Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/178290
Increasing the Span STEEL BUILDING SYSTEMS LIVE UP TO THEIR REPUTATION AS AFFORDABLE, RESILIENT CONSTRUCTS by Robin Brunet S Steel buildings are an integral part of the Canadian industrial landscape, and in these cost-conscious times they have become more desirable than ever as an affordable and resilient building system. So it's somewhat ironic that one of the main goals of the Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute in 2012 is to prove that the production of steel building systems is a sustainable and environmentally sound practice. "We've always known the sustainable advantages of steel and have argued its merits publicly, but the fact is some of our data is out of date," says CSSBI general manager Dr. Steven Fox. "We need better data on current manufacturing practices to effectively counter the argument of competitors and critics who portray steel production as something harmful and wasteful." Accordingly, the Steel Market Development Institute is gathering life-cycle inventory data to demonstrate steel's superiority as a building material compared to other materials. The CSSBI is pursuing its own sustainability initiatives in the CN-SBS research project that will push the retail typology beyond current de initions of green building and address the issues of carbon neutrality by showing how steel can be used in the context of a carbon-neutral building project. Fox notes, "Steel makers are re-evaluating their processes to be more environmentally conscious, and they're making great strides in manufacturing products that contribute to sustainable development. By demonstrating these initiatives and supporting them with numbers and facts, we hope to prove to prospective new customers just how attractive steel buildings are to the construction sector." Of course, the versatility demonstrated by the best steel building manufacturers encourages investment in this type of structure. An example is Steelway Building Systems, whose engineered buildings range from warehouses and distribution centres to multi-storey of ice buildings, churches, schools, retail outlets and wide-span athletic centres. Steelway is also a prime example of just how far steel building manufacturers have evolved in a relatively short time: instead of clients having to choose from a selection of pre-determined building sizes, the company's computer-aided design capabilities enable every design to start from scratch. Steelway buildings are generally erected by authorized builders and assembled using only high-strength bolts and fasteners to make the process fast and save the client money. Steelway's ef iciency was showcased recently with its work on the new MEDEVAC Nunavut Lifeline Hangar in Iqaluit. Components of the building were transported by barge to the site, and the 153-foot-wide by 130-foot-long facility (with a 114-footwide clear span) was erected in a short space of time. In a similar vein, Butler Manufacturing offers full-service turnkey construction for the commercial, industrial and agricultural markets. Moreover, by combining its services and its Steel Building Systems p.44-47Steel buildings.indd 45 Benson Centre, Cornwall, ON. Courtesy American Buildings Company. Butler Builder network with products like the MR-24 roof system, Butler is a single source for construction materials and services. As for the products, the Widespan structural system combines the practicality of a rigid frame with almost unlimited design lexibility, while the Landmark2000 system employs solid web primary frames, prepunched truss purlins, and rod bracing in the roof and walls. Behlen Industries LP's great strength is the diversity of its product line, which enables the company to provide a variety of affordable systems to the industrial, institutional, commercial and agricultural markets. Behlen's product line is anchored by FLEX-SYS and the proprietary CORR-SPAN system; its COM-BLD line, which is manufactured at its Brandon, Manitoba and Airdrie, Alberta plants, consists of steel cladding and roo ing in numerous proiles and colours as well as coordinating trims and fasteners, secondary containment systems and structural members; the AG-STOR line is targeted for grain, produce and equipment storage needs. Dwayne Schaus, Behlen's national sales manager, points to the Wilmot Arena in Baden, Ontario as a prime example of what CORR-SPAN can achieve. "At 248 feet, it's the largest clear span we've built in North America," he says. Behlen recently used CORR-SPAN for the new Huntsville Summit Centre in New Hamburg, Ontario; the 180-foot-wide by 240-foot-long facility accommodated the press during last year's G8 summit. Honco Steel Buildings' communications and marketing coordinator, Genevieve Filteau, says 2011 was noteworthy because "for the irst time in our history, our export business to overseas was bigger than our domestic activity – which was also very healthy." One of the reasons for the boost in overseas business is that when packed for transport, Honco systems are about one-third the size of other building systems. "Shipping costs are drastically reduced, and of late we've been shipping to Cuba, Tanzania, Morocco, Algeria and Russia, where our largest project ever is taking shape: an 88-metre-long soccer stadium," says Filteau. On the domestic front, Honco recently obtained a contract to design and supply the Canadian International Hockey Academy and the City of Clarence-Rockland's Event & Training Centre. The $20.4-million facility consists of two NHL-sized playing surfaces, 10 change rooms, a itness centre and of ices. Architectural features such as glulam post and beams have APRIL 2012 /45 3/26/12 2:24:37 PM