Pre-Engineered Structures

No matter the size, shape or complexity of your project, American Custom Structures has the experience and capability to get it done right. We offer four types of buildings that all offer different advantages. Cold Form, Post Frame, Red Iron, and Tube Steel.

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Cold-Formed Steel Buildings

Cold-formed steel (CFS) has been a staple of the construction industry for more than a century, and it’s easy to see why. Steel, in general, is a highly durable material. And when it’s formed using cold-form processes, it becomes even stronger. CFS offers cost-effective, durable, eco-friendly building options that are in high demand today as inflation and supply chain woes drive prices up, and sustainability is a top priority for many industries.

Let’s take a look at the advantages of choosing cold-formed steel over other building materials.

CFS is a Cost-Effective Building Material

Even if you’re working with a comfortable budget, money is always a factor in choosing building materials. Cold-formed steel is a truly cost-effective material choice, offering layers of savings with lower labor costs, lower material costs, and easy scalability. Many contractors choose CFS to save money upfront, lowering the cost to build, and many stakeholders choose CFS for long-term savings with fewer maintenance needs.

Here is how you can lower your costs using CFS:

• High Strength-to-Weight Ratio Means Fewer Materials Needed

• Panelization Reduces On-Site Construction Costs

• Shorter Product Cycles Means You’re Productive in Less Time

• Lower Insurance Premiums Due to Weather & Fire Safety Ratings

• Fewer Site Safety-Related Costs Like Security or Inspections

• Fewer Long-Term Maintenance Needs Due to Durability

A lower up-front price tag is just the beginning of cost savings with a cold-formed steel building. This material is versatile and scalable, and lends itself well to commercialization–meaning that it is easily mass-produced to bring efficiency and cost savings to the construction process. So, in a nutshell, CFS is a cost-effective building material from beginning to end.

Cold-Formed Steel is More Durable

Next to money, durability is the second most important factor when choosing materials. Steel has a well-known reputation for its strength. But what many building owners might not realize is that cold-formed steel is particularly strong. The manufacturing processes performed at a lower heat produce compressed sheets that offer improved durability over hot-formed steel sheets.

Add to the sheer strength of CFS that steel is also impervious to most environmental factors like pests, moisture, heat, and wind. Using CFS, you’ll incur far fewer long-term maintenance costs typically caused by environmental exposure.

It’s a Sustainable Choice

Steel is a 100% recyclable material. Often, CFS panels used in new construction are from recycled materials. Plus, when the building is removed or renovated, the steel components will still be 100% recyclable.

Using CFS as a sustainable building material is a choice that you can feel good about. The CFS manufacturing process is inherently designed to eliminate waste. It’s based on a dry system that does not require excessive water consumption to produce heat or cool the steel. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly material choice, CFS is green from beginning to end.

Cold-Formed Steel is a Safer Building Material

When it comes to safety, you may not realize the role that individual building materials play. It’s true–choosing highly combustible framing materials like timber or untreated wood paneling for walls and roofing increases the combustibility of the entire building. That means, in the event of a fire, the building turns into a tinder box and is quickly engulfed in flames.

With CFS, your building’s occupants may have more time to reach safety. While many of the accompanying building materials will still burn, the structure of a CFS building is non-combustible, which considerably slows the spread of the fire. From goodwill to a good price, cold-formed steel is a good choice for your next building project.

The non-combustible nature of CFS means:

• Buildings are Safer for Human Occupants

• In the Event of a Fire, the Impact on Municipal Fire Services is Reduced

• Buildings Cost Less to Insure

In fact, did you know that the melting point of steel is approximately 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit? The average building fire only reaches 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and even the hottest fires rarely exceed 1,800 degrees, so CFS will remain non-combustible from construction through destruction.

CFS is Easy to Install

If money, safety, and sustainability aren’t enough to inform your decision, consider the construction process. Cold-formed steel is well-known for being easy to install. This means you’ll have fewer labor hours invested in the construction of your building, leading to both lower costs and a quicker build. If your goal is to get through construction quickly, cold-formed steel is the right choice.

Cold-formed steel is so versatile that it can even be installed during the coldest months of the year. This means that you won’t be limited to summer months to construct your building, and you won’t have to plan for portable heaters during construction. These buildings are often panelized, leading to easy construction in less time compared to other building materials. And all of these benefits are just what you’ll see day-to-day with CFS.

It’s Resistant to Extreme Weather Conditions

How often do you face extreme weather like tropical storms, intense blizzards, or tornadoes? Cold-formed steel, notable for its durability, is the best choice for buildings constructed in areas that experience extreme weather.

According to the Steel Framing Industry Association, CFS is a truly weather-resilient building material. This designation goes beyond durability, encompassing safety, security, durability, energy conservation, and the general ability to be resourceful during an extreme weather event. To that end, cold-formed steel is a superior building material offering the structural resilience that your business needs to remain operational in the face of catastrophic weather conditions.

POST-FRAME BUILDINGS

While traditional construction has its merits, post-frame construction offers a range of benefits that make it a compelling choice for many building projects. As compared to traditional construction, here are some of the benefits of post-frame buildings:

Cost-effective

Pole barn buildings are known for being cost effective compared to traditional construction methods. They require fewer materials and labor, which translates to lower overall costs.

Versatile

Post-frame buildings can be designed and customized to fit almost any need. The flexible design of post-frame construction allows for a variety of configurations and sizes, so you can create a building that is perfectly suited for your intended use. Pole barn buildings can be used for many purposes, such as a storage shed, a workshop, a garage, or even a home.

