Imagine a building that is marked by large wall cavities that can easily accommodate a substantial amount of thermal insulation. You can install almost any type of insulation you wish to fill a cavity typically 8 inches or more. Now, imagine that even the structural members themselves have a good R-value rating, due to their natural insulating properties.

Furthermore, imagine that structure may be covered with almost any type of external and internal finishes. It could have wood siding, metal siding, vinyl siding, stucco, brick, or stone masonry façade. It could have any type of composite shingle, tile, metal, or commercial roofing envelope.

It could serve almost any purpose, from commercial to residential, retail to academic, public to industrial. It could be a church with a steeple and cathedral ceilings. It could be a library, a fire station, or a schoolhouse. It could be a strip mall or convenience store.

Perhaps it looks like a warehouse, a manufacturing facility, an airplane hangar, or even a financial institution. But maybe it looks instead like a nice house, a suburban garage, a spacious storage facility, a country club, or an office building. It could even be anywhere from one to three stories tall.

Most people who are not that familiar with modern construction methods might imagine different types of buildings to fit the above descriptions. They may have conjured up images of their old concrete-block school, their brick-and-mortar church, their grandmother’s stucco home, or their local bank’s limestone entryway. But they might be surprised to know that a savvy builder could easily imagine that all of them could be most quickly and economically erected as post-frame buildings!

Michael A. Sinniger of MAS Engineering in Lyons, N.Y., summed up the economic efficiencies of post-frame buildings:

Post-frame structures are very quickly and easily constructed and much more economical than similar types of construction. Because of its unique design, a frost wall is optional but not required— just posts secured in the ground at intervals of 8 feet or so, depending on the design specifications. Post-frame construction provides very efficient use of materials, and insulation may be installed continuously between posts, making for a more energy-efficient building.

Post-frame buildings are more efficient than other kinds of buildings on three basic levels. First, they are more efficient to build. Wood frame components are almost always much less costly to purchase and install than steel, brick, and concrete block. Because post-frame column spacing is wider than 2x4” stick-frame construction allows, there are less structural members that the crew needs to spend time installing. Because post columns are exceptionally sturdy, less wood materials are needed than for traditional framed buildings.

Because an experienced crew may often erect a new frame of posts, girts, and purlins within a day or two, total erection time and associated labor costs may be much lower. Because a continuous concrete foundation is not necessary, a great amount of time and expense that goes into almost all other kinds of buildings may be avoided.

Second, they are capable of high design efficiency. The diaphragm design endemic to post-frame structures makes them highly resilient, and they perform well under the pressures of extreme external stresses. This makes them better able to handle wind, snow, and seismic loads than most other types of structures.

Post-frame buildings may also easily accommodate abnormally high ceilings and large floor spans, making them suitable for unique applications. The area under roof may be carved into a wide range of patterns by installing about any type of interior wall system, so they can be customized to meet the operational and ergonomic needs of the industry and individuals within.

The building itself may be designed to fit the customer’s longevity and aesthetic requirements. If internal or external appearance is important, the building may be dressed up to look just as attractive as any other type of building. Masonry façades, such as concrete cast into faux stone or brick siding products or fabricated of polystyrene or other materials, can lead people to think a building is concrete block, brick, limestone or granite— even though no mortar or brick masons were involved.

If economy is your primary goal, post-frame buildings almost always provide the least expensive permanent building option. They go up more quickly than almost any other type of building, and use minimal amounts of building materials.

The quality of materials used for any building will ultimately determine its life cycle. One may upgrade the quality of components to meet any intended life cycle requirements.

The post-frame industry is extremely innovative, with several foundation options available to suit any particular need or preference. A treated wood foundation is often used due to its dramatic efficiency in terms of material use and economy. Post-frame buildings may also use traditional continuous concrete foundations. One of the biggest advantages of post-frame is that you may use almost any type of foundation – including several foundation options not available for any other type of building. <a href=Click here for more information about innovative post-frame foundation products.

Post-frame buildings feature an exceptionally large, uninterrupted space in which one may add insulation, and where there is a break in insulation a wood post has natural insulating properties, making them among the most energy-efficient of all above-ground structures. 

Third, and most importantly, they are efficient to own and operate. Since almost all post columns are made of 6x6’ or larger sawn timbers or laminates of 2x6” or larger members, and additional 2-bys are used for girts around the entire frame, the gap between the inside and outside walls is always more than six inches – and usually more than eight. That provides unrivaled space for insulating material with no metal or masonry components in between to conduct heat in or out of the building. Post-frame structures can achieve higher energy-efficiency ratings than almost any type of building.

Customers often choose post-frame because of speed and economy of construction. However, with ever-increasing energy costs, their long-term efficiency is winning more and more contracts. Glen Thomsen of Thomsen Construction & Supply Co. in Lawrence, Mich., described a project they did where post-frame’s efficiency made it the obvious choice.

We could have selected any of a number of construction techniques for the project, but post-frame made by far the most sense. We couldn’t have done it as economically and quickly with any other type of permanent construction, and we certainly could not have achieved the same R-values. The township was pleased not only with the money we saved them in construction, but with their lowered heating and cooling costs.

Before: The Lawrence Township fire station was originally a brick-and-block structure (left) that needed additional space and renovation to house a new fire engine.	After: Post-frame building technology transformed the old building into a new one that better met the community’s needs.

 

For a full description of the situation, click here to review a case study of it. This is but one example of many where post-frame’s efficiency makes it the best choice.

Builders often work with customers who value efficiency. Efficiency of construction, efficiency of design, and energy efficiency all are easily achieved using post-frame construction methods. Post-frame structures blend efficiency and economy to provide what every customer truly wants: value!

Click here for more information on post-frame efficiency.

This story was written by John Fullerton and originally appeared Frame Building News magazine, the official publication of the National Frame Building Association. To subscribe to Frame Building News, please visit www.FrameBuildingNews.com.