5.

2 PRE ENGINEERED
BUILDINGS

SUBMITTED BY:
G.DIVYA VANI REDDY-310106101009
T.G.LALITHA NAGADEVI-310106101023

CONTENTS:
5.2.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2.2 PRE-ENGINEERED BUILDINGS ARE GENERALLY
5.2.3 APPLICATIONS OF PRE-ENGINEERED BUILDINGS
5.2.4 TYPICAL PRE-ENGINEERED BUILDING
5.2.5

INTRODUCTION:

Typically, a pre-engineered building is a metal building

that consists of light gauge metal standing seam roof panels on
steel purlins spanning between rigid frames with light gauge
metal wall cladding. It is a relatively flexible structure vs. a
conventional steel framed building. In other words, it has a
much greater vertical and horizontal deflection.

Technological improvement over the year has contributed immensely to the enhancement
of quality of life through various new products and services. One such revolution was the preengineered buildings. Through its origin can be traced back to 1960s its potential has been felt
only during the recent years. This was mainly due to the development in technology, which
helped in computerizing the design and design.
Though initially only off the shelf products were available in these configurations aided
by the technological development tailor made solutions are also made using this technology in
very short durations. A recent survey by the Metal Building Associations (MBMA) shows that
about 60% of the non-residential low rises building in USA are pre-engineered buildings.
Although PEB systems are extensively used in industrial and many other non-residential
constructions worldwide, it is relatively a new concept in India. These concepts were introduced
to the Indian markets lately in the late 1990s with the opening up of the economy and a number
of multi nationals setting up their projects. The market potential of PEBs is 1.2 million tons per
annum. The current pre-engineered steel building manufacturing capacity is 0.35 million tons per
annum. The industry is growing at the compound rate of 25 to 30 %.
With respect to design of the structure and aesthetic appearance India is way behind.
Indian manufacturers are trying to catch up; comparatively PEBs is a new concept in India.
Beside, in fabrication and other areas of PEB India is very good. As compared to other countries
Indian codes for building design are stringent but safer. IS standards are upgraded continuously.
In India, American codes are also followed.
PRE ENGINEERED BUILDINGS ARE GENERALLY:
Pre-engineered steel buildings can be fitted with different structural accessories including
mezzanine floors, canopies, fascias, interior partitions etc. and the building is made water proof
by use of special mastic beads, filler strips and trims. This is very versatile buildings systems and
can be finished internally to serve any functions and accessorized externally to achieve attractive
and unique designing styles. It is very advantageous over the conventional buildings and is really
helpful in the low rise building design.

Pre-engineered buildings are generally low rise buildings however the maximum eave
height can go upto 25 to 30 meters. Low rise buildings are ideal for offices, houses, showrooms,
shop fronts etc. The application of pre-engineered buildings concept to low rise buildings is very
economical and speedy. Buildings can be constructed in less than half the normal time especially
when complemented with the other engineered sub systems.
The most common and economical type of low rise buildings is a building with ground
floor and two intermediate floor plus roof. The roof of low rise buildings may be flat or sloped.
Intermediate floors of low rise buildings are made of mezzanine systems. Single storied houses
for living take minimum time for construction and can be built in any type of geographical
location like extreme cold hilly areas, high rain prone areas, plain land obviously and extreme
hot climatic zones as well.
APPLICATIONS OF PRE ENGINEERED BUILDINGS (PEB)
1. Warehouses
2. Factories
3. Workshops
4. Offices
5. Gas stations
6. Vehicle parking sheds
7. Showrooms
8. Aircraft hangars
9. Metro stations
10. Schools
11. Recreational
12. Indoor stadium roofs
13. Outdoor stadium canopies
14. Bridges
15. Railway platform shelters

TYPICAL PRE-ENGINEERED BUILDING:

Unbraced frames are in the form of portal frames and are distinguished by their
simplicity, clean lines and economy. The frames can provide large column free areas, offering
maximum adaptability of the space inside the building. Such large span buildings require less
foundation, and eliminate internal columns, valley gutters and internal drainage. Portal frame
buildings offer many advantage such as more effective use of steel than in simple beams, easy
extension at any time in the future and ability to support heavy concentrated loads. The
disadvantages include relatively high material unit cost and susceptibility to differential
settlement and temperature stresses. In addition, these frames produce horizontal reaction on the
foundation, which may be resisted by providing a long tie beam or by designing the foundation
for this horizontal reaction.

