The Basic Types of Steel Buildings

Steel buildings come in many sizes and shapes, but most small steel buildings sold as pre-fab steel building kits for garages, barns, storage buildings or home workshops come in just a few basic styles. Those basic styles can be accessorized and customized in an almost unlimited number of ways. Knowing the basic styles can help you make the first decisions you have to make when buying a metal building for your property.

Quonset Buildings

Quonset buildings, also known as hoop frame steel buildings, are the most basic style of steel buildings. Originally used by soldiers in World War I and World War II, Quonset buildings consist of a series of metal hoops covered with metal panels. The sloping walls and rounded roof make them especially sturdy in areas with heavy winds and snow loads. The major disadvantage to Quonset buildings also arises from the sloping sides – they reduce the amount of full-height floor space available inside the building.

A-Style Steel Buildings

The most basic modification to the Quonset style is the A-style, which keeps the sloping sides but adds a slightly pitched steel roof. The pitched roof makes the A-style building look more conventional and better for use in areas with heavy snow loads. They come in widths up to about 40 feet, and can be as long as you want them to be.

S-Style Steel Buildings

The S-model metal building is the opposite modification. It retains the rounded roof but straightens the walls. The rounded roof and high sidewalls provide maximum usable interior space, making them ideal for use as storage buildings, warehouses and distribution centers. Like other steel buildings based on the Quonset style, they are available up to about 40 feet wide and lengths as long as you want.

P-Style Steel Buildings

 The P-model steel building has a pitched roof and straight sides, taking the advantages of both. The clear interior makes them ideal for use as garages or barns, and the high side clearance leaves plenty of room for shelves and storage. They also have a standard “home” profile, allowing them to fit in comfortably in most communities where more industrial-style buildings might be unwelcome.

There are obviously many decisions to be made along the way when you’re buying a metal building, but knowing the different styles that are available is a good starting point. You’ll find lots of information about the advantages and disadvantages of each style when you research steel buildings online.