The Sway of the Arch Design

If a child born and raised in the United States is asked to draw a house, more likely than not, there is going to be quite a few hard right angles in it-just like the typical home found throughout the country.

Ask Kent Thieman of West Des Moines, IA to draw his home, expect to see lots of curves and arches because his humble abode is a Monolithic dome.

The earliest form of monolithic dome structures could be considered to be the igloo. The dome-like shape of the igloo exhibits the two major advantages of a dome-shaped structure: great strength, and good insulation. The strength is due to the natural might of the arch, and the insulation is due to the minimal surface area of a spherical section.

"Based on the fact that Mr. Thieman already understands the many positive qualities of the arch design, it's not surprising that he chose SteelMaster Buildings when he wanted to cover the front entrance of his home and create a covered patio on the back."

For more than 29 years, SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA, has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

With all of the companies out there that make steel buildings, what led Thieman to choose to buy from SteelMaster?

"I learned about SteelMaster buildings from magazine ads," says Thieman. "I chose steel because of durability, and I chose SteelMaster because of the website."

Wickum says that there is a difference in SteelMaster's buildings than others that exist in the marketplace—quite a few differences, actually.

"Our buildings are affordable, especially because people that want to construct it themselves can—they were designed with that in mind—and that saves money on hiring a contractor," says Wickum. "SteelMaster also uses a top-of-the-line steel that is made through complex chemistry resulting in an unheard of tensile strength. We use a mill that produces metal where the tensile strength is so strong that no one else in the world has it. Also, every one of our buildings is mill coated with Galvalume Plus steel coating which provides a dry-coated, maintenance-free finish that also keeps the building cool in the summer and easy to heat in the winter. Best of all, all SteelMaster steel buildings include lifetime engineering and a 30-year warranty backed by its factory and the ArcelorMittal Dofasco steel mill."

Thieman purchased both of his SteelMaster products in the fall of 2010, and chose to hire a contractor to do the projects.

"The most difficult part of the project for the contractor was getting the SteelMaster arches joined to the dome so that rain would be diverted," says Thieman. "The completed projects look like I expected them to look. We like the arched appearance. We chose to make both asymmetric, that is one side of the arch is higher than the other. The covered patio has a table, four chairs, a BBQ grill, and several planters. We like both the front entrance and the back patio very much."

In addition to structures like those purchased by Thieman, SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, carports, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

The Sway of Steel has a Ripple Effect

In 2002, a pebble of sorts was dropped in the town of Warm Springs, VA causing a ripple effect that swiftly carried resident John Pound out to sea before plunking him down in the Bahamas.

The "pebble" in this case was the steel building Pound purchased from SteelMaster Buildings, located in Virginia Beach, VA, to store his tractor and Corvette and also use as a workshop. Initially planning on constructing a stick-built building, Pound was swayed toward steel after looking at his friend's SteelMaster building.

"I was very impressed with the look and usefulness of his building and the quality of the materials," says Pound. "I called SteelMaster, and they sent me a booklet with different types of buildings and different options available. One of the company's engineers drew up a set of plans and sent it to me, and then followed up with phone calls explaining the warranty, the two different types of base plates, and how to erect it. When he gave me a quote—including shipping—it was a much better building for the money than the stick-built ones and beat the competitor's price and quality of building by a long shot."

From there, a small ripple formed when one of Pound's co-workers professed an interest in a building as well, and after Pound shared what he had learned from SteelMaster, the co-worker bought the same building.

"We placed our orders together, and it took a short time-three to four weeks-before the buildings arrived," remembers Pound. "We used that time to lay out our sites and pour the concrete footers and floor."

When it came time to build, Pound's neighbors and friends showed up to lend a hand. It just so happened that a couple that helped were on the market for a storage building and were so impressed with the SteelMaster that they bought a building from the company as well.

"While their building was being made and shipped, we all went to my co-worker's house and put up his building," says Pound. "Then another friend of mine decided he wanted one, so he purchased one as well. He now has three SteelMaster buildings and wouldn't trade them for anything."

The concentric circles formed by that Pound's purchase broadened considerably throughout the next year as people interested in buying a SteelMaster building often showed up on his doorstep requesting a tour.

"SteelMaster has me on a list, and if someone who lives in my area is interested in looking at a finished building, they are more than welcome to look at mine," says Pound. "In 2003 I had the most referrals for the company, and a lot of these people went on to purchase a building, so I won an all-expense-paid, five-day cruise to the Bahamas."

In fact, since 2002, Pound estimates he has shown his buildings to between 75 and 80 people.

"I really like my building and look forward to showing it off," says Pound. The best things I can say about it are that it's a well made building, everything fits without having to make any alterations, there are no surprises when you receive and start erecting your building, and it has plenty of room and really looks nice. It's within sight of my home, and it's something I'm very proud of. I would highly recommend anyone interested in building something that will last, appreciate in value, and is top of the line to talk with SteelMaster."

