed, the less spent on builder’s insurance and labor. Faster construction means convenience for consumer building projects.
However, time is even more critical for commercial or industrial ventures. The faster a commercial or industrial building is completed, the sooner it is open for business and earning a return on the investment.
1). RHINO’s Metal Building Specialists Save TimeWorking with someone who really knows the both the product and construction is critical.
RHINO’s metal building specialists bring years of hands-on construction experience and a thorough knowledge of the RHINO steel building system to the table. They know all the right questions to ask, so they have a complete picture of the project specifics before they issue a metal building quote.
Our crackerjack sales staff will answer every question. They often share valuable insights and knowledge for streamlining or improving the project. Their experience helps bring every project in on time and on budget.
2). High-Tech Engineering and Design Software Saves TimeA strong, consistent, and predictable building material, steel lends itself well to state-of-the-art computer aided design software. Sophisticated steel engineering software dramatically reduces design time for metal buildings, making optimal use of steel’s inherent strength. Three-dimensional structural analysis software assures structural integrity throughout the structure.
The software generates manufacturing drawings for individual framing components quickly and efficiently, speeding up the manufacturing process.
3). Fewer Framing Pieces Saves TimeSteel has the strongest strength-to-weight ratio of any building material. Design and engineering … Read more »
7 Reasons Builders Love Metal Building Systems
How Steel Buildings Save Contractors Both Time and Money
For low-rise construction, builders most often choose pre-engineered metal building systems for their commercial and industrial clients. Builders find the advantages of steel buildings work great for them— and for their customers. It’s a win-win deal for everyone. Here is why.
1). Metal building systems are easy to order.
Once the builder has the architectural plans from the customer, ordering a pre-engineered metal building is easy. RHINO Steel Building Systems’ efficient and knowledgeable steel building specialists provide fast, accurate quotes. The builder can be confident using RHINO’s figures to make his own bid to the client.
RHINO’s sales team knows all the right questions to ask to cover every detail. Often, they may even make suggestions on ways to tweak the original plans to make the project more affordable.
2). Metal building systems keep builders competitive.Powerful state-of-the-art engineering software takes full advantage of steel’s superior strength. Steel structures are designed to meet or exceed all local building codes. It automatically designs for the most efficient use of steel, thereby keeping costs to a minimum. The software also creates all fabrication drawings, streamlining the manufacturing process.
3). Metal building systems deliver quickly.After placing the order, the shop drawings are sent to the manufacturing plant closest to the job site. In that way, shipping charges are also kept to a minimum, further reducing costs. Simple “basic box” designs deliver in 4-5 weeks. Larger, more complex custom designs may require 6-7 weeks for delivery.
The quicker the builder can get his foundation poured and his framing package delivered, the sooner he … Read more »
7 Benefits of Inorganic Prefab Steel Buildings
Why Pre-engineered Metal Buildings are the Smart Choice
Steel has long been the preferred choice for commercial, industrial, agricultural, and institutional construction. Because steel is inorganic, pre-engineered steel buildings offer many advantages over an organic building material like wood.
1). Steel is consistent.Nature, while endlessly beautiful, creates organic materials which are endlessly variable and unique. But such inconsistency does not make the best building material.
No two species of wood are exactly alike in strength. No two trees of the same species are even precisely alike. Its species, age, growing conditions, region, climate, rainfall, soil, insects, diseases, and many other variables affect the tree’s strength.
Manufactured to precise tolerances governed by strict national industry standards, steel is predictable and reliable. Every steel component of a given gauge compares exactly to all the other members just like it. Its strength characteristics are known and precise.
Pre-engineered steel buildings take full advantage of this predictability and stability. New engineering software quickly and efficiently designs structures to meet or exceed all local building codes— with the least amount of steel possible. That makes not only a strong structure, but also an affordable one.
2). Steel is faster.Because inorganic steel is so much stronger than wood, it requires far fewer structural pieces to construct a stronger frame. While wood framing must typically be built 16-24 inches on center, prefabricated steel buildings normally place primary framing members 20-25 feet on center.
In addition, since all the steel components are cut, welded, drilled, and marked at the factory, the framing arrives ready to assemble. When lumber arrives at a wood construction site, it is examined piece by piece. The worst pieces are culled out. Then all the lumber … Read more »
Building an Auto Repair Shop with a Steel Building
Fire Safety One Reason Most Garages are Built with Steel
One of the best reasons to choose a pre-engineered steel building for an auto garage is the fire resistance of steel.
