Metal building comparison – RBS vs. Brand X

RBS: Adequate wall sheeting. No additional bracing required.

Brand X: Inadequate wall sheeting. Additional wall bracing required.

What this means to you: Without adequate sheeting or some other form of wind bracing this building will not meet local building codes and could potentially cause a multitude of problems. Including: wall movement, bowing at walls and columns, cracking of interior drywall, hard to open doors and windows and possible structural failure due to lack of wind loading.

Rigid Frame Endwall: RBS uses a larger column (W8 x 13lbs) and wedge beam rafter in this open wall condition.

Rigid Frame Endwall: Brand X uses a lighter (W8 x 10 lbs) column and a straight I-Beam rafter (W12 x 14).

What this means to you: Lighter frame means more roof /wall movement and leads to roof sag, roof leaks, exterior wall bowing, interior drywall cracking, poor door and window operation.

Interior Endwall Outside View: RBS uses a 6" x 3/16" clip at the frame line w/ 2'-’5-1/2" purlin lap for additional strength.

Interior Endwall Outside View: Brand X uses a simple span (No purlin lap). Supported by only a 4" x 3/16" clip.

What this means to you: No overlap means more roof movement and leads to roof sag & roof leaks.

Interior Endwall Inside View: RBS uses a rigid frame (Full load) to support both the interior and exterior bays.

Interior Endwall Inside View: Brand X uses a ½ load bearing frame. Normally used when there are no exterior bays.

What this means to you:  Lighter frame means more roof/wall movement and leads to roof sag, roof leaks, exterior wall bowing, interior drywall cracking, poor door and window operation.

Endwall Column: RBS uses a 8" x 3-1/2" C-Channel column w/ 3/8" base plate and two 5/8" anchor bolts.

Endwall Column: Brand X uses a 8" x 2-1/2" C-Channel column welded to a light gauge base angle using only a ¼" x 2" pin anchor to secure the column.

What this means to you: Lighter EW columns mean more bowing in walls and columns. Light pin anchors could lead to possible structural failure at base connection.

Corner Column: When buildings have inadequate sheeting for wind loading, RBS uses an I-Beam wind column w/eight ¾" anchor bolts.

Corner Column: Brand X building has inadequate sheeting for wind loading and uses a 8" x 2-1/2" C-Channel w/ only two ¾" bolts.

What this means to you: Without adequate sheeting or some other form of wind bracing this building will not meet local building codes and could potentially cause a multitude of problems. Including wall movement, bowing at walls and columns, cracking of interior drywall, hard to open doors and windows and possible structural failure due to lack of wind loading.

Overhead Door Jamb: RBS uses a 8" x 3-1/2" jamb column with two 5/8” anchor bolts.

Overhead Door Jamb: Brand X uses a simple pin anchor attached thru the base angle.

What this means to you:  Light anchors mean more movement at jamb column. Causing OH-Door to be hard to open & close.

True story about comparisons.

A customer stopped by to get a quote on a simple hay barn. He stated that he doesn’t care what it looks like as long as it keeps his hay dry. We quoted the building along with another local competitor. He chose to go with the lower bid (Approximately $1,500 less).

Once the building was completed, he asked us to come out and take a look at it. He pointed out that he had to have the erector come back out and try to straighten the endwall column as it was bowed. This bowing was primarily caused by the use of a lighter duty endwall column and was not fully corrected.

He was also concerned about the light pin anchors that tied the endwall columns to the foundation. Brand X’s solution to the pin anchors problem was to retrofit a small angle to the column and use a single ½" wedge anchor to secure it.

Had the building been purchased from our company, the problems listed above would not have been an issue simply because all of our buildings are fabricated and erected in accordance with all local, state and federal codes.