Quonset FAQ’s

steel-quonset-building-steel-arch-buildings-q-model1What is the history of the Quonset huts?

In 1941, the United States Navy built an all-purpose, lightweight building that could be shipped anywhere in the world and assembled quickly and easily to support the troops in WWII.  The Quonset design was modeled closely on the World War I Nissen Hut engineered by the British.  The Navy found that they were able to maximize the flexible interior space of these structures since the building was an open clear-span design.  In addition, they discovered that the rounded shape of the corrugated arch is one of the strongest structures in architecture which provided the shelter they needed during the war.

What were the Quonsets used for in World War II?

metal-buildings-quonset-movie-theater-q-model1The Quonset Huts were used as shelter in a variety of applications including barracks, latrines, offices, medical and dental offices, isolation wards, housing and bakeries.

How many Quonset huts were manufactured during WWI?

Roughly 150,000 Quonset huts were manufactured for use during the war.

After WWII, what were Quonset Huts used for?

The U.S. Military sold the excess Quonsets to the public for approximately $1,000 each.  Some of the buildings were used for temporary postwar housing in locations such as California and Michigan.

steel-building-residential1Are some of the original Quonsets still standing?

Yes.  Many of the original buildings are still standing around the USA.  The original Quonsets huts are still being used for commercial applications as well as military surplus stores.   You can see photos of traditional Quonsets as they stand now from North Africa to the Aleutian Islands on www.waymarking.com.

Did we answer your question? If not, please click here to contact our Customer Service Team.

  • Quonset Buildings

  • Quonset Building Specs

  • Feature Projects

  • Testimonials

    • 22 Comments on “Quonset FAQ’s”

    • I’m interested in a structure that I can cover with dirt and a concrete pad to support foot and bicycle traffic. Inside the building will house bathing facilities, offices and a kitchen/concession area.

      Posted by Ben Cary on July 28th, 2009 at 8:09 pm

    • Thank you for your interest in a SteelMaster building. A design specialist will be touch with you to provide details for the custom structure you are looking to build. We appreciate the opportunity to potentially earn your business.

      Posted by michellewickum on August 5th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

    • What is the amount of wind the different structures can withstand?

      Posted by Kevin Dufrene on October 11th, 2009 at 4:34 pm

    • Thank you for your post! Our buildings can handle strong winds and have survived many hurricanes. We will have a steel building specialist contact you with more information.

      Posted by Spike on October 12th, 2009 at 7:54 am

    • THE 29TH DIVISION WW2 REANACTORS IS INTERESTED IN A WW2 REPLICA HUT INSTALLED ON OUR PROPERTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH A COST FOR CONSTRUCTION. THANK YOU MIKE MICUCCI

      Posted by MIKE on November 16th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

    • Thank you for your post, Mike! We will have a quonset hut specialist contact you soon with a quote.

      Posted by Spike on November 17th, 2009 at 6:08 am

    • Can I build a Quonset Hut in place of a residential home?

      Posted by Peter Paonessa on January 9th, 2010 at 11:12 am

    • Thank you for your post! Steel arch buildings are oftern used for residential homes. Click here to learn more. A steel building specialist will be in contact soon with more information.

      Posted by Spike on January 11th, 2010 at 6:43 am

    • Do you have an online cost calculator for the basics entering height , width , length , # windows /size , # walk-in doors, # g doors?
      This would help to determine if it is within my cost range? You could even give a min max cost estimate.

      Thanks
      Terry

      Posted by Terry Marosites on January 25th, 2010 at 1:54 pm

    • Thank you for your post, Terry. We will have a building specialist contact you soon to discuss steel building costs.

      Posted by Spike on January 26th, 2010 at 6:23 am

    • Would like information on large quantity of simple quonset hut for emergency living.
      Thank you
      Paul Lucia

      Posted by Paul Lucia on March 4th, 2010 at 9:50 am

    • Thank you for your post, Paul! We will have a quonset hut specialist contact you soon with more information.

      Posted by Spike on March 4th, 2010 at 11:05 am

    • Great website, 1967 I served on USS Sanctuary AH-17 (first crew not plank owner- M Div evaporators). Vietnam April 1967 stop in Da Nang twice a week, these quonset hut were used for variety purposes. Interest in acquiring for housing .

      Posted by Sean M. Kelly on May 22nd, 2010 at 8:03 am

    • Thank you for your post! We will have a steel building specialist contact you with more information about using a Quonset hut for housing.

      Posted by Spike on May 24th, 2010 at 5:02 am

    • Why do ya’ll even have an FAQ page? Every question anyone ask is nearly always answered with “Thank you, we will have a specialist contact you”. The FAQ page is practically useless for anyone looking for answeres to questions they may not have thought of! Bummer!

      Posted by David Broussard on June 13th, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    • David – We realize our FAQ question page is not going to answer everyone’s questions. Due to the fact that all of our steel building projects have certain specifications based on building model, size and location, we find it is usually more helpful to the customer to speak on a one-on-one basis. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. Have a great day!

      Posted by Spike on June 14th, 2010 at 6:10 am

    • Need information on building/carport for an RV storage. Please have a steel building specialist contact me. Thank you.

      Posted by Kirby Detraz on July 10th, 2010 at 9:37 am

    • Thank you for your post, Kirby! We will be in contact with you to answer your questions about RV storage.

      Posted by Spike on July 12th, 2010 at 6:02 am

    • I am an architect designing some new and existing facilties for a youth ranch here in Texas. I have an existing Q-hut (sim to style ‘Q’) and want to possibly duplicate it for bunkhouses and a rec center. For the existing Q-hut, how do we insulate it and keep waterpoof and connect structure to the roof/ceiling? I want to keep the curved ceiling in the design, but don’t know the best way (without creating leaks on exist Q-hut) to how do I insultate it and then cover the insulation with framing and a finished material and also connect structural columns to roof/ceiling. Also, can I plug holes and re-galvanize the existing roof to give it a finished appearance. thanks, matt

      Posted by matt on March 25th, 2011 at 3:42 pm

    • Good morning Matt – Thank you for your post. I will have our building specialist contact you regaring options on your current structure and the additional Quonset building. Have a great day!

      Posted by Elizabeth on March 28th, 2011 at 7:00 am

    • I’ve seen some quarter Quonsets around – are these modified or an original design? Do you make these?

      Posted by Joe on January 26th, 2012 at 9:07 am

    • Hi Joe – My guess would be that those are a modified design. Are they older Quonset huts or do they look like a modern version? We have a model that is similar to what you are describing that is called the T-Model. You can learn more about it here.

      Posted by Elizabeth on January 26th, 2012 at 10:44 am

    Leave a Reply

    Comment moderation is enabled. Your comment may take some time to appear.