Auto repair shops, tire shops, truck servicing business, and the like are very dangerous places for fires.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) collected fire data for retail operations for five years. During that time, 6,360 structural fires were reported. Automotive sales and service and gas stations accounted for 2,290 of those fires. Three civilians died in the auto industry blazes and 83 more were injured.
Steel is non-combustible, obviously an especially important feature for car repair garages. If a fire does occur, wood framing simple acts as handy fuel for the fire, but steel framing does not feed a fire.
Reduced insurance rates are often possible on a steel-framed building.
Steel Buildings Go Up FasterPrefab metal buildings assemble easily since all the pieces are prepared, cut to length, welded, drilled and punched at the factory. Everything arrives ready to assemble, a great timesaver at the job site.
Steel is strong, so it requires far fewer framing pieces than a wood-framed structure.
Steel Buildings are Eco-FriendlySteel is a green building material. More steel is recycled every year than any other material. The same steel can be recycled countless times without losing any of its characteristics. Framing for a building might include recycled steel from:
- Junked cars
- Dismantled bridges
- Discarded appliances
- Retired ships
- Demolished skyscrapers
- Scrapped railroad cars
- Or perhaps hundreds of dog food cans— the steel industry recycles over 19 billion steel cans each year
RHINO Metal Buildings for the Auto Repair Industry
Building Efficient Garages with Pre-engineered Steel Buildings
In the automotive repair business, providing service technicians with a roomy, well-lit, comfortable workplace is essential to productivity. It also helps reduce turnover of trained personnel. Pre-engineered metal buildings excel in creating a cost-effective structure for a cost-efficient business.
Auto Repair Shops Save Money with Energy-Conscious Metal Buildings
Rigid-frame red-iron columns and roof rafters create deep cavities. Deeper cavities allow room for extra-thick insulation.
In a particularly mild-weather location, where only the office and customer waiting room need air conditioning and heating, top-of-the-line insulation decreases energy bills significantly. Upgrade insulation slashes the utility bills even more in weather-extreme areas where the mechanics bays are also climate controlled.
Garage owners who opt for RHINO’s Pro-Value insulation package save as much as 50% heating and cooling bills. That makes a RHINO structure a doubly “green” building— a boost to both the bottom line and to the environment.
The Pro-Value Package includes a vapor barrier liner made from a fabric over 300% stronger than normal metal building facing. The vapor barrier delivers an extra defense against condensation. It also supplies a much brighter, lighter interior.
RHINO Metal Building Panel OptionsRHINO’s 26-gauge steel purlin-bearing roof panels (PBR) furnish an extra overlap where two panels meet. The additional overlap improves waterproofing and creates a much stronger connection between panels. Standing seam steel panels are also available.
In locations with brutal summer heat, even greater energy savings are possible with the optional “cool-coated” PBR panels. These amazing steel panels, layered with a high-tech paint, reflect 40% … Read more »
Why Metal Buildings Make the Best Auto Shops
Building a Garage with the Strength of Steel
Auto shops need open space for the vehicles they repair. Conventional building materials like wood or block require structural load-bearing columns or walls to support the roof. That is very limiting for a garage operation. Pre-engineered metal buildings provide open, clearspan structures, which maximize the work area.
In fact, the majority of auto, truck, boat, and recreational vehicle repair shop owners build with steel framing.
Super-strong prefabricated steel buildings are self-supporting. Steel framing allows for open spans up to 150’ wide or even more without interior columns to get in the way. Arranging an unobstructed auto repair garage becomes simple. Clearspan metal buildings also offer the flexibility to rearrange the floorplan as needed.
Specialty vehicle repair garages require taller structures to accommodate lifts. High profile vehicles like semi-trucks, RVs, or buses also demand taller repair bays. A building system as strong as rigid-framed steel allows eave heights up to 40’ or more.
Prefab metal buildings can be any length desired. As a auto repair business grows, metal buildings make expansion by simple by just adding more steel frames to either end wall, increasing the number of bays needed.