In addition to storage buildings and workshops, SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Quonsets, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, Military Buildings, Commercial Warehousing, and Industrial Storage as well as a wide variety of Custom Building applications including Athletic Facilities, Retail Stores, Churches, Bus Stops, Smoke Shacks, Doggie Dorms, and Correctional Facilities.

What Is a Quonset Hut?

Around SteelMaster, we talk about quonset huts frequently, but what exactly is a quonset hut? The semicircular steel buildings were made popular by the U.S. military during WWII. In 1941, the U.S. Navy needed an all-purpose, lightweight building that could be shipped anywhere and assembled easily without the use of skilled labor. The steel building was first erected at the Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. Quonset huts were valuable to the military because of their flexibility. The clear-span interior allowed for them to used as barracks, latrines, offices, medical facilities, isolation wards, and bakeries. In addition, the Navy also discovered that the rounded shape of the corrugated arch is one of the strongest structures in architecture.

That clear-span interior and strength of the structure are two of the main reasons why quonset huts are still popular today. Steel quonset huts have been used for a variety of applications. SteelMaster customers have turned quonset huts into, indoor pole vaulting facilities, homes, office buildings, and agricultural storage just to name a few. The possibilities are truly endless.

Letters from Our Customers – XV

Once you are a SteelMaster owner, we invite you to join our Partners in Steel referral program. The program is designed to encourage you to refer friends, family and neighbors to SteelMaster that are interested in purchasing a steel building. In addition, we will contact you if we have someone in your area that would like to see your building and speak with you about your SteelMaster buildings. The letter below comes from Francis S. in Recluse, WY when he signed up to be a member of Partners in Steel.

The super structure is up. It is by no means finished as we are in the dead of winter right now. The interesting part of this building is that I for the most part completely assembled this building by hand, one piece at a time. I constructed a temporary scaffolding system that I used to get to the high parts. I had help with the first two sections but that was it. Since I had to do this myself I came up with some interesting techniques. I bought a 5 pack of aligning tools. I used several welding type vice grips and clamps. A 3/8 air impact also was an important part of the assembly. I think the reason I was able to do this by myself was that I am 6'-5? tall and have a long reach. Without being able to reach around each section I don’t think I could have started each nut and bolt, therefore I would have had to wait until this year when help arrived. It took me about 21 days to complete one piece at a time. I still have to install a bout 100 nut’s and bolts. Then spend a day or so with a little help to double check the entire building’s nuts and bolts. I poured footers only instead of an entire slab. The slab will come in the spring, close in the ends, grout the bottom of the panels, install electrical/lighting and at that point I should be finished. I certainly will buy another in the future.

Steelmasterusa

Offering Affordable Steel Buildings is Only the Start

Seventeen years ago, James D. "Danny" Hendricks of Woodland, GA was leafing through farm and home magazines when he came upon an advertisement for a company in Virginia Beach, VA that sold steel buildings. Since he was scouting out options for a workshop, Hendricks called to request literature on the buildings and established a rapport with the director of marketing.

"I was fortunate to talk with David B. Adams, who at that time was the director of marketing with SteelMaster Buildings, and after speaking with him, I was convinced that this was the building that I needed because it would fit my needs from a quality and durability standpoint," says Hendricks. "He was very informative from my first conversation with him, and we became very good friends."

For more than 29 years, SteelMaster Buildings has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

SteelMaster prefabricated workshops have been used by all types of hobby enthusiasts including wood workers, metal shops owners, classic car professionals, as well as numerous types of businesses around the globe. The company’s workshop kit, prefabricated workshops, and metal shops provide 100 percent unencumbered, usable space to organize, store, and protect valuable tools and machinery as well as provide comfort, security, and durability against fire, snow, and hurricane-force winds. People who own a SteelMaster workshop have the flexibility to truly customize the inside of their building because the unique clear-span design allows them the opportunity to hang lighting, run conduit, build shelving, add a loft, insulate, and heat/cool the building.

Three years after Hendricks bought his workshop, he purchased a second building for machinery and hay storage. Then three years later, he bought yet another building to use for storage of lawn and garden equipment. He says that part of the reason he continued buying from SteelMaster was because of the level of customer service he continued to receive after he first started communicating with Adams.

"On one occasion after the purchase of my first building, a stranger drove into my yard," says Hendricks. "As this man stepped out of his car, he said, 'I am David Adams with SteelMaster Buildings, and I was passing through your area and wanted to stop by to meet you and see your building.’ We had a very good visit, and our friendship lasted."

According to Michelle Wickum, who is currently the company’s director of marketing, SteelMaster has always taken this approach with its customers.