Basically, a portal frame is a rigid jointed plane frame made from hot-rolled or coldrolled sections, supporting the roofing and side cladding via hot rolled or cold-formed purlins
and sheeting rails. The basic structural form of portal frames was developed during the Second
World War. The typical span of portal frames is in the range of 30-40 m, though they have been
used in 15 to 80m, spans.
Typical Pre-engineered Building Construction

COMPARISION BETWEEN PEB AND CONVENTIONAL STEEL BUILDING:

PROPERTY

PEB BUILDINGS

STRUCTURE WEIGHT

Pre-engineered buildings are

on the average 30% lighter
because of the efficient use of
steel.
Primary
framing
members are tapered built up
section. With the large depths
in areas of higher stress.

CONVENTIONAL STEEL
BUILDINGS
Primary steel members are selected
hot rolled T sections. Which are,
in many segments of the members
heavier than what is actually
required by design? Members have
constant cross section regardless of
the varying magnitude of the local
stresses along the member length.

Secondary members are light Secondary members are selected

weight roll formed Z or from standard hot rolled sections
C shaped members.
which are much heavier.

DESIGN

Quick and efficient: since

PEBs are mainly formed by
standard
sections
and
connections design, time is

Each conventional steel structure is

designed form scratch with fewer
design aids available to the
engineer.

PROPERTY

significantly reduced. Basic

design based on international
design codes are used over
and over.
PEB BUILDINGS
CONVENTIONAL STEEL
BUILDINGS

DESIGN
Specialized computer
analysis design programs
optimize material required.
Drafting is also computerized
using standard detail that
minimize the use of project
custom details.

Substantial
engineering
and
detailing work is required from the
very basic is required by the
consultant with fewer design aids

Design shop detail sketches

and erection drawings are
supplied free of cost by the
manufacturer.
Approval
drawing is usually prepared
within in 2 weeks.

Substantial
engineering
and
detailing work is required from the
very basic is required by the
consultant with fewer design aids

PEB designers design and

detail PEB buildings almost
every day of the year
resulting in improving the
quality of designs every time
they work

As each project is a new project

engineers need more time to
develop the designs and details of
the unique structure.

Average 6 to 8 weeks

Average 20 to 26 weeks

DELIEVERY

FOUNDATIONS
Simple design, easy to Extensive,
construct and light weight.
required.
ERECTION SIMPLICITY

Since the connection of

compounds is standard the
learning curve of erection for
each subsequent project is
faster.

heavy

foundation

The connections are normally

complicated and differ from project
to project resulting tin increasing
the time for erection of the
buildings.

Periodic free of charge There has to be separate allocation

erection is provided at the site of labour for the purpose of

PROPERTY
ERECTION
TIME

COST

by the manufacturer.

erection.

PEB BUILDINGS

CONVENTIONAL STEEL
BUILDINGS

AND Both costs and time of

erection are accurately known
based
upon
extensive
experience
with
similar
buildings.

Typically,
conventional
steel
buildings are 20% more expensive
than PEB in most of the cases, the
erection costs and time are not
estimated accurately.

The erection process is faster Erection process is slow and

and much easier with very extensive field labour is required.
less
requirement
for Heavy equipment is also needed.
equipment.
SEISMIC RESISTANCE

The low weight flexible Rigid heavy frames do not perform

frames offer higher resistance well in seismic zones.
to seismic forces.

OVER ALL PRICE

Price per square meter may Higher price per square meter.
be as low as by 30 % than the
conventional building.

ARCHITECTURE

SOURCING&
COORDINATION

Outstanding
architectural
design can be achieved at low
cost
using
standard
architectural
details
and
interfaces.

