Steel Building of the Month: Fire Stations
Why Fire Stations are Made Out of Steel Buildings
When governments need a new building, decision makers often turn to steel because of the cost-efficiency and speed at which it can be produced and erected. Governments have strict budgets and timetables, in addition to the requirement that there is a visible return on the investment. Building with steel accomplishes all of these requirements, and also leaves you with an excellent quality building.
Questions to Consider When Building a Fire Station
Hopefully, your government has already chosen the appropriate plot of land. If you haven’t, a soil test should be completed to ensure that your ground is suitable for building. Next, a concrete foundation should be poured.. If you do not already have one, your steel building contractor can help make arrangements to have a foundation designed and installed. A proper concrete foundation is essential for building a reliable and strong steel building, and skipping the necessary groundwork could undermine your building process later.
Next, consider what functionality that you will need it to have. Fire departments are so much more than fire-fighting units. They handle hazmat issues, respond to vehicle accidents, and are considered specialty rescue forces. It is not just a location to house firetrucks, it’s a storage facility, a training facility, and an office building.
Additionally, consider who should be the architect of your building. Often, local government municipalities want to go with a local architect for their project, regardless of their experience. However, unless they have extensive experience in both steel buildings and fire stations, you should contact a steel building company for your design services as well. Steelsmith has experience in fire stations with a variety of needs, and can handle your project in a professional manner.
Features in Fire Stations
The most obvious feature for fire stations is that they need doors suitable for all the fire trucks in their department. This means installing quality garage doors that will reliably open every time without hassle. This is part of value engineering – while some companies may install flimsy doors and door frames in order to offer a lower price, a quality steel building design team will create a building that will offer the best financial value while also staying within your budget.
Fire stations can have all types of exterior appearances, and often are designed to blend in within the surrounding buildings. Regardless of the awnings, windows, specialty doors, or other exterior features you are considering, a steel building has the flexibility to meet these desirables.
They House Firefighters, Their Building Should be Fire-Resistant
Steel buildings are also extremely safe buildings. Their durability among building materials is second-to-none, with an industry leading strength to weight ratio. Moreover, they are extremely resistant to fire because they are non-combustible and have an extremely high melting point. Additionally, specialty coating systems can be applied to increase their fire resistance.
Get Started Early
Since fire stations are government buildings, that means that they potentially have more regulations, procedures, and committees involved in the building process. This means that you cannot afford to waste time going in the wrong direction. Contact Steelsmith today to find out why your fire department should work with Steelsmith to design and erect your steel building. You can get a quote by filling out our quote form, or give us a call to learn more from one of our steel building experts.