"Our company was founded with a mission to be the best in the business, and we are," says Wickum. "To be the best, that doesn’t just mean delivering the highest quality buildings at an affordable rate, it also means going the extra mile for our customers and touching base with them after their building is constructed to make sure that it is everything that they need it to be. We genuinely care about the people we serve."

Hendricks says he believes in SteelMaster and its buildings so much that he hasn’t been shy about spreading the word to others.

"I appreciate that the ease of which I have been able to assemble and construct my buildings as well as their durability, quality, and the fact that they blend very well into my farm layout and the landscape, says Hendricks. "As a result, I have helped SteelMaster sell numerous buildings in this area of Georgia. The picture that is shown in the Georgia section of the SteelMaster website shows the back side of my three buildings. I am proud of my buildings, and I appreciate them being a part of the company’s website."

SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Quonsets, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, Military Buildings, Commercial Warehousing, and Industrial Storageas well as a wide variety of Custom Building applications including Athletic Facilities, Retail Stores, Churches, Bus Stops, Smoke Shacks, Doggie Dorms, and Correctional Facilities.

Partners in Steel New Member in Alaska

Do you own a SteelMaster steel building and love telling your friends about it? Sign up to become a member of our Partners in Steel Referral Network!

All you have to do is register with us, then start showing off your metal buildings. When a building purchased by one of your referrals is delivered, you will be mailed a check from $100 – $250.

Our newest member of Partners in Steel just finished construction of his 30' x 54' S-Model in Kasilof, Alaska. Check out construction pictures below.

For More Information About Steelmaster Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

Add a Chimney to Your Steel Building

Get ready for a visit from Santa this year with a chimney for your SteelMaster buildings. Although steel buildings are designed to stay warm throughout the cold weather, a wood stove is a great way to add extra warmth. Check out the pictures below…

SteelMaster Batting Domes Offer Year-Round Training

It feels as though winter has just begun, but spring will be here before we know it. For all the baseball fans out there, that means spring training is right around the corner. While most teams wait until the weather starts to warm up before they start training for the upcoming season, several local high school teams here in Virginia Beach have found a solution that allows them to practice year-round, rain or shine.  SteelMaster batting domes offer the baseball teams a clear span design that is ideal for batting cages and pitching lanes. The buildings are flexible in design and layout, even offering space for multiple locker rooms or a weight room. For more information on SteelMaster Batting Domes, visit www.BattingDomesUSA.com or view feature projects below.

Quonset Hut

'A Form that Will Always be with Us'

Jon Kovash is a man that appreciates both form and function, and last year he set about incorporating both aspects when building a garage for his rental property in Taos, NM.

Kovash shunned the premise that his garage had to fit any of the current stereotypical suburban molds and instead chose an archetypal Americana building—the steel Quonset hut.

He chronicled his reasoning for this decision as well as his experience constructing one in a yet-to-be-published article, and he also was chosen as a runner-up for his photo of the building in a contest held this fall by the company that sold it to him—SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA.

Kovash begins his article by writing:

"The Genesis of the Quonset project was based in my skepticism regarding the current "alternative” building fads: mud walls, dirt bag walls, straw walls, tire walls, compacted trash walls, ad infinitum.  My standard rap, which falls on deaf ears because it is free advice, goes something like this: You are using techniques appropriate for a third world village in an American (suburban) context. Construction estimators have long held that walls constitute only 15 percent of the cost of most houses. You are not saving money; in fact you are likely spending more money.  You're not even saving trees or concrete.  All those two-foot thick walls add up to significant extra square footage, which results in bigger foundations and bigger roofs.


And what do all these PC ramblers have for roof structure?  Big, thick old growth timbers and wood planks!


I pray as fervently as the next hippy builder for the end of balloon framing, which is a ridiculous waste of trees, but I don't expect the now fashionable eco castles to become the new prototype.  That's why this old wood butcher thinks more and more about concrete, cinder block, and steel. And steel brings us back to "Quonset” huts.”


SteelMaster Corrugated Arch Style Steel Buildings are fashioned after the buildings named after the town of Quonset Point, RI where the first manufacturing site for a Quonset was located.  A Quonset hut is defined as a lightweight pre-fabricated structure made of corrugated galvanized steel or iron.


In 1941, the United States Navy decided that they needed an all-purpose, lightweight building that could be shipped anywhere in the world and assembled quickly and easily to support the troops in WWII.  The Quonset design was modeled closely on the World War I Nissen Hut engineered by the British.  The Navy found that they were able to maximize the flexible interior space of these structures since the building was an open clear-span design.  In addition, they discovered that the rounded shape of the corrugated arch is one of the strongest structures in architecture which provided the shelter they needed during the war.


In the late 1970's, SteelMaster engineered and designed a new, stronger structure based the historic designs of the Quonset hut.  SteelMaster evolved the Quonset into a new structure that combines the architectural strength of the arch along with 20th century technology which allows the buildings to be designed and engineered to handle all types of climates and conditions.


