The dictionary defines efficiency as “achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.”

So how does the definition translate into the world of Solid Steel Buildings?

At Solid Steel, we believe in three core principles when it comes to achieving maximum efficiency.

#1. Deploy Standards-Based Solutions

Our solution-driven process begins from the moment we share our first conversation.

Our checklists provide a comprehensive overview of your project, starting with why you need a building in the first place all the way down to the basics of design in order to maximize your budget and ensure we are following your visions while providing you with solutions that make sense.

We are methodical in our approach, allowing us to leave no stone unturned for a complete picture of your needs as well as your concerns.

#2. Critical Path Scheduling

Obviously, the cart doesn’t come before the horse.

From the first draft drawings through stamped engineering, fabrication, delivery and erection, our teams carefully map out every phase of the building process to ensure every detail is accounted for, avoiding surprises and potential pitfalls.

Our Building Solutions Managers work closely with our clients to develop timelines and production schedules that make sense for your project.

#3. An Integrated Process for Streamlined Manufacturing

From the home office to the factory floor and beyond, Solid Steel Buildings maintains a high level of communication with personnel involved in the creation of your building.

Project specific meetings on a recurring basis between the fabrication teams, estimating department, project management, construction teams and senior management assures that your building moves smoothly from one phase to the next.

And we take special care to minimize labor costs, wasted materials and provide more accurate forecasting at each step of our process.

At the end of the day, it is vitally important to weigh out every variable when starting your steel building project. At Solid Steel, our experience has taught us to methodically concentrate on key portions of the project at just the right time.

We feel this is efficiency at its best, allowing us to be a Building Solutions Provider capable of providing service that is second to none. Give us a call to discuss your next project. We look forward to working with you.

In our last blog, we wrote about the flexibility of steel structures. This week we will focus on the value, as in lower costs than conventional construction methods, time frames, and overall costs, as well as how Solid Steel works to make sure your project comes in on time and on budget.

Why Pay More When You Could Pay Less?

Would you pay $60 per square foot for the exact same footprint and functionality when you could pay 30 or even 40-percent less?

Of course you wouldn’t!

Today’s steel structures, just by the very nature of being pre-engineered, are increasingly becoming preferred by both contractors and end users alike!

A typical 100’ x 100’ x 20’ structure constructed of steel is usually between $18 – $30 per square foot, depending on exact materials and finishes. And this includes the erection and concrete costs!

Compare those numbers with other methods of construction, and it becomes crystal clear why steel is the obvious choice for cost-savvy construction experts!

Streamline Efficiency with Value Engineering

Cost aside, another bonus of building with steel is the opportunity to optimize design, allowing for maximum cost effectiveness achieved through value engineering.

Your building is detailed long before manufacturing starts, allowing for the most efficient design, translating into the lowest price per pound based on current raw steel pricing.

At Solid Steel, we believe in zero waste. We proactively look for any opportunity to maximize each dollar of your investment, resulting in a well thought out, smoothly executed construction schedule that also lowers labor costs.

Added-Value with the Solid Steel Patented Helical Pier System

At Solid Steel, we also think hard about the foundation design as this often the most costly portion of the project, and we always try to look for ways to use the soil conditions to your advantage.

One way we achieve this is by using our patented Helical Pier System, specifically designed for steel structures!

Your Solid Steel Building Solutions Manager can discuss this system with you to determine if it is a good fit for your project. Often, we can save our clients up to half of the costs of typical foundation / slab systems if applicable in your area.

Putting State-of-the-Art Software to Work for You

We don’t let workflow interrupt our process. We utilize state-of-the-art construction software that helps you track and manage every aspect of your project from quote to occupancy.

This valuable piece of our toolkit helps us keep track of even the smallest financial and budgetary items. We provide daily reports showing how the project is progressing, and proactively spot issues before they happen.

Now you can see how valuable utilizing Solid Steel can be when moving forward with your new project.

Give us a call today and let’s start building!

Welcome back to our blog!  This week’s topic will focus on the “flexibility” of steel structures.

Although steel does physically “flex” – as it’s designed to do just like any other form of construction, the flexibility we are talking about is the kind that maximizes investment, speeds up the process from concept to occupancy, and gives an owner the ability to evolve their building with changes in the needs of their business.

A Lot More than a Metal Box

Until about the last ten years or so, your typical “steel building” meant a metal box that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the blossoming landscape of other types of construction.

While maybe this was true decades ago, technology and the increasingly exacting demands of the end user have taken steel structures leaps and bounds forward in many aspects, both in the construction methods and materials utilized, making today’s steel structures far superior than their distant cousins of back in the day.

Real Examples of Steel Being Not So Unsightly

What do we mean by flexibility?

While it would take us hours to go into every example, check out this latest case from right here at Solid Steel Buildings.

Our team is about to start construction on a two-story, retail and commercial space in Tampa, Florida.

The owners came to us looking for a pleasing building that satisfied the demands of the local gentrification in the up and coming area surrounding downtown Tampa, as well as having a signature structure inside and out that matches the look and feel of the premium products they sell to demanding homeowners as well as commercial clients.

