Steel Home "Erector Set"?

[Member]

Hi,

I'm looking at building a house with a modern appearance, exposed metal beams, lots of windows, not many walls, etc. For the long clear spans I'd like to have it seems like steel would be ideal/required. I've been looking at steel residential home construction websites and I'm surprised that I haven't found any company offering "Erector Set" like parts that can be bolted together to create the frame of such a house. I'm thinking something like the Simpson Strong Tie Moment Frame design:

Strong Frame® Ordinary Moment Frame

But with a lot more parts, different angles, features for thermal breaks and whatever else I'd need.

Regardless of whether it's a bad idea to want this, does anyone know if it exists?

Thanks.

 

[TCJatko]

Gonna be kjnda cold up there in Wisconsin with no walls, eh?

 

[Member]

Ha ha. Inside walls...

 

[dusty3030]

You could build the walls with Lincoln logs or Legos if you want more of a modern look.

 

[dusty3030]

Serious answer to the OP, I don't know of what you seek exists, BUT - it is real possible.
Think about it, a computerized order / design system. It wouldn't let you order the wrong combination of "stuff" that wouldn't work or wouldn't pass a code for the zip code it was ordered for.
It would be up to the buyer to get it signed off by any local laws and erected,

 

[architect]

moment frames are structural elements put into wood framing to allow large openings, such as garage doors, where there is not enough adjacent wall to provide bracing of that wall segment.
exposed beams are structural elements exposed to view, design the house and structural engineer will size columns and beams.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I have two United States patents on a system that allows anyone with an imagination and common sense to build a building using purlins and pipe or purlins and purlins. There used to a company that made a connector system for building with all sizes of purlins, my system uses just 4". The hiccup on their system was the cost of inventory for the vendor. If you wanted to use six inch rafters and a standard gable then they had those connectors. But if the gable was different or you wanted an eight inch ridge joist with four inch rafters they also had to carry connectors for that too. Probably somewhere out there is a warehouse full of those you could buy for scrap price, contact Mueller because that is where I saw them and heard the complaints about the inventory issues.

As for the concept of engineered metal buildings that pass local codes, if anyone has anything it will be in California, they've been fighting the code war longer than anyone. I shudder to think of the cost of creating that dog and then making it hunt.

 

[Dr Dave]

I will check in town, there was a display frame set up, on a small lot. It was all galvenized, bolt together frame set up as a advertising display, for a steel framed home.

Dave

 

[woodlandfarms]

I think there are lots of people working with steel in home construction, especially modern design. But it is not cheap,

These guys quoted us 500 a square minimum Marmol Radziner | Residential

We are at 325 with these guys. Blu Homes - Modern Green Prefab Homes

You just have to dig around, but lots of people working in the medium.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ste...RD6WIiAK_l4DQAg&ved=0CC8QsAQ&biw=1483&bih=897

Also, our neighbor erects steel buildings (in washington). He was not really aware of these designs. When I showed them what we are looking for (the marmol radziner look) he got all excited, told me it was pretty simple and couldn't figure out why we were getting the quotes we were. I think exposure is the biggest issue with a lot of people, they just are busy with the work they have and don't get to see what other people are doing with their product.

One caveat to all of this is that city / county codes are really struggling to keep up with all the new materials and design techniques. I would like to say it is due to budget cuts but the fundemental lack of education in modern tecniques we are running into in our community is staggering.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

You pay peanuts, you get elephants. Most of the city inspectors I have worked with are great guys but not the sharpest pins in the box. It's the times.

I think there are lots of people working with steel in home construction, especially modern design. But it is not cheap,

These guys quoted us 500 a square minimum Marmol Radziner | Residential

We are at 325 with these guys. Blu Homes - Modern Green Prefab Homes

You just have to dig around, but lots of people working in the medium.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ste...RD6WIiAK_l4DQAg&ved=0CC8QsAQ&biw=1483&bih=897

Also, our neighbor erects steel buildings (in washington). He was not really aware of these designs. When I showed them what we are looking for (the marmol radziner look) he got all excited, told me it was pretty simple and couldn't figure out why we were getting the quotes we were. I think exposure is the biggest issue with a lot of people, they just are busy with the work they have and don't get to see what other people are doing with their product.

One caveat to all of this is that city / county codes are really struggling to keep up with all the new materials and design techniques. I would like to say it is due to budget cuts but the fundemental lack of education in modern tecniques we are running into in our community is staggering.