TABLE OF CONTENTS Any metal building system, no matter how well designed, may become a continuous source of problems if installed incorrectly. Erection of metal buildings is a specialized field in which the builder s success depends on years of experience with a particular system or manufacturer. There is no single perfect way to construct a metal building, as various manufacturers suggest slightly different methods of assembly, and erection techniques of various crews differ.
The objective of this chapter is not to guide design professionals, owners, and facility managers through every minute task of a construction process. Apart from being impractical in this context, it is simply unnecessary for those readers who visit the site only periodically. Instead, our aim is to give but a general idea about how construction of metal buildings should proceed and to describe some common red flags that signal trouble. Learning how to tell whether the builder follows good practice and what the good practice is is a valuable skill for anybody involved in construction of metal building systems.
At this point, we continue the discussion about the preconstruction process that began in Chap. 9. By this time, we hope, all the required submittals such as a letter of design certification and the shop drawing approval set have already been reviewed, all colors selected, and the site prepared.
Naturally, some construction foundations, for example takes place prior to steel erection. A slab on grade, if used, may be placed either before or after the metal building...