Overhead Doors for Auto Shop BaysAll professional auto, truck, and boat facilities depend on sturdy overhead doors as part of their structures. Prefabricated steel building kits can be fitted with either mechanical or manual lifting systems in a choice of sectional or drum styles. For larger operations such as farm equipment or aviation repair facilities, hydraulic … Read more »
Economical Steel Buildings for the Auto Service Industry
Auto and Truck Repair Shops Test Steel’s Metal
The best structures for mechanics garages and auto repair shops are pre-engineered steel buildings. Today’s computer designed pre-engineered steel buildings provide the strongest possible auto shops— at the best price.
Auto Service Businesses Flourish in a Tough Economy
The potential for expansion in the auto repair field looks exciting.
Fewer people attempt to do their own repairs today. Both individuals and businesses keep vehicles longer than ever before.
Demand is for quality auto mechanic work is rising. Interest rates are incredibly low. More qualified auto services businesses are required. Many existing independent, chain, and dealership garages need to modernize and expand.
There may never be a better time to cash in on the car maintenance business than right now.
There many other vehicle repair businesses besides general auto engine repair shops, too. Light trucks, heavy-duty trucks, fleet trucks, motorcycles, tractor and farming equipment, boats, buses, and recreational vehicles all need repair businesses to keep their engines running smoothly.
In addition, professional specialty garages include:
- Automotive air-conditioning repair and services and auto and truck glass repair and installation facilities
- Automatic transmission repairs
- Automotive sound system installers
- Brake work specialists and muffler and exhaust repair garages
- Car washes and automotive detailing shops
- Chain store and franchised mechanical repair facilities
- Collision repairs, paint shops, and body work garages for automobiles and trucks
- Automotive, truck, and recreational vehicle customizing shops
- Diesel engine service
- Front-end alignment and tire retailers
- Independent automotive mechanic garages
- Quick oil change and lube shops
- Radiator repair shops
- Service stations
- Tune-up shops
- Vehicle inspection stations
All of these businesses need sturdy, durable, fire-resistant steel buildings.
Whether building a new car or truck repair enterprise or expanding an existing one, the best buildings are prefabricated steel buildings.
RHINO-Tough … Read more »Metal Buildings for the Auto Repair Industry
High-Tech Auto Technicians Housed in High-Tech Buildings
Today’s automobiles contain many highly technical and computer-controlled. Auto repair work in the 21st century requires, high-tech diagnostic equipment, highly trained mechanics— and economical computer-designed metal buildings.
The 21st Century Automobile
Years ago, anyone with a smattering of mechanical experience could open a little auto repair shop and stay busy. Many amateur “shade tree mechanics” handled their own car repairs.
Those days are gone.
As in almost every other field, rapidly progressing technology has both blessed and cursed the auto and truck repair industry.
High tech advances in cars include more computer-operated systems, environmental controls, global positioning systems, rear cameras, and burgeoning hybrid fuel technologies. Every carmaker strives to install more parts, more bells, and more whistles, making their models more innovative— and more complicated to repair.
Technology did not stop at just reinventing the automobile; improved high-tech diagnostic gadgets and gizmos are required in auto repair work today. Vehicle repairs now use everything from a computerized engine analyzer to an exhaust gas meter to a stethoscope for vehicle repairs.
To stay abreast of auto industry developments, auto repair tools have improved— as have auto mechanics.
The 21st Century Automobile Service IndustryToday’s auto mechanics are highly skilled, highly trained specialists. In fact the term “auto mechanic” itself is now outdated. The correct term is “service technician,” to reflect the new level of training and ability needed to fix the ever-changing automobiles of today.
There are about 170,000 general automotive repair businesses in the U.S. today.
Consumer Reports National Research Center found over 70% of those surveyed favored independent auto repair shops over dealership service centers.
Tough Times Driving Business to Car Repair ShopsAmericans are pinching pennies … Read more »
Prefabricated Steel Buildings for Auto Shops
Procrastination on car repairs pays… the auto shops
Americans are keeping their cars and trucks longer these days. When consumers do finally trade vehicles, more people now choose used vehicles instead of new. Both these trends translate into increased business for auto repair shops. That is what makes today a great time to build a new automotive repair shop— or to expand a current auto business—with prefabricated steel buildings.
Older cars on the road mean more business for auto shops. The average auto repair bill in the U.S. was about $368 in 2012.
Many consumers try to save a buck by postponing car maintenance and repairs.
When people delay preventative maintenance like oil changes, transmission servicing, tune-ups, and lube jobs, eventually they will be unable to avoid the even bigger repairs caused by procrastination. Ignoring a $10 spark plug problem could lead to a $300 ignition coil and spark plug repair. Continuing to close your eyes to the problem even longer and you have to dish out $1,000 for a new catalytic converter.
