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A PR IL 2017 | 29 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY ROBERTSON BUILDING SYSTEMS; VICWEST CORPORATION Steel Building Systems Opportunities abound for the steel building systems market by ROBIN BRUNET T here's no question that steel building systems have come a long way, both in terms of technical improvement as well as overall acceptance. Once the strict domain of warehouses, steel buildings can now legitimately be called an architectural addition to the Canadian real estate development scene – and an ideal solution for office projects and public facilities. Better still, 2017 is shaping up to be a distinct improvement for the sector com- pared to the year prior, according to the Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute (CSSBI). General manager Steve Fox says: "In 2016 our market dropped consider- ably out west due to the oil and gas downturn, but this year our manufacturers are optimistic and there are already signs of recovery in the prairies. "Long gone are the days of people thinking that steel buildings are simply cheap metal boxes. Our capabilities have grown a lot in the past two decades, so the pros- pects of future growth are very strong." That said, Fox admits that proportionately speaking, Canada's market share for the steel building sector is still less than that in the U.S. When asked why, he says, "Our counterparts have been in the business longer, and they very successfully mar- ket themselves – and more power to them. Therefore, one of our goals this year is to expand our own marketing efforts. There's no reason we can't enjoy the degree of exposure that our friends to the south enjoy." With construction budgets increas- ingly being constrained, steel buildings are an ideal way to bring a wide variety of projects to fruition; and as Steelway Building Systems points out, their design flexibility is such that architec- tural features can be easily achieved by the integration of other construction materials, such as glass, precast con- crete, masonry, and wood – elements that have enabled the Ontario-based firm to create warehouses and distribution centres, multi-storey office buildings, churches, schools, retail outlets and wide span athletic centres and arenas. As is the case with the best steel building specialists, Steelway has rendered obsolete the standard building sizes that once limited the sector, thanks to com- puter assisted design that gives clients completely customized options. Plus, all of Steelway's steel components are manufactured under one roof, ensuring built-in quality in every process (in fact, the quality and precision of the manufacturing process is such that most structures can be assembled using only high strength bolts and fasteners). Accompanying developments such as insulated walls have enabled steel build- ings to achieve incredible energy savings, and Vicwest's approach to insulated walls has resulted in its FASSADE system that is engineered to comply with stringent R-Value and thermal bridging requirements for steel framed walls – but without compromising the developer's creative vision. The FASSADE insulated wall system incorporates an easy-to-install, single com- ponent insulated panel core with the ability to customize the building's exterior with any of Vicwest's wide range of cladding options. Unlike traditional insula- tion systems, the company's insulated panel core eliminates the inefficiencies of multi-piece field assemblies. Behlen Industries is Canada's largest manufacturer of rigid frame and frame- less steel building systems, serving cus- tomers worldwide through a network of authorized builders. One example of the sheer beauty Behlen can achieve on behalf of clients is the Southgate Station Professional Building, a multi-storey facility that is widely recognized as a landmark of Lethbridge, Alberta. The project was the outcome of Behlen's goal to combine traditional masonry and Strength Beyond Strength Grand Park Arena Sports Campus, Westfield, IN. Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre, Edmonton, AB.

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