Erecting a steel building???

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I am looking at building a new steel building. Help me understand the process of putting up the building. Once the slab it done, do I build the walls laying down then stand them up? Or do I build it standing up and try to keep it straight?
Reply:you need to lay out your anchors... (epoxy.. not wedge) and stand up your columns.. then your truss and gurts.... metal don't go up like wood.. be prepared for heavey equipmentif you're not livin on the edge, you're takin up too much room..
Reply:What are you using, componets or will you have rigid frames. Componet frames can be put together on the ground but only snug the bolts, so you can put it level, then tighten. On the rigid frames, stand the columns up first and snug the anchor bolts, then put the rafters together, lift them up and bolt to the columns. Put the girts on then the purlins, level and plumb the building then go back and tighten all the bolts.
Reply:You will need weld plates or anchor bolts in the slab. You put your columns up first, connect columns with purlanes all the way around. If there are door openings try to frame over openings to connect all the way around. You will need equipment to pick up rafters and connect to columns. Put the purlanes between rafters. Install the base angle to the slab. Put doors up and then put the tin on. If you have questions just ask. I've been building metal buildings, both bolt up and weld up for 28 yrs.
Reply:One thing you might give some thought to is radient floor heat if you live in a colder climate. It's not all that expensive to have the tube run in the slab. Your "heater" can simply be a hot water heater and a circulating pump. The only down side with this is that you will need to set anchor bolts or weld plates for the columns and perfigure any items you may plan to bolt down, lifts heavy equipment and so on. OR pour the floor thick enough that you can keep the tube down and anchor above the tube..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I always prefer to have the anchor bolts poured directly into the slab with anchor bolt templates.   Then you can use leveling nuts and non shrink grout.Depending on your lifting capacity its often easier to just bolt the whole column beam assembly together and lift them as one piece than it is to try and set the beams on the columns in the air.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:available help and equipment is definitely a factor for you to consider aswell, along with whatelse was stated above
Reply:I would use anchor pads instead of anchor bolts.  This is a welding website so I assume you would be able to weld your colunms to the pads.  The pads are basically plate steel with anchor rods welded to the underside.  Make the pads oversized in case they get pushed around a little when pouring the concrete. With anchor bolts you have to be aligned spot-on.  I would prefab the column/beam/truss on the slab and lift them in one unit.  Beware the slab is probably not flat, you should check and shim your steel before welding.  If you don't have the lifting equipment the few hundred $ for the rental is money well spent.  If you have all your beams prefabbed, have guy wires preattached, and ground anchors already installed, you can usually raise everything in a one day rental.  With turnbuckles on your guy wires you can slowly tweak everything to be plumb and square before you start welding.Dynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:lol.. you need to be spot on anyways or the building won't bolt up.. i'm assuming the pad is already there.. the first and utmost thing to happen is sweep the pad, and pop some lines.. colums should already have the plates on 'em.. you pop lines, measure out your column to column legnth starting at a corner (do this by laying out a column and bolting a girt onto it, then lay the other column down and bolt it up.. (usually 25 feet or so).. i would just pull tape myself, but however is up to you.. mark it out on your lines (center to center marks).. then on those marks, line out your bolt holes on your pad and drill.. keep about 8" of bolt sticking up because you need to put a backing nut on it to level it all out.. i also suggest using a core-drill (if you can afford to rent one) to drill your holes since they are quicker and more accurare... also.. use epoxy.. i can't stress that enough.. one of my pet peeves is wedge anchors for collumn bolts... yes.. it does arise..lol.... but epoxy keeps out water and chemicals.. drill holes before epoxying.. like, don't drill one hole, epoxy, then drill another.. well.. hell.. i'm just ramblin now.. lol..if you're not livin on the edge, you're takin up too much room..
Reply:You might? compare your choices to  a quonset type building with 7-8 foot straight walls before the curve from someone like Pioneer/Canada.  It still takes talent and patience to erect but is more homebuilder friendly. I really like mine...location Yuma, Az.  I personally did about 80% of the work, one good friend helped a lot also. I did not lay the foundation, I had that done.  30' wide x 42' long 15+' ceiling.  The two end doors are 12'x12' high, side door is 8'x8' all rollups.  It has a nice full bath and pallet shelves for storage. Built 2005-06 I added a 400Watt panel with commerical electric for all the plugs etc. and  aprons and a rear pad in 2006. Sheesh, now it is near full. The ranchita had nothing at first. I had just laser planed the ground making it ready for alfalfa when we took the last pic. WHY this building? It's the West Texas way;  Can't blow it down in a Tornado, never needs paint, never needs a roof, HARD to break into and costs less per square foot to do...  hmmm,  vs a builidng with a paint finish that dulls, a roof that is easily torn at the corners by strong winds etc... (I'll get some flack on this I betcha  "Oh, the other ones are nice too" he said.  note:  (when cowboy lies he kicks sand with boot and has his head down)enjoy, it is an adventure to build your shop however you attack it. Attached ImagesLast edited by PapaLion; 03-08-2010 at 09:16 PM.Lincoln Power MIG 215Lincoln WeldPak 3200HDLincon ProCut 25Lincoln WeldanPower 225 AC/DCIf all else fails... buy more tools
Reply:IF you use anchor bolt templates and do the measurements your self twice and keep an eye on them when they pour the foundation its the easiest way.    Shims are much more PITA than their worth, leveling bolts are where its at.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:The shims are for use when you're prefabbing the beams to avoid building a warped beam on a non-flat slab.Dynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:my area required a full footing ,not just a slab.so we poured the footing and collum supports and then erected the red iron. the dirt floor allowed me to pile dirt ramps so my backhoe could lift the rafters high enough. then we isolated the slab from the footing with foam insulation and also insulated  under the slab for the first two feet of  the outer edge. then hung the insulation and wall and roof steel. this was a 40x80 with 12 ft high doors in central michigan.
Reply:Muellarinc.com has a excellent site with a video going thru all the steps for erecting a metal building. They also have some great pricing this month..I have ordered one of buildings and hope to have it at the end of the month.