Disaster Resistant Buildings

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Tornado, Hurricane & Snow Protection From The Storm With Quonsets

If you live in a natural disaster zone, you want a building you can trust in the event a severe storm comes your way.

Wind Rated

Hurricane-rated building in Florida

Snow Loads

Snowfall on building after blizzard in Colorado

Hurricane Resistant

Hurricane Maria aftermath in Puerto Rico

Tornado Resistant

Tornado aftermath in Jonesville, Virginia

Earthquake Resistant

Building after 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Alaska

Fire Resistant

Remains after fire in Hampton, Virginia.

4 Things That Make Quonsets So Durable

Quonset Huts are well suited to withstand almost any natural disaster, including hurricanes, tornados, severe storms, hail storms, earthquakes, and snowstorms. But what is it about metal Quonset huts kits that make them strong enough to handle almost any natural disaster?

Low Gauge Steel

Wood, fabric, aluminum, tin and higher gauged steel are all weaker and prone to destruction

Corrugated Steel

Non-corrugated metal buildings are 5X weaker than corrugated

Arch Panels

Wind, snow and rain all glide off of arched building designs

Galvalume Plus

Corrosion and rust resistance makes maintenance and protection against the elements easy

SteelMaster Buildings

4.7

Based on 594 reviews

review us on

Dylan Berger

17:25 01 Dec 23

Steel Master not only is affordable, but they made the order/purchasing process so simple, and the terms so doable, it was like we couldn’t say no. They just seem like people that bend over backwards to make it work for their customers.

William Reed

22:23 30 Nov 23

i have been looking for a number of months for a company that makes a DIY Garage/barn. yesterday i found a company known as steel master and they spent the time to answer all my questions and help me decide which building would be the best for me. They were very polite and patient. I have ordered a product from them (17x20) and should receive it soon at very fair price. More info when it arrives around mid december. But it’s looks like exactly what I was looking for.Bill ReedLutz florida

Mike Wiersch

04:53 29 Nov 23

Excellent and professional service

Gail Roy

22:20 28 Nov 23

SteelMaster Buildings is very affordable,guarantees their product. They are so helpful and very knowledgeable about their products.

Treana Horner

17:26 17 Nov 23

Such a easy process have there game on that's for sure buying one they advertise or your own specs on your building so awsome I'm so thankful that I went with Steel Master Buildings. ❤❤❤❤

Alex Moyers

14:24 17 Nov 23

Excellent customer service. It took me three years from the time I first contacted SM until I bought. No pressure sales, easy to work with and they got me what I needed at the right price.

andy blanchard

23:13 14 Nov 23

Great professional service accompanied with great product makes for a very good experience

Chin Ho

22:21 14 Nov 23

Annell Grant

22:03 14 Nov 23

Got more of a building at a fantastic price.

DECAF

21:58 14 Nov 23

Collin knows and represents the product well.

Kim Kutey

21:52 14 Nov 23

Don't waste your time with any one else. Steel Master is by far the best.

Steven Rosbury

17:21 11 Nov 23

Excellent Item for the price. Delivery was bear to unload. Heavy to move and not much step by step setup on paper. Got bldg layout and construction blueprints only after I took delivery.

Karl Bode

23:28 04 Nov 23

I've owned a SteelMaster USA steel building for nearly 17 years. I recently decided to add an insulation package in order to enjoy the building in the winter months. The SteelMaster USA team worked with me to engineer the insulation package based on their records of my purchase. They also provided detailed instructions of how to install each individual roll as well as a free consultation call to answer questions I had about the installation process.Whenever I needed additional support the SteelMaster USA team was just a phone call away and went the extra mile to meet all of my needs. The investment I made in the steel building has proved to be a wise choice and one that my family will enjoy for generations.If you're contemplating a steel building for whatever use case you may have, make sure you contact SteelMaster USA.

Douglas Pollard

23:37 02 Nov 23

The buying process with this company was seamless. Zach my salesman was very personable and knowledgeable. He went above and beyond to make sure I had the building to fit my needs.

Kellie McPoyle

20:10 31 Oct 23

From start to finish we have had a fantastic experience. SteelMasters has answered every question we have asked and helped us when we needed to order replacements. Great company. Great customer service.

Jay Schow

21:12 26 Oct 23

Great deals on building's.Very knowledgeable personnel, easy communication”s. Quick & Easy Thanks SteelMaster!

Matt Andrews

16:19 25 Oct 23

Customer service ladies were very pleasant and helpful. My project is maybe unusual, in that I have an old barn and was in search of 2 replacement panels. The original manufacturer is defunct. So, I called your company and two of your competitors. Only you guys had any interest in helping me. Tara provided a cross section drawing with measurements, and that helped me determine that your panels would work. Ordering was easy, and I was impressed with the streamlined procedure of generating a receipt and related auto-signature documents for my order. Y'all appear to have a great operation. Thank you.