Quick Construction

Pole barn buildings are known for their quick construction times. Since they require fewer materials and labor, the construction process is usually faster than traditional construction methods.

Building Codes

By using high quality materials, and pre-engineered trusses and footings, post-frame buildings can help with obtaining permits faster than traditional methods.

Customization

Contrary to popular belief, pole barns offer many options for designs and customizations. The interior walls can be easily changed once they are built because the interior walls do not change the structural integrity of the building. Designing post-frame homes can be easier with no restrictions on where load bearing walls have to be placed to support the roof.

Red Iron Steel Buildings

Clear Span Construction

Red Iron buildings allow builders and architects to create expansive, enclosed, obstruction-free space with no interior columns (up to 300 feet). The clear span frame style lets users move machinery or rearrange floor plans without limitation, providing an ideal choice for warehouses, agricultural storage, factories, and more.

Unlimited Size Option

Red Iron Buildings give architects and builders near-unlimited width, length, and height options, suitable for single and multi-story buildings, as well as mezzanines.

• WIDTHS: 10’ to 300’ or more of unobstructed space with a clear span design; up to 600’ and wider possible, with minimal interior columns

• HEIGHTS: 8’ to 60’ and more

• LENGTHS: Limitless

Strength

The sheer strength of steel can support greater loads and provides more efficient use of materials than wood construction.

• Some Red Iron models resist severe weather, standing up to 180 mph and snow loads of 120 lbs. ft2.

• The ductility and strength of steel buildings will absorb seismic forces without adverse effects, like collapsing.

Dimensionally Stable

Steel doesn’t expand or contract when it gets wet, allowing it to maintain its original measures over time, unlike wood. Furthermore, steel doesn’t warp or split or crack like wood. Moisture-resistant steel also stops the growth of unhealthy and structurally damaging mold.

Pest and Mold Proof

Termites, mold, and rodents pose no threat to Red Iron Steel Buildings, unlike wood.

Fire-Resistant

Non-combustible steel will not burn like pole barns or other wood-framed structures. Steel offers more protection against fire than wood, but it can still melt under extreme heat.

Low Maintenance

The strength and integrity of a well-maintained metal building will resist moisture, pests, and natural disasters.

Affordable

Readily available, iron steel is an affordable building solution for constructing warehouses, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, and more. The larger the steel building, the greater the savings. Moreover, the recent rise and volatility of the cost of lumber makes steel a more economical choice for building materials.

Time-Saving Construction

The components prefabricated red iron building packages arrive pre-cut and pre-measured at the job site, allowing for quicker and simpler construction with less labor and minimal waste. Steel buildings typically have a shorter lead time for construction, compared to wood. Builders can quickly assemble the building kits with just a couple of basic construction tools. However, due to the heavy weight of red iron, larger buildings may require more expertise and more extensive equipment.

Long Life Span

Red Iron Buildings maintain their integrity for their lifespan because they resist common causes of deterioration (moisture, mold, termites) and effectively withstand natural disasters (hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes).

Tube Steel Buildings

Understanding Tube Steel Buildings
Tube steel buildings, also known as steel tube framing or hollow structural section (HSS) buildings, utilize steel tubes in various shapes and sizes as the main structural components. These tubes can be circular, square, or rectangular in cross-section and are typically fabricated from high-strength carbon steel. The hollow nature of these tubes provides excellent strength-to-weight ratios, making them ideal for supporting heavy loads while minimizing material usage.

Advantages of Tube Steel Buildings

Strength and Durability:

One of the primary advantages of tube steel buildings is their exceptional strength and durability. The inherent properties of steel, coupled with the efficient design of hollow tubes, result in structures that can withstand extreme weather conditions, seismic activity, and other environmental stresses. This makes tube steel buildings highly resilient and long-lasting, with minimal maintenance requirements over their lifespan.

Design Flexibility:

Tube steel buildings offer architects and designers unparalleled flexibility in creating unique and innovative structures. The versatility of steel tubes allows for a wide range of architectural forms and configurations, from sleek modern designs to more traditional aesthetics. Additionally, the lightweight nature of steel tubes enables the construction of large clear-span spaces, eliminating the need for interior support columns and maximizing usable floor area.

Speed of Construction:

Compared to traditional construction methods, tube steel buildings can be erected much more quickly due to their prefabricated nature. The components are fabricated off-site to precise specifications, ensuring high quality and consistency, and then assembled on-site with ease. This accelerated construction process translates to shorter project timelines, reduced labor costs, and earlier occupancy for building owners.

Cost-Effectiveness:

Despite initial perceptions of higher upfront costs, tube steel buildings often prove to be more cost-effective in the long run. The durability and low maintenance requirements of steel result in lower lifecycle costs compared to alternative building materials. Additionally, the efficient use of materials and streamlined construction process contribute to overall project savings, making tube steel buildings a financially attractive option for developers and investors.

Sustainability:

Steel is inherently recyclable, making tube steel buildings a sustainable choice for environmentally conscious projects. The recyclability of steel reduces the demand for raw materials and minimizes waste generation during both construction and demolition. Furthermore, the energy efficiency of steel buildings can be enhanced through the use of insulation, high-performance glazing, and other sustainable building technologies, resulting in reduced energy consumption and lower carbon emissions over the building’s lifecycle.

Applications of Tube Steel Buildings

Tube steel buildings find applications across a wide range of sectors, including:

Commercial and Industrial:

Warehouses, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and retail outlets benefit from the strength, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness of tube steel buildings.

Residential:

Tube steel construction is increasingly being embraced in residential construction.