Metal Building

I have bought me a metal building and plan to put it up pretty soon. The building itself don"t worry me, it"s straightforward construction wise, kind of like a quansit hut with straight up sides and arced roofline. The foundation thing has me bungfuggled somewhat. The plans call for a "gully" that the metal sits down into and attaches to bolts into the foundation. I"ve also seen a metal "base plat" that could be fastened to a flat foundation. Those of you with these buildings, what kind of foundation do you have?
Thanks Walk in peace

I spent my working life in the building business; houses, not farm buildings, but I'll pass along my thoughts. I'm not sure what you mean by a gully, but if it's what I envision, I wouldn't do it. It sounds like a trap for snow and water and that will lead to rust on a steel building.

2nd point: put plenty of steel in the concrete. Run at least #3 (3/8")rebar at 18" o.c. each way and make sure the rebar is pulled up to about the midpoint of the slab thickness. The rebar will control cracking and prevent heaving or lifting along any cracks that do occur. I assume you'll also have a thickened edge and that your plans specify rebar for this.

3rd point: Score your slab at no more than 10 ft. intervals each way. The purpose of this is to create a weak point so that the slab will crack where scored rather than haphazardly. If you plan to use your building as a shop, then I'd score it with a saw as this will make it easier to roll items like floor jacks and creepers over the score lines. If you won't be using it as a shop, then a parting tool is probably fine.

In case you're wondering about my concern about cracks, concrete will crack. That's something it does since it shrinks as it cures. The purpose of the steps I've outlined is to control the cracking so that you get a good floor that lasts.

They recommend the "gully" to keep rain/snow runoff from running back inside the building.

I have zero experience, but as I looked at them, I never liked the gully deal. I believe they want you to put up the metal & then fill the gully with concrete to fix the metal in place? That eliminates repairing any damaged lower panels, and seems the metal would want to rust off in a humid climate in 25 years... I donno, just doesn't appeal to me.

The metal brackets they sell about break the bank, don't they? Seems high priced.

I've heard of others buying good stiff angle iron & using that for the bottom bracket; the deal then is, you don't have a warrenty because you didn't use either of 'their' methods.

Again, I have zero, none, experience, only looked into it myself a bit.

--->Paul

I put up one of those buildings years ago, 40X41, used just for tractor storage. I only wanted a gravel floor, so my foundation was 4 foot railroad ties placed in holes in ground, then I put treated rr bridge timbers on top, used galvanized plates nailed on sides to hold them together. Put up building on top of the bridge timbers and tied it down with galvanized straps bolted to building and lagged to the timbers. Been standing for over 20 years with no problems. I had the materials laying around, so got by real cheap.

there are several of these buildings in my area. Last year I helped a neighbor erect a 50X80 quonset. He had built two concrete stem walls 50ft apart. they were about 12" or 14" thick and had a trough running down the center, on top. the bottom of the wall sat in this trough. When we were done with the building, we used a concrete mortar mix (no gravel, just sand) and grouted in around the base of the building, completely filling the trough. we did put some anchor bolts into the foundation, these were all covered with the concrete grout.
Also remember when erecting your building, leave all the bolts loose until it is completely assembled. also use mastic at every joint.
there will probably be some angle iron reinforcing straps, it's a good idea to put these on as you go, we found out the hard way. Our building when done was alot longer than our foundation, it had spread out like an accordian.
Man was it a job to get it squeezed back together.

I constructed a metal building about 4 years ago very much the same as the one you have discribed. Mine is 32'X40'and as of now have had no complaints, other than the Dam thing is to small. I Strongly recomend that you go with the base plate arrangement,and take the extra time to get the plates dead on as to stright,level,plumb, and square
Also I strongly recomend that you assure yourself that you receive all the required nuts and bolts. I was shorted about 200 and when I contacted the supplyer all I got was the run around and quoted a very high price for replacement. I did fined what I needed at a farm supply. The same nuts and bolts are used in the construction of grain bins and at a much better price that what the building vendor quoted me. In addition I have heard that these building venders have made a practice of this sort of thing. Don't buy any ends for your builbing you can use regular frameing procedures and save your self a bunch.
A 3/8" air wrench will pay for itself on this job.Get a socket that will fit the 5/16" nuts I pretty much agree with most of the other post. I did not however use any sealer at the joints. No problems to date and it does rain in KY

I have one that was built on a flat surface,,, I have found no way to keep water from run'n in... ,,, I would drop the concrete were the walls set are put a damm good tapper on the edge of the concrete so water can not run in (leak under the walls)...