Initially, the designers were under the assumption that constructing with steel meant unsightly interior columns and steel beams that were not the look they wanted. However after a few short meetings they quickly learned how we could transform their dream into reality.

We worked closely with a team of interior designers and engineers to create the aesthetics desired both inside and out, and we were able to adjust the engineering of the structure down to the smallest detail to accommodate the design team at every request, utilizing architectural exterior panels, interior ceiling liners, non-standard column tapering, and a mezzanine system designed to meet their needs.

In the end, this project will prove to be a showpiece, all the while adhering to local building codes as well as the demanding environmental concerns of the south Florida environment, and probably one of the most important aspects, brought in at a cost of about 30% below conventional construction methods.

When it comes to Solid Steel, the Sky’s the Limit!

As you can see from the example above, a custom steel structure can be engineered to exacting standards of owners, as well as the demands of local municipalities, no matter if it’s a retail space, industrial warehouse, or essential facility.

At Solid Steel We’re all about solutions. While we can and still do provide many, many types of buildings from basic back to complex, the “flexibility factor” is only limited by ones wants and needs. Offering our customers choices is a key ingredient to our own thriving success.

Building owners come to us with a dream, an idea, or a requirement to upgrade—and we offer a menu of options to meet every preference, scope and budget. Solid Steel is flexible and agile, just like the choices we offer.

Imagine a building material that is so strong municipalities around the country are using it to build storm shelters to protect their citizens the next time tornado or hurricane warnings are issued. This material is so durable that top aircraft industry professionals trust it to house their most valuable assets. This is exactly the type of security and protection that metal buildings offer.

But metal buildings are more than just reliable protection from the occasional wind, ice storms, hurricanes, tornado or fires; they also protect interiors from pest infestations, mold, mildew and rot.

Steel has other strengths, (pardon the pun)

• Wind resistance due to ductility – It can bend without breaking. Metal buildings can withstand forces up to 150 MPH without incurring damage to the exterior or foundation.
• Steel can absorb more energy than less sturdy materials but does not attract lightning any more readily than anything else.
• If lightning does strike a steel building or roof, the damage is minimized because the lower electrical resistance of steel spreads the heat of strike out along roof and walls to be grounded in the earth.
• Steel protects people and property within the building, including electronics, from effects of a lightning strike.
• A steel structure remains standing in Seismic Zone 4, the highest classification of seismic zone which are most prone to seismic waves and shifting grounds.

Take a look at just how solid steel is to protect you from the elements. https://solidsteelbuildings.com/our-buildings/building-features/

…Is Green:  Custom-engineered steel buildings are increasingly recognized as energy efficient and cost-effective buildings with optimum functionality. The green qualities of a metal building system with recycled content and recyclability makes them an easy choice for today’s ‘Green Campaign.’ Metal buildings can be insulated to achieve extremely high R-values. A steel structure can aid in achieving credits with LEED registration and in achieving an EPA Energy Star Cool Roof rating.  A significant percentage of the steel in custom-engineered metal buildings can be made from recycled materials.

…Is Designed to Suit: Custom-engineered steel building systems are designed to suit an owner’s specific needs. Steel building systems appeal to Architects and Owners because they allow for cost- effective design versatility. Most buildings are a traditional rectangular shape, but often an Architect or Builder or even the site itself will require we use different geometric shapes.  A steel building can achieve most imagination-forward designs.

…Is Assembled Quickly On-Site: Building owners can take occupancy sooner; some estimates show time savings of as much as one-third that of conventional construction time.

…Can Be Climate-Controlled:  We can engineer a building system to be climate-controlled.

…Will Be Delivered to Your Site Within 6 to 8 Weeks: Efficient design and fabrication of materials within a custom-engineered system result in a low-cost building project. A short manufacturing cycle results in lower construction costs.

…Can Have Clear Span up to 200’: The flexibility of a custom-engineered system has several application benefits. For example, the spanning capacity of a metal building is significantly more than that of a wood, concrete or even a conventionally framed structure. This results in much more flexibility concerning floor space. Additionally, customizable column locations and depths offer adaptability to most floor plans. Metal buildings give the end-user more flexibility and customization for their final design.

…Is Value-Engineered: When we value-engineer the metal building system we save the owner material and labor cost over a less efficient alternative design.

…Can be a Hybrid Building: A custom-engineered building takes advantage of all the benefits of an engineered steel building and adds traditional construction elements like tilt-up walls or architectural elements made of light-gauge steel or wood.

…Has Entered New Market Segments: Due to their versatility, growth can be found through providing structures that go beyond the typical industrial applications. We see great potential in schools, churches and commercial structures. Everyone is looking for more efficient ways to build without sacrificing quality. This need has opened new markets not only in the private sector but also in the government sectors. Barnominiums are one of the new trends in this space.

…Is Virtually 100% Recyclable: So, it does not usually end up in a landfill like other construction materials.