According to CarMD, ignoring common auto repairs may also reduce gas mileage.
For example, that “check engine” light on your dash may be a faulty O2 sensor. Gas mileage may drop by 40% if replacing the sensor is postponed!
Steel Buildings for the Auto Repair IndustryRHINO prefabricated steel buildings make amazing auto repair shops. Features include:
- Fast, easy framing erection
- Strong buildings that retain their good looks value for decades
- Greater protection from fire, high winds, heavy snows, termites, mold and earthquakes
- Attractive color choice for the sturdy exterior steel panels and trim— … Read more »
Using Pre-engineered Metal Buildings as Auto Repair Shops
Building or Expanding an Auto Repair Shop for Today’s Market
Now is a terrific time to start an auto repair shop— or to expanding an existing repair business— with a pre-engineered metal building.
Why? People are delaying buying another car or truck. Many are opting for less expensive used cars over premium new cars when they do decide purchase another vehicle.
Older cars on the road inevitably lead to more upkeep, maintenance, and repairs. Auto mechanic businesses reap the rewards.
In a tight economy, we all seem to be cutting corners and cutting coupons.
As gas prices spike and the cost of living creeps upward, everyone looks for ways to stretch the shrinking dollar. One place people squeeze the budget is on their cars.
The first and most obvious way is to keep a car longer before trading it in. Newer cars mean larger car payments and usually higher auto insurance.
We definitely hang on to our cars longer today. According to AAA, the average vehicle today is 11 years old, up from 8.4 years old in 1995.
New car and truck sales for 2012 actually rose 13% from the previous year. Those sales increases show a shift to smaller vehicles. According to the Wall Street Journal, in April 2013 sales for large larger car models were down 73.6% over 2012.
Used car sales continued to climb in 2013. Over 40 million used cars changed hands— an 11% increase over 2012 figures.
Drive just a little less…Another way consumers are trimming the budget fat is by simply driving fewer miles.
A 2012 survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National … Read more »
177 Commercial Uses for Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings
I have discussed in earlier blogs the many benefits provided by pre-engineered commercial steel buildings. (See “Why You Should Buy a Prefab Steel Buildings.”)
I also covered “The Amazing Versatility of Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings” in a recent article. Check out this list of low-rise commercial applications for prefab metal buildings.
Commercial Aviation Buildings• Aircraft Hangars
• Corporate Offices
• Helicopter Hangars
• Maintenance and Repair Buildings
• Multi-Purpose Structures
• Private Jet Terminals
• Shade Structures
Commercial Retail Applications• “Big-Box” Warehouse-Style Retailers
• Advertising Specialty Shops
• Antique Stores
• Appliance Stores
• Art, Hobby, and Craft Stores
• Auto Parts Stores
• Banks or Savings and Loans
• Banquet Halls
• Barber Shops and Beauty Salons
• Beauty Supply Stores
• Book Stores
• Boutiques
• Carpet Stores
• Clothing Stores
• Computer Stores
• Convenience Stores
• Dance Studios
• Daycare/Childcare Centers
• Discount Stores
• Dollar Stores
• Dry Cleaners
• Electronics Stores
• Fitness Centers
• Florists
• Funeral Homes
• Furniture Stores
• Garden Shops
• General Merchandise Stores
• Gift Shops
• Hardware Stores
• Healthcare Facilities
• Home Improvement Stores
• Jewelry Stores
• Lumberyards
• Mail/Package Services
• Mailbox Rental Services
• Medical Supply Stores
• Nurseries
• Office Supply Stores
• Outlet Stores
• Paint Stores
• Pet Grooming Facilities
• Pet Stores
• Pharmacies
• Plumbing Stores
• Printing Companies
• Rent-to-Own Stores
• Spas
• Strip Mall Centers
• Technical or Training Schools
• Theaters
• Tire Stores
• Wedding Chapels
Commercial Food Service Businesses• Bakeries
• Banquet Facilities
• Bars
• Bistro
• Cafeterias
• Caterers
• Donut Shops
• Fast Food Restaurants
• Grills
• Health Food Stores
• Meat Packing Plants
• Pizzerias
• Produce Markets
• Restaurants
• Sandwich Shops
• Supermarkets
• Taverns
Commercial Office Buildings• Accounting/Bookkeeping/Tax Offices
• Advertising Firms
• Architectural Firms
• Bail Bondsmen
• Blood Banks
• Builder and Contractor Offices
• Commercial Rental Properties
