PLANNING YOUR STEEL COMMUNITY BUILDING

This section offers some key planning information for those considering a steel church, school, recreation center, or public building (like a fire hall).

BUILDING DESIGN AND LAYOUT CONSIDERATIONS

By spending adequate time and energy during the planning stage, you ensure that you’ll save time and money in the long run. This stage involves a careful consideration of all your present and potential future requirements.

Site Considerations:

All of the following are necessities for these types of buildings. If they are not readily available at the site you have chosen, you may have to pay extra to create or bring them to your site.

natural drainage
firm and level ground
access to utilities
easy access
room for future expansion

Building Orientation:

Prevailing wind directions, and the direction facing the sun at different times during the day, can also be considerations worth taking into account. For example, you may wish to have the sun bursting through a large stain-glass window for your largest Sunday morning Church service.

DETERMINING BUILDING SIZE

The building’s size will depend directly on what it is being used for. In the case of schools, for example, you need a pretty good idea of the maximum number of people who are going to occupy the building at one time. With this statistic, manufacturers will be able to determine the required dimensions.

It is a good idea to build bigger, rather than smaller, because occupation may increase with time. With extra space, you also have the option of renting space out to others, to supplement funds.

It is usually most economical to design and specify dimensions in 10-foot increments, for example: 30’ x 40’, 40’ x 50’, etc.

BUILDING HEIGHT

Community building height varies. Churches tend to have very high ceilings, which adds to their spiritual ambience. As a rule, building eave height must be at least 2 feet taller than the highest framed opening. (Framed openings are large openings, through which vehicles, large equipment, and loading items pass through). So fire stations, for example, must take into account the size of trucks and equipment.

ROOF SLOPE

Roof slope is expressed by the “roof pitch ratio,” which indicates the number of inches of vertical rise in a roof, for every 12 inches of horizontal run. 1:12 is considered standard. Desired roof slope will depend on the amount of clearance space you want in the center of your building, the look you want your building to achieve, and the snowfall in your region. A steeper pitch will run snow off more efficiently.

FRAMED OPENINGS

“Framed opening” is the term used to describe any opening in the building, covered by a door or not, which is larger than a “walk-door” (door which people come and go through). A garage doorway would count as a framed opening, for example. These are not only useful for passing vehicles in and out, but also for loading equipment, and large boxes. Schools often have a loading bay area, closed off by a massive door, which trucks can back up to, to deliver larger scholastic implements.

SAMPLE COMMUNITY BUILDING DIMENSIONS

In the tables below, we have included some sample building measurements, along with links to rough floor plans. These are included to get you started, and to help you picture some of the ideas manufacturers will want to talk to you about. Your supplier will provide highly detailed professional floor plans

Sample Churches
Congregation Size	Dimensions	Total Square Feet	Sample Floor Plan

Sample Rec Centers
Facilities & Max Volume of People	Dimensions	Total Square Feet	Sample Floor Plan

Sample Schools
Number of Classes & Class Sizes	Dimensions	Total Square Feet	Sample Floor Plan

Sample Fire Stations
Number of Trucks & Firefighters	Dimensions	Total Square Feet	Sample Floor Plan

Next Steps:

For more detailed planning information, check out Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of Our Guide, which are loaded with useful project planning tips.
If you’re ready, you may wish to go straight to our FREE ONLINE QUOTE SERVICE!