27 Feb Preparing Your Steel Building Site

Make a mistake during site preparation for steel frame building construction and you might not get a chance to put it right. Everything needs to be spot-on for a successful project.

So there are a host of things you’ll need to consider carefully when getting your selected site ready before the construction process can start. This handy guide gives you the lowdown on all the steps you’ll need to take on perhaps one of the most important aspects of the construction process – site preparation.

Selecting the Site Location

When looking for the best location on the property for your future steel building, there are four key factors: drainage, orientation, access and paving. For drainage, you’ll need to ensure water drains away unhindered from the steel building and check that any other buildings around the site won’t interfere. Also, find out if the structure requires special trenching to channel water from gutters and downspouts.

When it comes to access you’ll need to gain an understanding of how wind, rain, sun, snow, and the surroundings will affect the final steel building. Then it will be vital to ensure none of the building work will interfere with any existing utility lines such as electrical, gas, or water, and you’ll also need to be aware of where on the site will require permanent paving after the steel building is erected.

You can make a final decision on the location when you’ve found a site that ticks all of these boxes.

Local Restrictions

Local authority building control teams will help you comply with building regulations by giving feedback on plans and providing site inspections. You can let them guide you through the process. They’ll let you know what you’ll need to provide to obtain building permits, and provide crucial information about local building codes and other important information.

Grade the Land

Preparing the land for the erection of the steel building is the next stage. Any existing structures on the land will need to be demolished if necessary and the site cleared.

For the construction to go smoothly, and to avoid any structural or foundational issues, the soil will need to be graded well. Any uneven surfaces can create serious problems for the building’s future stability. Clear all surface debris and dispose of less stable clay-based or silt-like soils.

The depth of the base will depend on the size of your project, so take advice from a steel building expert. Excavated soil can be reused later to level the ground and fill any remaining holes after the foundation work is complete. Finally, create a smooth, firm and level pad for the foundation bed and ensure it is thoroughly compacted.

Getting Ready for Construction

For the prefabrication method of erecting steel buildings, you’ll now need to prepare the components or modules of your building. Show a rough sketch of your building to the fabricators for the manufacturing and engineering of those components. This process may take from a fortnight to a month.

For the traditional method of building steel buildings, you’ll need to prepare the raw materials and ask your fabricator for an estimate of the quantity of materials required.

Laying the Foundation

As touched upon above, there’s no room for mistakes with the preparation for pre-engineered steel buildings and all the foundation work must be carried out with complete precision. As such, getting this stage right will usually mean using a reliable licensed concrete contractor with metal building experience. Thoroughly curing the concrete will prevent cracking or compromising the foundation and nothing can be rushed.

Starting Construction

Now you can breathe a sigh of relief as you should be all set to start erecting your steel building! For prefabrication-type construction all the components will now be placed and welded together using the appropriate machines and equipment.

The traditional construction process is slower and starts with the fabricators building the frame structure of the building and installing I-beams and support columns.

The next phase involves installing the wall panels and securing panels to the secondary framing, with insulation put in as the walls are installed. Next, the roof panels will be installed and construction will be completed.

Once the building is ready, all doors and windows will be installed, as well as any other accessories and installations.

Get Expert Support for Your Construction Project

We hope this guide has been useful and you now feel more confident about the planning of your construction project.

If you want to take advantage of high-quality workshop facilities, why not ask Baker Steel Trading to engineer and fabricate your steel frame building.