It’s any builder’s goal to increase cycle time. The more buildings you can get up, in less time, the more profitable your business becomes. For agricultural building, there’s one solution that stands out above the rest when it comes to increasing profitability — post-frame construction.
Offering all the versatility and durability your clients want, at a significant cost and time savings to you and your crew, post-frame construction is the solution most agricultural builders need to increase cycle time and boost profitability. Here are just a few of the ways post-frame construction can help you grow your business:
Minimal Grading and Excavating
Post-frame construction agricultural buildings can be put up nearly anywhere. Since strong support columns go directly into the ground, secure, durable post-frame buildings are easily constructed without leveling or excavating the ground. While you may want to take off the topsoil or bring in a bit of sand, this saves a significant chunk of both time and money. You don’t need large, expensive equipment that would otherwise have to do the job of leveling out the plot. You can simply get started as soon as you have project specs in hand.
Handle Heavier Loads with Less Material
When constructing a post-frame building, fewer materials are used to construct a building that’s often more capable and durable than a stick-framed building. Large columns are installed all the way into the ground, ensuring the building is extremely stable and reducing any shear point above grade. Horizontal girts strengthen the overall build, helping the building exceed snow and wind requirements. Finally, since trusses are directly attached to the post-column frame, the entire post-frame construction system is exceptionally strong and able to withstand even the heaviest snow loads and the strongest winds.
And all of this strength comes at the benefit of using fewer materials. On average, post-frame columns are installed around 8′ apart, significantly farther than the traditional 16-24″ distance between studs in a traditional stick-framed building. This means you’re using less material overall while constructing a building that’s stronger and more resilient — perfect for agricultural building applications.
Exceptional Versatility
Post-frame construction offers the versatility that agricultural builders need to put up any building efficiently, and according to each project’s unique specifications. Since post-frame construction does not rely on support from interior walls, each post-frame agricultural building’s exterior frame can be constructed easily to the dimensions your client is looking for.
When the exterior of the building is completed, any interior setup can then be constructed. This offers complete versatility for any application. Stalls, bails for dairy cows, semi-enclosures for cattle feeding, and more can all be constructed to the unique specifications of each client. Since interior walls are not required for support of the building, any interior configuration or setup can be built with ease.
Fast, Affordable Assembly
One of the most popular benefits of post-frame construction is its fast, affordable assembly. As mentioned earlier, post-frame construction requires considerably less material to construct a building. Manufactured trusses require less time and fewer hands to install, and as post-columns are set at farther spans, there’s less work to do to get that agricultural building up.
This means you need fewer laborers, and less time to get an agricultural building up. Both of these benefits contribute to your overall profitability by shortening cycle time while reducing your overhead costs.
Post-frame construction is a smart decision for any agricultural builder. It’s a building method that allows you to put large agriculture buildings up quickly, with fewer materials and fewer hands on deck. Best of all, these savings come at no expense to the durability and reliability of your build. Able to handle heavier loads and exceed snow and wind requirements, post-frame constructed agricultural buildings are a long-term solution for any application.
If you have more questions about post-frame construction for your agricultural building company, or if you’re looking for quality post-frame construction materials, the team at Zeeland Lumber & Supply can help. With everything from high-quality engineered wood products to manufactured roof trusses, we have the resources you need for your next project.