Special architectural design and

features must be developed for
each project which often require
research and thus resulting in
higher cost.

Building is supplied complete Many sources of supply are there

so it becomes difficult to cowith all accessories including ordinate and handle the things.
erection for a single ONE
STOP SOURCE.

PEB BUILDINGS

PROPERTY
BUILDING ACCESSORIES

FUTURE EXPANSIONS

Designed to fit the system

with standardized and inter
changeable parts. Including
pre designed flashing and
trims. Building accessories
are mass produced for
economy and are available
with the building.

CONVENTIONAL STEEL
BUILDINGS
Every project requires different and
special design from accessories and
special sourcing for each item.
Flashing and trims must be
uniquely designed and fabricated.

All project records are safely

It would be difficult to obtain
and orderly kept in electronic project records after a long period
format which make sit easy of time. It is required to contact
for the owner to obtain a copy more than one number of parties.
of his building record at any
time.
Future expansion is very easy Future expansion is most tedious
and simple.
and more costly.

SAFETY&
RESPONSIBILTY

Single
source
of
responsibility is there because
all the job is being done by
one supplier.

Multiple responsibilities can result

in question of who is responsible
when the components do not fit in
properly, insufficient material is
supplied or parts fail to perform
particularly
at
the
supplier/contractor interface.

DESIGN OF PRE ENGINEERED BUILDINGS (PEB)

The main framing of PEB systems is analyzed by the stiffness matrix method. The design is
based on allowable stress design (ASD) as per the American institute of Steel Construction
specification or the IS 800. the design program provides an economic and efficient design of the
main frames and allows the user to utilize the program in different modes to produce the frame
design geometry and loading and the desired load combinations as specified by the building code
opted by the user. The program operates through the maximum number of cycles specified to
arrive at an acceptable design. The program uses the stiffness matrix method to arrive at an
acceptable design. The program uses the stiffness matrix method to arrive at the solution of
displacements and forces. The strain energy method is adopted to calculate the fixed end
moments, stiffness and carry over factors. Numerical integration is used.

DESIGN CYCLE
The design cycle consists of the following steps:
1. Set up section sizes and brace locations based on the geometry and loading specified for the
frame design.
2. Calculate moment, shear, and axial force at each analysis point for each load combination.
3. Compute allowable shear, allowable axial and allowable bending stress in compression and
tension at each analysis point.

4. Compute the corresponding stress ratios for shear, axial and bending based on the actual and
allowable stresses and calculate the combined stress ratios.

5. Design the optimum splice location and check to see whether the predicted sizes confirm to
manufacturing constraints.
6. Using the web optimization mode, arrive at the optimum web depths for the next cycle and
update the member data file.
7. At the end of all design cycles, an analysis is run to achieve flange brace optimization.
FRAME GEOMETRY
The program has the capability to handle different types of frame geometry as follows
Frames of different types viz. rigid frames, frames with multiple internal columns, single slope
frames, lean to frames etc.
Frames with varying spans, varying heights and varying slopes etc.
Frames with different types of supports viz. pinned supports, fixed supports, sinking supports,
supports with some degrees of freedom released.
Unsymmetrical frames with off centric, unequal modules, varying slopes etc.
User specified purlin and girt spacing and flange brace location.
FRAME LOADING
Frame design can handle different types of loadings as described below:
All the building dead loads due to sheeting, purlins, etc. and the self-weight of the frame.

Imposed live load on the frame with tributary reductions as well.

Collateral load such as false ceiling, light fixtures, AC ducting loads, sprinkler systems and many
other suspended loads of similar nature.

