Steelmaster,

Attached is my entry for the photo contest. I constructed this building for an ultralight hanger at first. This building now houses my tractor and implements used to maintain 25 acres in Arnaudville, Louisiana. I constructed this building with two helpers and a tractor with a front end loader. I originally just poured concrete footings and later added concrete in the middle. I only had half of the arches up when Hurricane Gustav hit us and the building did not sustain any damage even though the unfinished edge of the building did not have the end support angle on yet. I custom built the endwalls using red tin to match another building I have on the property.

Thanks

Beau A.

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

• Sections or Bucks: Available in 5’, 3’, or 2’ increments. Ensure safety pins are provided for all connection points to prevent separation.
• Walk Boards: Typically 3 boards are required to span the width of the scaffolding for safety.
• X and Diagonal Bracing: X bracing attaches to each section of scaffolding to ensure the sections do not spread apart. Diagonal bracing is used between sections to stabilize the scaffolding.
• Casters: Wheels with a shaft inserted into each corner of the bottom section. Allows the unit to be movable. Be sure to get safety pins to attach them.
• Self-leveling Legs:Large metal plate (usually 6” x 6”) with a welded threaded shaft and a large butterfly nut. Normally used to raise or stabilize stationary scaffolding.

Once you have gathered all of your parts, assemble sections with walk boards about two feet below the height of the building. Invert the self-leveling legs into the four corners of the top section. This configuration will allow you to raise the arch panels to the finished height. There should be a hole in the metal plate for you to nail a 2 x 4 or 4 x 4 down the long span of the scaffolding. Allow about 8” on the leading edge (i.e., the section of scaffolding you will be pulling the pieces up from). This lumber edge creates a jack or outrigger for the arch panels to rest on.

Now that you have your scaffolding together, you are ready to assemble your building. Check back next week for tips on using the half-arch construction method.

“Our Airstream is our vacation home on wheels,” says Shyrl, who lives in Athens County, OH with her husband Gary. “We go to Airstream rallies and caravans around the states and in Canada. These range from weekend rallies to caravans that can be from a week to six weeks or more. Most of our travel is between April and October since we like to stay home in the winter.”

It was eight years ago when the Olinger’s bought their first Airstream trailer, which they kept parked on their property when not in use. In 2007, a hail storm did major damage to the trailer, and that is when their journey led them toward purchasing a steel carport. “We did a lot of looking and research and found we could get the size and design we wanted from SteelMaster Buildings,” says Shyrl.

The Olinger’s steel carport features a unique clear-span, single radius, low-profile arched structure that is supported by a 14 gauge beams and posts system. It is protected by a Galvalume Plus coating, which means the Olinger’s will never have to treat it, paint it, or maintain it.

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

Framed Openings– Opening in either the endwalls or sidewalls that are reinforced by 14 gauge posts, headers and/or boxed units for window openings.

Side Openings – Side openings are installed in the arches and are reinforced to support the building’s load requirements. They may be window frames, service door frames, garage door frames or behind sliding door units on some buildings.

Skylights– These are replacement panels for the arches or the endwall panels to allow natural illumination into the building. The factory has specific requirements for placement and spacing of the skylights.

Fasteners – O-ring that fits into the recessed groove of  a hex-head bolt to seal the hole against a hex-head flanged serrated nut.

Alignment Pin – A tool that allows the proper alignment of the holes in two or more pieces of metal so the fasteners can be put in.

Bracing – Wooden members that temporarily hold the arches up to the proper height until they are spread, plumbed and then tightened.

Construction Terminology Part 1

Construction Terminology Part 2

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

Members of the parent-teacher organization for Point Pleasant Primary School in Leon, WV understood the benefits of outdoor play for children, but an element of that had them worried—the sun.

As the children swung, slid, and climbed in the fresh air surrounding the school’s playground each day, there was no place for them to retreat from the sun’s rays. While not a problem during the winter, there are those months when shade becomes a necessity, and the Point Pleasant Junior Woman’s Club heeded the call to provide it.

Earlier this year, the club, which is a service organization run by volunteers who support the community by funding projects, allocated grant money to the school to build a multi-purpose shaded picnic area on the playground where the kids and teachers could seek respite from the elements while remaining outdoors.

“I wanted something sturdy that would last for a long time,” says Dana Richardson, a member of the woman’s club who was involved in the project. “I wanted a steel carport.”

While searching the Internet, Richardson happened upon a company based in Virginia Beach, VA that manufactures and sells steel buildings, including steel metal carport kits. “I really liked the design, and it looked like it could be used as a picnic shelter and an area for additional classroom activities like science projects,” says Richardson.

The carport features a unique clear-span, single radius, low-profile arched structure that is supported by a 14 gauge beams and posts system, which allows it to withstand any weather condition and makes construction a breeze. Members of the board of education’s maintenance department assembled and raised the posts, beams, and panels to complete the construction of carport without a contractor in one day.

“We utilize the technological advancements of our buildings translated into a carport structure,” says Michelle Wickum, marketing director for SteelMaster Buildings, which manufactured the school’s carport. “You don’t have to treat it, paint it or maintain it—you just enjoy it. The Galvalume Plus coating provides years of maintenance-free use.”

While traditional applications for such a structure include carport garages, truck covers, RV and tractor coverage, and farm equipment protection, it can be used for a variety of custom applications including bus stops, tram covers, smoke shacks, metal walkway and boat lifts. But for the kids attending Point Pleasant Primary School, it provided a place for fun out of the sun.

“Now that the carport is up and in use, I wouldn’t do anything differently if I had to do it over again,” says Richardson. “Everyone is so excited to have this addition to the playground.”

-by Brenda H. Welch (a freelance writer and editor living in Hampton Roads, VA.)

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.