Pre-engineered steel buildings (PEB) are generally factory-built steel housing unit which is designed and fabricated using best suited pool of raw materials available from all sources and manufacturing methods that efficiently satisfies a wide range of structural and aesthetic design requirements.
The primary framing structure of a pre-engineered building is an assembly of I-shaped members, often referred as I-beams. In pre-engineered buildings, the I-beams used are formed by welding together steel plates to form the I-section. The I-beams are then field-assembled (e.g. bolted connections) to form the entire frame of the pre-engineered building. Framing members can be tapered (varying in web depth) according to the local loading effects. Larger plate dimensions are used in areas of higher load effects. Other forms of primary framing can include trusses, mill sections rather than three-plate welded, castellated beams, etc. The choice of economic form can vary depending on factors such as local capabilities (e.g. manufacturing, transportation, construction) and variations in material vs. labor costs. Cold formed Z-shaped and C-shaped members may be used as secondary structural elements to fasten and support the external cladding.
Roll-formed profiled steel sheet, wood, tensioned fabric, precast concrete, masonry block, glass curtain wall or other materials may be used for the external cladding of the building. In order to accurately design a pre-engineered building, engineers consider the clear span between bearing points, bay spacing, roof slope, live loads, dead loads, collateral loads, wind uplift, deflection criteria, internal crane system and maximum practical size and weight of fabricated members.
While pre-engineered buildings can be adapted to suit a wide variety of structural applications, the greatest economy will be realized when utilizing standard details. At MCE, we efficiently design pre-engineered building which is lighter than the conventional steel buildings by up to 30%. These lighter weight equates to less steel and a potential price savings is gained in structural framework.