"Over the years, we continued to develop the original Quonset design and engineering to meet the same primary goal:  provide all-purpose prefabricated steel buildings and roofing structures that can be shipped anywhere in the world and can be constructed quickly and easily,” says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster Buildings. "SteelMaster buildings are engineered for life and built to meet the wind loads of their destination. They remain maintenance free for a lifetime thanks to the company's use of Galvalume Plus Coating which offers strength, superior corrosion resistance, and an attractive bright appearance that provides excellent heat reflectivity.”

For Kovash, the best attributes of the building are simple to identify. "…low maintenance, durability, big and unhindered interior space, and a good alternative to cutting old-growth timber,” says Kovash.  "I can't believe how solid it feels when you walk on top. I installed the building on a slab using SteelMaster's welded steel base plates, and highly recommend those choices. I rented a large hammer drill for the bolt holes in the concrete. A rolling scaffold was indispensable for installing the arch segments. We worked the outside from extension ladder and rope.”


As for the photo of his building being selected as a runner-up in the SteelMaster fall photo contest, Kovash says, "I feel honored to make the top five – it's obvious from the pictures by the other entrants that many people are doing creative and well crafted variations of the classic S building. Like the old Airstream campers, it's a form that will always be with us.”


SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, Military Buildings, Commercial Warehousing, and Industrial Storage as well as a wide variety of Custom Building applications including Athletic Facilities, Retail Stores, Churches, Bus Stops, Smoke Shacks, Doggie Dorms, and Correctional Facilities.

Virginia Beach Companys Steel Storage Building

'Best Value, Best Security, Best Warranty'

Written by Brenda H. Welch
Brenda is a freelance writer and editor living in Hampton Roads, VA

Thanks in part to the U.S. Air Force, Dot Pantone is flying high with her decision to buy a steel storage facility from SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA.

As director of the Wiregrass Emergency Pregnancy Service in Daleville, AL since October 2009, Pantone saw the necessity for additional space to store cribs, mattresses, stroller, bathtubs, bassinettes, and the like for the women who are helped by the organization.

"Because our office is located on the 2nd floor of the Daleville Knights of Columbus building, not only did we need extra storage space for certain items, we also needed a solution to carrying heavy things up and down the stairs," says Pantone. "I presented the request to the governing board at the April 2010 board meeting, and now the building is being used on the property in back of our office."

"SteelMaster steel prefabricated storage buildings are perfect for equipment storage, multi-purpose farm buildings, steel barns, storage sheds, and grain or hay storage," says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for the company. "Our build-it-yourself prefab storage buildings are affordable and offer 100 percent usable space with a clear span design that eliminates beams and trusses. SteelMaster prefabricated storage sheds are easy to construct and provide maintenance free use for a lifetime. Reaching widths up to 150 feet and lengths as long as needed, SteelMaster prefabricated storage buildings provide the most durable, highest quality and most economical Steel Arch Buildings on the planet."

Because SteelMaster's Storage Building Kits are pre-cut and pre-drilled, they are easy to assemble in just a few days. But when the man who had volunteered to construct the new building for Pantone backed out at the last minute, she wasn't sure what she was going to do. That was until Senior Airmen Ashley Chappell stepped in. "She volunteers with us on Monday and Tuesday and is amazing," says Pantone. "She always finds time to help out our clients above and beyond the call of duty, and when she heard that we needed someone to construct the building, she asked her Air Force coworkers and leaders to volunteer."

Steel storage buildings

The team put the building up in approximately 10 hours, not including prep work like moving dirt and pouring the concrete foundation.

"I also love the amount of space available in the building as well as the 30 year warranty-in this part of the country we can count on occasional tornadoes and high winds from hurricanes, so durability is a must."

According to Wickum, SteelMaster steel buildings are engineered to meet the wind loads of their destination whether that's in the middle of the country or on the coast of Florida where hurricanes are common. "As opposed to wooden structures, SteelMaster buildings remain maintenance free for a lifetime because we use Galvalume Plus Coating which offers strength, superior corrosion resistance, and an attractive bright appearance that provides excellent heat reflectivity," says Wickum. "Each SteelMaster building also comes with a 30-year mill-backed warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT)."

All of these factors added up are why Pantone says she decided to buy the building from SteelMaster. "They offered the best value, the best security, and the best warranty," says Pantone.

With more than 40,000 satisfied customers, including buildings located in every state in the United States, on six continents, and in more than 40 overseas countries, SteelMaster takes pride in knowing its steel buildings have earned the favor of people like Dot Pantone.

SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Quonsets, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, Military Buildings, Commercial Warehousing, and Industrial Storageas well as a wide variety of Custom Building applications including Athletic Facilities, Retail Stores, Churches, Bus Stops, Smoke Shacks, Doggie Dorms, and Correctional Facilities.