Pre Engineered Buildings
Pre-engineered steel construction
Pre-engineered steel construction is a sub segment of the overall prefabricated building and has emerged as an innovative building method due to rapid growth of automation in the construction industry.
However, whereas prefabricated construction can be built through different raw materials like concrete, metal, etc, steel pre-engineered buildings have steel as its major raw material component. Furthermore, these PEB structures are fabricated in the factories in a controlled environment and then transported to the construction site where the final assembly takes place, whereas prefabricated buildings can in knockdown, semi- knockdown or as completely built in units.
Pre-engineered steel structures/units are more eco-friendly than traditionally constructed ones and provide benefits such as reduced material wastage, enhanced quality control, and improved onsite safety. The controlled manufacturing process minimises material wastage, promoting sustainable building practices, while rigorous quality control ensures consistent and durable structures.
According to research published in the International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (Comparative Study of Pre-Engineered Building And Conventional Steel Structures), cost-saving advantages of PEB increases as the span of the structure increases till an inflection point, after which cost savings diminish.
Overview of pre-engineered steel building
Key components/sub-structures of pre-engineered steel buildings
- Main frame or primary structure: This frame is the main load-carrying and support structure of a pre-engineered steel building made of rigid steel frames. The primary structure consists of columns, rafters, and other supporting structures. The shape and size of these structures differ based on their application and requirements. The frame is constructed by bolting the end plates of connecting sections together
- Secondary structure: It consists of purlins, grits, and eave struts used to support the wall and roof panels. Purlins are employed on the roof, grits on walls, and eave struts at the intersection of the sidewall and roof
- Roof, wall panels, and insulation: These components are used for sheeting and generally made of ribbed steel sheets. They are used as roof and wall sheeting, roof and wall liners, partition, and soft sheeting. Colour quoted steel sheets are generally produced from steel coils. The metal roofing generally comprises roofing made of aluminium, galvalume steel and copper, among others. Usage of high-quality material, such as pre-painted galvalume (PPGL) aids in avoiding corrosion and leaks, increasing the longevity of the roofing system.
Pre-engineered steel construction industry segmentation by end user
Pre-engineered steel construction is gaining popularity in the commercial, infrastructure, and industrial landscape, such as in the automobile industry, cement industry, paper industry, offices, aircraft hangers, warehouses and logistics, and data centres. Use of pre-engineered steel constructed units enable companies to accelerate the construction process in a cost-effective manner without compromising on quality. In fact, the absence of external uncontrollable factors such as adverse weather in pre-engineered steel construction ensures better quality control through standardised operations and streamlined processes.
Steel pre-engineering is reshaping the realm of building construction by decreasing the overall construction duration for commercial complexes, hospitals, office buildings, high-rise buildings, and so on, without compromising on construction quality. Pre-engineered steel structures are also used extensively in the institutional and recreational field to construct schools, exhibition halls, hospitals, theatres, auditoriums, gymnasiums, and indoor sports facilities.
Advantages of PEBs over traditional construction
Better quality control
Traditional construction methods rely heavily on skilled workers for onsite assembly and intricate tasks, the current shortage of such labour poses challenges to timely and efficient project completion.
Hence, pre-engineered steel construction offers a viable solution as a majority of the construction is done in controlled factory environments, reducing the need for onsite labour. Moreover, companies can achieve economies of scale through improved manufacturing processes, further boosting growth of the pre-engineered steel construction industry, enabling faster component production, and ensuring greater accuracy and consistency in final structures.
More sustainable
As considerable parts of the structures are built offsite in the case of pre-engineered steel construction, it causes less disturbance to the construction site’s surroundings. Furthermore, factories and manufacturing plants enable standardisation of processes and streamlining of procedures, which help reduce wastage and the carbon footprint that directly impact the environment. Additionally, pre-engineered steel building components can be recycled, as steel is the major raw material of PEB. This allows optimized use of raw materials and minimises construction waste.
This optimized use of raw materials helps in decreasing the overall carbon footprint compared to traditional conventional construction methods.
Faster construction timelines
Pre-engineered steel construction accelerates project timelines without compromising on deliverable quality. As it involves components being first manufactured in factories/manufacturing plants, this method enables simultaneous preparation of the foundation at the construction site, which helps in accelerating project timelines. According to industry sources, construction of pre-engineered steel buildings takes 40-50% less time than RCC construction.
Cost optimisation
Use of PEBs in construction enables cost optimisation by decreasing overhead site costs, including labour costs. Furthermore, as pre-engineered steel structures are manufactured within factories/manufacturing plants, they enable standardisation of processes, which ensures good quality of structures. Additionally, they also prevent project delays stemming from external factors such as adverse weather.