• Corporate Administrative Offices
• Dental Offices
• Graphic Design Services
• Insurance Offices
• Interior Decorator Offices
• Investment Brokerages
• Law Offices
• Medical and Physician Offices
• Medical Clinics
• Medical Diagnostic Centers
• Party and Event Planners
• Photographer Studios
• Real Estate Offices
• Sales Offices
• Security Companies
• Sports Injury Treatment Centers
• Treatment Centers
• Veterinarian Offices
• Wedding Consultants
Commercial Recreational Buildings• Arcades
• Ballroom and Dance facilities
• Banquet Halls
• Baseball Batting Cages
• Bowling Alleys
• Campground Buildings
• Concession Stands
• Event Centers
• Gyms and Health Clubs
• Ice Rinks
• Indoor Basketball Courts
• Indoor Golf Driving Ranges
• Indoor Handball or Tennis Courts
• Indoor or Covered Riding Arenas
• Indoor Paintball Arenas
• Indoor Rock Climbing Facilities
• Indoor Swimming Pools
• Indoor Volleyball Courts
• Locker Rooms
• Meeting Rooms
• Mixed-Use Recreational Facilities
• Multi-Function Sports Facilities
• Outdoor Pavilions
• Professional Athlete Training and Practice Facilities
• Recreation Centers
• School Gymnasium and Athlete Training Facilities
• Skateboard Centers
• Youth Activity Centers
Commercial Service Industry Shops• Air Conditioning/Heating Services
• Appliance Services
• Cabinet Makers
• Carpet Cleaners
• Computer Repair Services
• Electrical Contractors
• Fencing Contractors
• Glass and Window Repair Services
• Landscaping Services
• Locksmith Services
• Metal … Read more »
The Many Faces of Commercial Steel Buildings
Versatility and Pre-engineered Metal Buildings
Some people expect pre-engineered commercial steel buildings constructed to all look like a barn. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Beautiful, Functional, Durable Commercial Steel Buildings
Many of the commercial businesses you frequent are probably framed with a metal building system without you even knowing it.
Prefabricated commercial steel buildings can be finished in any exterior building material. Use brick, stone, stucco, glass, aggregate panels, concrete, block, rustic wood, or colorful steel panels, to achieve the “look” that is right for your business enterprise.
Planning to open a Texas-style barbeque restaurant with a cedar façade, or a Mexican restaurant with a southwestern stucco exterior? Need a professional-looking brick building for offices or a medical clinic? Would a stone façade best blend in with the neighborhood where your church plans to build its new sanctuary? Does the motorcycle showroom for your new dealership require lots of glass show windows? A versatile prefab steel building system works every time.
Commercial Steel Buildings: The Bottom LineCommercial investors love the affordability of factory-produced metal buildings.
Premium prefab steel buildings go up faster, last longer, protect better, require less maintenance, age slower, and often rate discounted insurance.
Prefabricated metal building systems erect much faster than labor-intensive wood or galvanized steel buildings— reducing construction costs. Well-insulated steel buildings cut energy output, saving even more on long-term operations.
Step Up to SteelWhether you are planning a million-square-foot manufacturing facility, an upscale restaurant, a fire station, a commercial aircraft hangar, a mini-storage facility, an equestrian center, a retail operation, an office building, or any other commercial enterprise, consider using a RHINO metal building.
RHINO steel building systems … Read more »
Saving Energy with Commercial Metal Buildings
How Better Insulation Dramatically Improves Energy Bills
Non-residential structures constructed with pre-engineered commercial metal buildings can reap huge energy savings— with the right insulation package. In fact, commercial steel buildings provide decades of energy savings if insulated properly.
Deeper Wall Cavities in Commercial Metal Buildings
Insulation packages for commercial metal buildings are environmentally “green.” Investing in premium-grade insulation saves natural resources— and the greenbacks of the property owners.
The walls of pre-engineered metal buildings are by design deeper than ordinary 2×4 wood-framed walls. Installing thicker insulation significantly reduces cooling and heating costs.
RHINO insulation packages range up to R-30 for walls and up to R-40 for roofs. The higher the R-value of the insulation chosen, the greater the energy savings.