Wind loads input such as basic wind speed or basic wind pressure that will be converted to deign
wind pressure as per the building code specified by the user and shall be applied to the different
members of the building according to the coefficients mentioned in the codes prescribed by the
user. The standard building codes like MBMA, UBC, ANSI, IS:875 part 3 etc are used fro this
purpose.
Crane and non crane loading can be specified by the user and the program has the capability to
handle these special loads and combine them with the other loads as required.
Seismic loads corresponding to the different zone categories of various international codes can
also be defined and combined with other load cases as required.Temperature loads can also be
specified in the form of different differential temperature value on centigrade and specifying the
appropriate coefficient for the thermal expansion.Load combinations with appropriate load
factors can be specified by the user as desired.
DESIGN CODES
Following are the main design codes generally used:
AISC : American institute of steel construction manual
AISI : American iron and steel institute specifications
MBMA : Metal building manufacturers code
ANSI : American national standards institute specifications

ASCE : American society of civil engineers

UBC : Uniform building code
IS : Indian standards

DESIGN CRITERIA
DESIGN METHOD: Allowable stress design method is used as per the AISC specifications.
DEFLECTIONS: Unless otherwise specified, the deflections will go to MBMA, AISC criteria
and standard industry practices.
PRIMARY FRAMING: Moment resisting frames with pinned or fixed bases.
SECONDARY FRAMING: Cold formed Z sections or C sections for purlins or girts designed as
continuous beams spanning over rafters and columns with laps.
LONGITUDANAL STABILITY: Wind load on building end walls is transferred through roof
purlins to braced bays and carried to the foundations through diagonal bracing.
DESIGN SOFTWARE
The latest software that is used for design is STAAD 2007.
DESIGN PROCESS
The frame data is assembled based on number of frame members, number of joints, number of
degrees of freedom, the conditions of restraint and the elastic properties of the members. Based
on this, the data is stored and member section properties are computed. The overall joint stiffness
matrix is obtained based on the above frame data by summation of individual stiffness matrices
considering all possible displacements. The load vector is then generated based on the loading
data and the unknown displacements are obtained by inverting the overall joint stiffness matrix
and multiplying with the load vector.
ADVANTAGES OF PRE ENGINEERED BUILDINGS
REDUCED CONSTRUCTION TIME: Buildings are typically delivered in just a few weeks after
approval of drawings. Foundation and anchor bolts are cast parallel with finished, ready for the

site bolting. Our study shows that in India the use of PEB will reduce total construction time of
the project by at least 50%. This also allows faster occupancy and earlier realization of revenue.
LOWER COST: Due to the systems approach, there is a significant saving in design,
manufacturing and on site erection cost. The secondary members and cladding nest together
reducing transportation cost.
FLEXIBILTY OF EXPANSION: Buildings can be easily expanded in length by adding
additional bays. Also expansion in width and height is possible by pre designing for future
expansion.
LARGE CLEAR SPANS: Buildings can be supplied to around 80M clear spans.
QUALITY CONTROL: As buildings are manufactured completely in the factory under
controlled conditions the quality is assured.
LOW MAINTENANCE : Buildings are supplied with high quality paint systems for cladding
and steel to suit ambient conditions at the site, which results in long durability and low
maintenance coats.
ENERGY EFFICIENT ROOFING AND WALL SYSTEMS: Buildings can be supplied with
polyurethane insulated panels or fiberglass blankets insulation to achieve required U values.
ARCHITECTURAL VERSTALITY: Building can be supplied with various types of fascias,
canopies, and curved eaves and are designed to receive pre-cast concrete wall panels, curtain
walls, block walls and other wall systems.
SINGLE SOURCE RESPONSIBILTY: As the complete building package is supplied by a single
vendor, compatibility of all the building components and accessories is assured. This is one of
the major benefits of the pre-engineered building systems.

DISADVANTAGES
1. Marginal design, material and construction
2. Not energy efficient
3. Higher lifetime maintenance
4. Not durable for long term use, generally last 10 to 15 years
5. May not include all construction/fit-up needed for the building to serve the
intended purpose.
6. No secondary roof membrane
7. Usually no internal finished walls

REFERENCES:

www.engineeringcivil.com, Pre-engineered Buildings.

Pre-engineered Buildings Pdf, Relating to the Construction and Maintenance of
Public Schools in North Carolina.
Pre-engineered Buildings_MasterBuilder. By,Dr.N.Subramanian.