Ted Woodard

14:57 25 Oct 23

My contact at SteelMaster buildings is Noah Taylor who is very personable and knowledgeable about all products and very accurate about timelines. I’ve been very pleased with his professional manner and all other employees I’ve had contact with. Highly recommend them for your building structures.

juef128

13:25 12 Jul 23

My SteelMaster Buildings experience was A+ all the way. I was advised by Noah, and he was totally supportive at every step, from buying to building. I decided on a 24' x 24' x 12' high building with end walls.When my city held up my building permit for nitpicky reasons, Noah and SteelMaster Buildings went to bat for me and had their engineers contact my city and get the problems ironed out.I had done my reading, and I knew the delivery date and time of the truck that was delivering my parts and I knew I had to unload the truck myself. That went smoothly and was unloaded in about 15 minutes.I checked over the parts, and I was missing 3 washers. I informed Noah the same day as delivery and he made sure to get them for me before I began construction.After reading the construction manual several times, watching some videos and reading other's building tips, I began construction. I rented a scissors lift to make erection easier and I never had more than 3 people helping, most times it was 2 people.I made sure to check the height after each arch, and jacked up each arch with a small bottle jack. Construction went smooth, and everything went up easily and aligning all the bolt holes was not bad.When we had the arches constructed and went to insert the remaining bolts, 95% of the holes lined up so well that all we had to do was to drop the bolts in the holes.We have had some really hard thunderstorms this summer, and after the first storm I noticed a leak, more of a drip really. I tracked it down to one single bolt that we had failed to tighten. I tightened up that bolt and since have had absolutely no drips or leaks.Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with my SteelMaster Buildings experience!DanJuly 2023

Michael Dudley

17:58 19 Dec 22

Gordon My Consultant gave Good information as well as, Conversation & He was knowledgeableAbout the things I was concerned about, which made it easy to Decide.Now We will see if the installation goes as smooth as the sale . .Michael

J Donajkowski

14:03 11 Nov 22

Customer service (Evan & Elizabeth) have been outstanding during the pricing stage and answering any questions. Works with the customer from start to finish. Stays in touch to explain every step from ordering to process of delivery.Will work with you on pricing. Product specifications seem of high quality.Waiting on delivery and excited to erect the building.

Peter Bors

17:34 28 Oct 22

Steelmaster was excellent to work with, Barrett and Matt made the process very simple and got me exactly the kit that I wanted. The shipping was fast, Jason the truck driver was excellent; he had great communication with his ETA, great backing skills, and was friendly. The kit was fun and enjoyable to put together, having previous experience from doing a Quonset about 15 years really helped, plus the fact of having cordless tools now (which weren’t popular/ were very expensive back then) made the process much easier. Once you get the first few arches up the building gets quite stiff and you can walk away from the project until you have time or bad weather improves, then with every bolt after that you can feel how strong it becomes. Very strong design and good metal. The building should last many many years, I wouldn’t be surprised if it outlives me. Thank you SteelMaster!

Barbara Riener

18:37 29 Aug 22

SteelMaster buildings are very beautiful clean lines no worries of insects. Maintenance free. Definitely need four men to build.

[The building] withstood all of the wind that I was told it would withstand. I would recommend one to anybody. I’m living proof that it will hold the wind.

Sammy Allen, Florida

An Answer To Every Natural Disaster Problem

Tornadoes & Hurricanes

There is no such thing as a “tornado-proof” or “hurricane-proof” building; however, steel Quonset huts can withstand some of the most severe tornadoes and hurricanes around.

Owners of prefabricated Quonset huts have survived disasters thanks to the unique engineering properties of arch-style buildings. While a typical building can succumb to wind or the impact of debris from hurricanes and tornadoes, the durability of Quonset huts can. As proof of this SteelMaster buildings have been tested and achieved the highest possible disaster rating for hurricanes with HVHZ certification.

Quonset Advantages:

HVHZ Certified
Florida Product Approved
Up to 190 MPH winds or higher
High steel tensile strength (82K – 65K KSI)
Thick, commercial grade steel

Blizzards & Hail

We sell buildings in the coldest of climates, even in the far northern reaches of Alaska, across the world because corrugated steel arches are simply stronger than traditional buildings. Plus they stand strong against the biggest and most intense hail storms with HVHZ impact ratings.

Quonset Advantages:

Commercial grade steel
Pitched roofing options
Rated for heavy snow loads

Wildfires

Every year, over a million fires occur all across the United States causing over $11.6 billion in losses, and thousands of injuries and deaths. Which is why many people choose the unmatched protection of owning a Quonset hut for fire-related disasters. Steel Quonsets are considered Type II (non-combustible) buildings giving you peace of mind should a wildfire threaten your building.

Quonset Advantages:

Type II non-combustible building material
Can withstand 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit
Galvalume Plus coating

Earthquakes

Because Quonset building walls and roof are all one piece they can better absorb seismic waves should your building be in an earthquake. Quonset hut kits’ engineering naturally makes them superior in earthquake resistance compared to buildings with separated walls and roofs.

Quonset Advantages:

IRC Level E building
Arch design absorbs waves
Bolt tensile strength (76K PSI)

California already requires that your entire exterior be non-combustible. All of these things happen naturally with the Quonset hut.