Completely filling the cavities— without compressing the insulation— provides optimum energy savings. The insulation in a RHINO wall or roof is not compressed, so nearly the full R-value is realized.
Pro-Value Insulation Slashes Energy ConsumptionRHINO’s Pro-Value Insulation Package delivers maximum energy efficiency, reducing energy expenditures. Customers who chose Pro-Value insulation for their metal building projects report utility bills running as much as 50% cheaper than expected.
Durable, washable vapor barriers available in the Pro-Value insulation package are 300% stronger than the flimsy VRP facing provided by many metal building companies.
In addition, Pro-Value insulation seals around the eave strut with closure strips and mastic included with the RHINO package, for even greater energy efficiency.
See the RHINO insulation web page for details.
Cool-Coated Roof Panels— an Additional Way to SaveRHINO also offer optional reflective cool-coated steel roof panels. These highly reflective panels work particularly well in locations with extreme summer … Read more »
Go Green with a Pre-engineered Metal Building
How Red-Iron Steel Building Systems Help Save the Environment
A pre-engineered metal building uses the most recycled substance in the world: steel.
For the environmentally conscious, using steel to frame a commercial building is a no-brainer.
Using a Pre-engineered Metal Building Saves Trees
For example, let’s say you are planning an 80’ x 125’ single-story commercial building. The structure would require 200-250 trees to produce the lumber for the framing. That is about five acres of forest, sacrificed for just one commercial building.
The same 10,000 square foot building could be framed with the steel recycled from about 30 scrapped automobiles.
Which would you prefer to leave on the landscape: five acres of natural woodlands sucking up carbon dioxide and replenishing our atmosphere with oxygen— or 30 old crushed cars?
A Pre-engineered Metal Building is RenewableWhat about renewability? Can’t you just plant more trees?
Yes, of course you can. Then you can wait… and wait… and wait.
It takes a Douglas Fir 80-125 years to reach only 18” in diameter. The Longleaf Pine requires 100-150 years to grow to full maturity. Even the fast-growth trees need 30-35 years of growth before harvesting for lumber.
Yet steel producers manufacture a ton of recycled steel in only 5.3 man-hours.
Current demand means trees must be harvested long before reaching full maturity. Immature trees produce less dimensionally stable lumber.
Steel has a ready supply of scrapped steel from old cans, cars, bridges, buildings, ships, appliances, railroad cars, and the like, which can be recycled again and again to make more steel— without losing any integral properties or strength.
For example, the steel industry recycles over 19 million metal cans every year— 600 cans a second!
Prefabricated Metal Buildings: … Read more »Building Green with Commercial Steel Buildings
Pre-engineered Steel Buildings: The Eco- Friendly Choice
Did you know pre-engineered commercial steel buildings help protect the environment?
Today American commercial builders and investors place great importance on using “green” sustainable building materials. According to one Gallup Poll, 73% of Americans admit being concerned about the environment.
But is steel a green, sustainable building material? You bet it is.
Commercial Steel Buildings and Recycling
Steel is the most recycled material in the entire world.
The Steel Recycling Institute reports 82 million tons of steel scrap were recycled in 2011— more than plastic, glass, aluminum, and paper all combined. Every ton of recycled steel saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone— while also conserving precious landfill space.
One of the reasons for the incredible success of steel recycling is that its magnetic qualities make it economical simple to separate from the solid waste stream with large electromagnets.
The steel industry is no Johnny-come-lately to the recycling bandwagon. North American steel makers have been recycling for over 170 years. Many steel recycling companies have been in business over 100 years.
New steel actually requires recycled steel for production.
No Loss of Properties with Recycled SteelRemarkably, steel can be recycled endlessly without losing any inherent strength. Steel is recycled over and over and over— without changing its properties. What other recycled material can make that boast?
Steel is stronger, lasts longer—and at the end of the building’s life it is 100% recyclable.
Producing steel with recycled scrap also takes a lot less energy to produce. Using recycled steel reduces mining waste by 97%, air pollution by 86%, and water pollution by as much as 76%.
RHINO’s Recycled SteelRHINO’s 100% American-made steel framing … Read more »
Pre-engineered Commercial Steel Buildings
Greater Protection from the Elements
The strength of steel delivers many benefits for the commercial market. Pre-engineered commercial steel buildings deliver excellent defense from the elements.
The Strength of Pre-engineered Commercial Steel Buildings
A steel-framed building is stronger than conventional wood framing. It offers greater protection from hurricane-forced winds, heavy snows, and earthquakes.
