Steel Building Systems

When it comes to sustainable construction, steel is an unparalleled choice. This natural material is incredibly strong, non-toxic to produce, and infinitely recyclable and reusable—making it an excellent investment in the future of your business and your community.

Recycled and Reusable Material: Our Varco Pruden buildings use recycled steel to manufacture steel frames, roofs, and wall systems, which help meet certification requirements and sustainability standards. Additionally, VP’s steel systems can be relocated and reused, providing expanded adaptability for different end uses that greatly extends the usable life of your facility.

Pre-engineered Buildings: Durable Product at a Competitive Price

Well-constructed PEMBs offer a highly durable, schedule-friendly solution at a competitive price. PEMBs are designed and fabricated in a manufacturing facility, which protects against weather or seasonal delays. In addition, PEMBs are manufactured with specialized structural shapes. This limits the amount of steel used and the weight of the building, which holds down costs.

When it comes to timing, PEMBs offer a tremendous advantage. The design software allows for the foundations to be engineered early in the process. As a result, the permitting application can begin sooner, and the foundations can be installed while the design is being finalized. The building system can be delivered as soon as the foundations are completed, effectively cutting months from the project schedule. In fact, buildings typically arrive in 8-16 weeks; simple buildings can even qualify for a turnaround of six weeks.

In addition, PEMBs require minimal field fabrication. They can also be manufactured with mostly bolted connections, which expedites the erection process. As a result, owners can get operations up and running much earlier than is possible with a conventional steel building.

On the downside, PEMBs are less conducive to bold architectural design than a conventional steel building. However, the versatility of wall systems and structural finishes provide for unique and personalized aesthetics.

One of the primary benefits of conventional steel is that it allows for complete customization. This is essential for buildings that require unique structures or that serve multiple or abnormal needs.

Conventional Metal Building

Conventional steel is also a good fit for structures that are more than two stories in height. In addition, conventional steel is more accepting of reinforcement, which makes it easier to change dead loads. This provides more flexibility for changing process equipment lines, rearranging production floor plans, adding rooftop HVAC equipment, modifying sprinkler, or plumbing lines, adding cranes to a structure, and so on.

Conversely, conventional steel is typically more expensive. The structures are made from rolled T-sections of steel that consist of more material than PEMB structural members. This adds weight to the structure, which requires more robust concrete foundations. These factors add more cost to the budget and more time to the schedule.

Conventional steel lead times run in the ballpark of 20-26 weeks, as material is usually sourced from multiple vendors and requires significant in-house fabrication prior to reaching the job site. Siding, roofing, trim, and accessories are usually purchased from a separate vendor, adding another layer of accountability and coordination.