Vern Sneed, Architect

Wind Speed Ratings

Typical straight-walled buildings are especially vulnerable to the powerful winds characteristic of even the weaker storms. Winds as low as 65 – 75 MPH can cause catastrophic roof damage in traditional buildings. This is because the junctures of the walls and the edges of the roof are likely to fail and rip the roof right off of the building. This is especially true when pressure changes occur as windows are broken by flying debris.

Quonsets are challenging to remove from their foundations because it is almost impossible for strong winds to infiltrate the buildings’ overlapping joints so the wind can’t penetrate and cause destruction. This is one of the secrets to the arch’s super strength and why arched structures make very effective storm-proof buildings.

Wind Speed, Quonset

Wind Speed, Traditional Building

Heavy Snow Loads

Our arches are created with commercial grade, high-quality steel that can be customized to accommodate extra heavy snow loads in areas that experience frequent, severe snowstorms or are concerned with hail damage, you can rely on a steel Quonset hut for protection from the elements.

Quonsets follow the snow load provisions required by the IBC as well as observing many localities and zip codes specific codes. We use the official map provided by the National Weather Service to help calculate ground snow loads and work with engineering to determine the steel building that can weather any blizzard.

The International Building Code recognizes Quonset steel as fire-resistant and non-combustible which means our metal buildings meet the codes of every locality across the country and are considered to be both type 1 and type 2 buildings in fire codes. SteelMaster steel was exposed to heat at 1,382 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and the maximum temperature didn’t rise beyond 96.8 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) and had a maximum loss of mass below 20%.

[There was] not a bit of damage. The arches weren’t bent or twisted; bolts still intact. The best part—all of my husband’s tools stayed put on the shelving we built inside.

Jana G., Alaska

Impact Rated

The wind will not just rip the roof off of a traditional building but also hurdle debris at tremendous speeds causing punctures or catastrophic failure. A building made out of more traditional materials can’t provide the same protection a steel Quonset Hut, and we know because we tested it.

Unlike a typical building, Quonset Huts have been tested and are approved as Protocol 4 shelters. We propelled a 15 lb. wood 2”x4” at 100 mph for horizontal and 67 mph for vertical impacts, per FEMA protocols 320/361 and ICC-500. The tests on the .06-in. thick panel were successful for all listed impact speeds.

Seismic Wave Resistant

The weak point of any traditional building during an earthquake is the juncture between the walls and roof. When a tremor occurs, the ground moves, causing the foundation to move along with it. The roof tries to remain stationary because of inertia so by the time the roof starts to move in the direction of the foundation has been shaken, the foundation is then moving back to its original place which can lead to a complete building collapse.

When violent seismic waves ripple through a Quonset Hut, the walls and roof act as one allowing the waves to flow through, causing the least amount of damage possible. All of SteelMaster earthquake-resistant structures strictly follow the ICC’s seismic guidelines and provisions for a given geographic area.

Seismic Wave, Quonset

Seismic Wave, Traditional Building

Rapidly Deployable Emergency Relief Shelters

When a natural disaster occurs, emergency structures are important for those who have been displaced, plus medical teams responding to the area.

SteelMaster’s team of experts can assist in finding an emergency shelter building that fits your needs with a fast turnaround. Plus, our metal Quonset huts can be quickly assembled so emergency crews to get to work as soon as possible.

Our buildings are portable, making them perfect for temporary housing or medical clinic. However, they are also a great long-term solution due to their durability and low maintenance.

Quonset Disaster Certifications, HVHZ & More

If you want maximum protection from natural disasters, especially compared to traditional building types, you should choose a Quonset hut. Through years of engineering and research, SteelMaster Quonsets have disaster-resistant certifications, notably, HVHZ that provide our customers a good level of solace should a natural disaster strike.

HVHZ Certified

Primarily found in Florida but also up and down coastlines and in certain high wind areas throughout the United States, HVHZ Certification tests if a structure can stand up to both wind and impact from debris propelled through the wind in accordance with FEMA 320/361 and ICC-500 testing parameters.

Florida Product Approval (FPA)

Florida is now known as an international leader in storm preparation. Strict building codes were enacted to protect citizens from a powerful storm like Andrew. This prompted renovations of older buildings and new plans for future structures that adopt and add to top IBC standards.

Type-II Building Material

In accordance with IBC and NFPA standards, Quonset steel treated with Galvalume Plus is a Type II non-combustible building material. This means not only does it take an incredible amount of heat to damage (2,500 F) under typical building fire conditions of (around 1,500 F) it doesn’t lose mass or strength.

Seismic Design Category E

There are six seismic site classifications according to ASCE 7-05, A through F, with F being the strongest reserved for things like hospitals or emergency command centers. SteelMaster Quonsets are rated E meaning they can be next to a major fault line regardless of the soil or rock conditions.

GSA Certified

SteelMaster is GSA certified, so if you’re buying on behalf of a government agency and you need maximum protection from the elements, you can choose a SteelMaster Quonset hut.

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