Steel conducts electricity much better than wood. A properly grounded commercial steel building resists lightning damage, as the current passes harmlessly into the ground.
An inorganic material, steel does not attract termites, vermin, or mold like organic wood products.
Fire-Resistant Pre-engineered Commercial Steel BuildingsNon-combustible, steel framing guards against fire damages.
Framing is the third mostly likely place for a fire to ignite in a building, so steel framing reduces the likelihood of fire over combustible wood framing. If a fire starts elsewhere in the building, the steel framing does not feed the fire like wood.
Consequently, it is often possible to get reduced insurance rates for commercial steel buildings.
Pre-engineered Commercial Steel Buildings Retain Beauty and ValuePrefabricated metal buildings are extremely durable. Steel resists decay better than any other building material. Steel buildings last longer and age better than ordinary wood-framed structures.
Dimensionally stable, steel does not change shape with humidity changes like wood.
Wood expands and contracts along its width, depth, and length—each at different rates— with changes in moisture. This causes the wood to bend, twist, warp, split, and shift in a process builders call “creep.”
With the constant movement, a wood frame becomes looser over time. Nails work out. Windows and doors no longer close as they should. Eaves and … Read more »
The Clearspan Advantage of Pre-engineered Commercial Steel Buildings
Wide Open Spaces for Floor Plan Flexibility
Steel has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any building material. Consequently, pre-engineered commercial steel buildings allow much wider, unobstructed interior areas for commercial building projects.
How Clearspan Floor Space Enhances Commercial Steel Buildings
This ability to span long distances without interior support columns is called “clearspan.”
Clearspan steel framing supports the load of its own weight without the need to “prop up” the framing with load-bearing interior walls.
RHINO prefabricated steel buildings are capable of spanning up to 150’ wide on a standard quote. Open spans up to 200’ are possible with a custom order.
Design Flexibility for Commercial Steel BuildingsNot only does this clearspan ability work well for commercial operations which necessitate large open areas, it also permits greater interior design flexibility. For example, even though an office building might not require open and unobstructed space, the clearspan capabilities of steel framing make designing the floorplan much simpler.
The sheer size of many commercial applications demands steel framing and clearspan designing.
Large, unimpeded space works well for:
- Auto dealerships
- Churches
- Fire stations
- Fitness centers
- Health care facilities
- Larger restaurants
- Libraries
- Manufacturing facilities
- Recreational buildings
- Retail centers
- Sports arenas
- Strip malls
- Theaters
- Warehouses
Aircraft hangars definitely require the clearspan space afforded by pre-engineered steel buildings. Agricultural buildings for large farming equipment, commercial indoor horse riding arenas, and sports arenas also rely on the strength of steel to provide unobstructed floor space.
Changing the floorplan later is also much easier with a prefabricated steel building. … Read more »
How Cool Metal Roofing on Steel Buildings Saves the Environment
In the first article in this two part series, we discussed the ways cool metal roofing saves money on utility bills. However, cool-coated steel roofing also powerfully impacts the environment.
Cool Metal Roofing on Steel Buildings: Not a Black or White IssueWe have always known a white roof is cooler than a dark roof, regardless of the roofing material. Just as you are cooler in the summer if you wear white clothing rather than black, white roofing reflects more heat.
However, many people don’t realize just how much temperature difference a darker-colored roof can make.
On a 90-degree Fahrenheit summer day, the surface of a white roof may reach 110 degrees. On the same balmy day, a structure with a black roof generates a surface temperature of 190 degrees!
But let’s face it— white roofing lacks pop or pizazz.
With cool coating, roofing reflects the heat away from the building, without forfeiting color selection. RHINO’s cool-coated metal roofing allows you to choose from a wide array of sixteen eye-catching colors. We also offer cool-coated exterior wall panels in a dozen dazzling, vibrant shades.
Cool Metal Roofing: A “Green” Building Product
Buildings devour two-thirds of all electricity used in the U.S. Widespread use of cool-coated steel roofing could drastically cut that appalling statistic.
A cool roof panel wears a baked-on finish of highly reflective infrared paint. It not only reflects sunlight, it also cools itself by emitting radiation away from the roof surface. Since this makes the building absorb less heat, energy consumption in hot weather decreases.
In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports during the peak of summer, the surface temperature … Read more »