A recent blog on metal buildings on Practical Environmentalist raised a very valid question. The blog was primarily on the energy efficiency of steel and metal buildings and passingly touched upon a relevant issue that whether the term pre-engineered used for (sometimes invariably) metal and steel buildings is appropriate or not?
The point that the article brought out was, since most of the steel metal buildings are appropriated and ‘engineered’ to customer’s needs and requirements calling them ‘pre-engineered’ is perhaps not the right nomenclature to follow. Now this further leads to a dilemma - what about the prefab warehouses or steel storage buildings that are bought as they are without any modifications? Aren’t these then pre-engineered to a certain level to dispense with the requirements of the user or the owner?
Back to square one, are we? Let’s discuss further and see if we reach a solution to this problem.
Pre-engineered or Prefab Metal Buildings – What’s in a name?
Now if it was up to Shakespeare then this one liner would have been sufficient to solve the problem. Come to think of it may very well be. When all you want from a steel building is a function (storage, commercial or residential), longevity, durability and stable standing, so what is in a name then? Nothing if you think but everything if you think again.
Classifying steel buildings on the basis of their method of construction is definitely logical. However, when the ways of construction are being modified, (almost every month.. too early, is it?) the nomenclature must keep up accordingly. So do we have a new one yet? Yes we do and it involves classifying and naming steel buildings on the basis of their function rather than construction.
Metal buildings can then be hailed as commercial steel buildings, residential steel buildings and steel storage buildings, steel hangars, steel garages, etc. without limiting their functional or aesthetic potential. Now this may be a broad classification but it does not limit the scope of a steel building or what it can be used as. While being classified according to its function, a steel or metal building can still be a prefab building or a pre-engineered building. Should you want to know this? Well why not because the cost will depends on whether a building is pre-engineered or constructed on site.
Breaking out of a habit is difficult but breaking out of an obsolete convention isn’t. So break out and let steel buildings be much more than just plain structures.
