Demand for a fast growing population and their education is exceeding the limits of traditional style schooling methods. Finance and other monetary restraints are other factors adding to the agony. With metal school buildings, you get fast & easy installation of a structure that fulfills the purpose, lasts long, and is not heavy on your pocket. So, here’s the nitty-gritty of it. Have a look.
How To Design Steel School Buildings?
Sizing Per Class
The average class size varies by state, but the national average is 18 to 23 students. For instance, in Tennessee, the average class size must be 20:1 (20 students per teacher), while in Florida, it is 18:1 (maximum students being 30 per class). So, find out what your jurisdiction says before planning for the school.
Incorporate Various Activities
The interior layout of a clear span metal school can be used in many ways. From organizing fun activities to indoor sports clubs, cafeteria space, labs, and classrooms, all can be in one metal building.
Insulators For Comfort & Acoustics
Proper insulation will minimize the heat transfer from and to the building. Accompanied by vents, you can regulate the indoor temperature and control humidity level. Insulation also acts as a sound barrier and creates better acoustics. It will be good for drama club, debate, dance and other activities.
Install Natural Lighting Source
Install windows and other natural lighting sources to bring sunlight into the classroom. This has a positive effect on mental health and improves cognitive function. It also helps students maintain a better sleep cycle and may improve their academic performance.
With school steel buildings, you can easily incorporate light sources such as solar tubes, skylights, ridge lights, translucent panels, or clerestory windows.
Obey All Safety Rules
Steel school structures best provide security and safety to teachers and students. The sturdy steel doors can’t be easily broken into. Some safety measures for school campuses in the US are:
- Controlled access to the building during school hours
- Security cameras for monitoring
- Metal detector checks
All these can be easily installed in a metal building.
Financing Consideration For Metal School Buildings
Initial Cost
The average cost of establishing a school in the US is between $290 and $750 per square foot. A major contributor to this cost is the material used. Schools rely on large quantities of material for infrastructure. The average cost of turnkey steel school buildings is $25 to $45 per square foot.
Although the initial cost of installing a metal school may be slightly higher than that of traditional structures, it will pay for itself in the long run.
Long Term Cost
This is where metal school buildings shine. There are many long-term costs that school administration has to bear. Some of them are:
- Maintenance of the building (cleaning, re-painting, re-coating)
- Utility costs
- Monthly expenses related to building (pest inspection & control, repair & replacement of old panels)
These costs come down drastically with the metal school. How? Keep reading to know more.
But Why Choose Prefab School Buildings?
Fast Installation
Metal prefab school buildings have lower hard costs, such as labor charges, site work, and other setup costs, than traditional materials. How? Let’s see.
Prefab metal buildings are mass produced & designed in the factory. The assembly takes less time and labor as most of the work has already been done. There is also less wastage at the installation site. Any remaining metal pieces or shavings can be sold at the nearest scrapyard.
Low After Care
First, you don’t need to spend monthly on pests such as termite inspection and control. That’s because metal is an inorganic material. In addition, metal panels are non-porous. They do not absorb moisture with changing seasons, so they do not rot or decay panels that will need replacement.
Steel school buildings are also easy to clean. With warm water, a pressure washer on the lowest setting, and mild detergent, you can clean the structure. To remove any stain, use a soft bristle brush.
Soft costs such as taxes and insurance fees can also be limited to a LEED-certified steel building. You can make the entire structure energy efficient, which will bring down the power consumption cost. This will help you gain a tax credit.
Not only that, steel is robust, durable, non-combustible, and retains its structural integrity against all odds. Hence, insurance companies can offer up to 30% less on premiums.
Design Flexibility
The stigma of metal school buildings being cookie cutter persists. But that’s far from reality. Where traditional structures need complex designing, additional supporting timber panels, and intensive labor, a metal structure often does not need all of them. You can easily customize the size, no. of doors & windows, open space floor plan, larger entry/ exit doors, and colors in a metal building.
The size of a steel structure can be up to 300 feet wide without any internal support column and up to 80 feet or taller to encompass mezzanines. The external look can be customized with metal siding such as 3D, curved, perforated with backlit LEDs for a contemporary look.
Durable Material
Sun, rain, or wind, steel can resist any season and extreme weather conditions. The structural strength is retained with time. Certified steel can withstand up to 170 miles per hour wind speed, seismic activities, and snow load of 40 pounds per square feet or more. When buying metal, consult your dealer for certification if you live in adverse weather area.
Sustainable
Structural steel is 100% recyclable. Today, over 90% of the water used in steel production is returned to its source cleaner. Unlike timber, metal does not release toxic fumes with time. It is healthy and safe for growing minds.
Steel is also antifungal, so there are fewer chances of mold and mildew growth. Some metals, like copper, have antibacterial properties that can be used in door handles and railings.
Taking Everything Into Account,
Installing a prefabricated school building for an educational institution takes a lot of planning and consideration. Make the right choice by adding a robust steel building for your school. You can repurpose it for other applications, as discussed above. When buying metal, make sure you get high-quality material for long-lasting durability.
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