Steel Building or Quonset Hut?

SteelMaster steel buildings are sometimes called Quonset Huts. We are often asked if they are the same or if they are different. The answer to both questions is YES!

  

Quonset huts are prefabricated structures of corrugated galvanized steel that are arched shaped.

The design of a WW II Quonset Hut was derived from the Nissen hut developed in England during the first World War. The Quonset name was used for the newly designed structure as a tribute to the first manufacturing site, Quonset Point, Rhode Island.

 

The Quonset Hut was commissioned in 1941 by the United States Navy in response to a need for an all-purpose, lightweight building that could be easily shipped anywhere in the world and assembled quickly. It is estimated that between 150,000 and 170,000 Quonset Huts were manufactured during World War II. Manufacturing of Quonset huts was transferred to Stran-Steel Division of the Great Lakes Steel Corporation. Stran-Steel improved the design of the structure as well as expanded the building’s footprint. The new design allowed the building to be constructed in one day by ten men only using hand tools. It required no special skills to construct and was lighter and smaller when crated for transport.

 

During the war, Quonsets were also used as single-family building units to accommodate transient military personnel and their families.  After the war, the U.S. military sold surplus buildings to the public for about $1,000 each which at the time was about the cost of a small home. Many of these buildings are still standing today throughout the USA.

In the late 1970’s, SteelMaster engineered and designed a new, stronger structure based the historic designs of the WW II Quonset Hut. SteelMaster evolved the historic building into a new structure that combines the architectural strength of the arch along with 20th century technology.  This technology allows the buildings to be designed and engineered to handle all types of climates and conditions. The Quonset style building was nicknamed the “Q-Model” to honor the historical significance of these structures. And over the 29 years that SteelMaster has been offering Quonset Hut style buildings to our customers, 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 without skilled labor.

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SteelMaster Celebrates 30 Years

SteelMaster Buildings will be celebrating its 30-year anniversary in February. SteelMaster is well-known as the leading manufacturer of steel and metal pre-fabricated arched buildings.

SteelMaster has merely scratched the surface of their steel building market and future. According to Inside Business Magazine, SteelMaster is amongst the ranks of "Hampton Roads Roaring 20". This distinguishes SteelMaster as one of the region's fastest growing companies, while making significant contributions to the local economy. SteelMaster is licensed as a small business with a staff of 50 working out of their headquarters in Virginia Beach.

"We are perfectly poised for continued growth," touts Vice President Rob Poellnitz, with all the confidence of a Navy Admiral positioned for battle. Poellnitz, along with Co-Vice Presidents Anthony Bueno and Karen Willis share these confident opinions based upon several factors.

"We share a common vision and we believe in the SteelMaster product," adds Michelle Wickum, Marketing Director. "When you are dealing with a superior product, a staff comprised of the best in the business in their respective fields, with the outcome being extremely happy clients, it's a ‘win-win' situation."

This past year alone, SteelMaster has stood out from the crowd in big ways.

SteelMaster was recognized as one of the "12 to Watch" by the United States Senate Productivity and Quality Award program (SPQA) for Virginia. To qualify, SteelMaster had to meet rigorous standards from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. As a part of the recognition, they received Criteria for Performance Excellence Training, Mentoring and Scholarship participation in Virginia's SPQA's Discovery Program. In a press statement, Virginia SPQA Board Chair Jo Rohr said, "SteelMaster is on the cusp of major growth."

SteelMaster was awarded the Commonwealth of Virginia's "Compass Award for Excellence in International Trade." This recognition is only given to a Virginia business that has excelled in global trade while positively representing the Commonwealth in the international arena. Recipients must have increased their international profile, promoted the best interests of its employees and surrounding communities, and contributed to the economic health and quality of life of Virginians.

SteelMaster was the winner of an export video promotion contest co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration and VISA. SteelMaster received a $12,000 award, including cash and travel costs to participate in the awards ceremony, and a Department of Commerce Gold Key matching service.

Further, two SteelMaster custom-designed homes appeared in The Wall Street Journal and the New York Daily News. SteelMaster also completed its first two buildings certified as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects.

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.

SteelMaster's 30-year Anniversary marks over 40,000 SteelMaster buildings constructed worldwide, on six continents, and in over 50 countries.

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Steel Building Construction: Window Installation

One of the best ways to get natural light and cross-ventilation in your SteelMaster steel building is to install windows in your endwalls. If you are using our steel endwalls, the process of adding windows is quite simple. Below are step-by-step directions for installing windows in your metal buildings endwalls.

Step 1.  Select and mark the window location on the endwall panels – dimension “B” is equal to the desired sill height minus dimension “C”. Divide dimension “D” (bolt holes center to center, measured in inches) by 18 to determine the number of endwall panels to be marked and cut.

Step 2.  Unbolt and remove the endwall panels. Cut away the mid-section of the panels along the cutting lines marked in Step 1.

Step 3.  Re-install the lower section of the endwall panels.

Step 4.  Bolt the window frame into position.

Step 5.  Re-install the upper section of the endwall panels.

Step 6.  Drill 3/8? holes through the “valley” of the endwall panels and into the vertical flange across the top and bottom of the window frame. Fasten with bolts.

Step 7.  Caulking is recommended between the endwall panels and the top and bottom of the window frame.

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Steel Building Construction Tips: Ventilation

Adding a ventilation system to your SteelMaster steel buildings is the most cost effective way to allow air flow throughout the space and to help maintain a temperate climate. Building owners can easily install a variety of ventilation options using simple hand tools. Turbine vents are a common ventilation option that can be used in the roof line. They allow for natural air flow to go down into the building for circulation and for hot air to exit the building. There are also several options that can be placed in the end walls of a steel building. Framed openings for powered exhaust units are a common option for buildings with steel end walls. A custom end wall is open to more possibilities since openings are easier to create. Windows can also be installed as a way to get cross-ventilation throughout a steel building.

If you have any questions about what kind of ventilation would best suit your needs, please contact us using the form below.

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