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Erection Tips

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We provide our customers with an industry-leading erection manual and a 24/7 customer support hotline to ensure a straightforward erection process. In addition, we’ve created a video detailing the entire process:

How to Build a Steel Building – Start to Finish – Complete Guide | Great Western Building Systems

Tips and Reminders

Here are important tips for erecting your metal building kit. Before you begin, familiarize yourself with the erection manual. You can find common questions answered on our FAQs page. You can also Open a support ticket, or call our customer service team at 1-800-497-2135

Tools and Safety Gear

Aside from basic hand tools, there are a few additional tools that will drastically improve the erection of your metal building kit. 

  • Rotary Impact Drill
  • Spirit Levels (Magnetic, 5-foot or 6-foot length)
  • Torpedo Levels
  • Transit Level 
  • Crowbar
  • Two-part Epoxy (for setting anchor bolts)
  • Reciprocating Saw with Metal Cutting Blade
  • ⅛-inch Pop Rivet Gun
  • Adjustable Spud Wrench
  • Tool bags
  • Battery-Operated Drill and High-Strength Drill Bits
  • Stepped Drill Bit
  • Magnetic Nut Driver
  • Tek Screw Gun
  • Electric Shear
  • Left and Right Cut Shears

Safety is of utmost importance on the job site. Proper personal protection equipment should be worn at all times. Here are some important pieces of safety equipment you should have before you start the erection process: 

  • A pair of thick padded g for jobs like grinding, using cut-off wheels, or carrying heavy parts.
  • A pair of PVC-coated gloves for tasks requiring more dexterity is helpful.
  • A variety of safety glasses, including tinted ones for outdoor work and clear ones for indoor work.
  • A hard hat, especially when flying beams and working with standing columns.
  • Earplugs or construction earmuffs

Unloading and Jobsite Staging

Tips for unloading your metal building kit

  • If possible, unload the truck from both sides of the trailer.
  • Fragile items (windows and trim) will be at the top of the load. Place them in a safe location where they won’t be at risk throughout the duration of the erection process.
  • Lift all components from their center of gravity
  • At the work site, keep components on dunnage (wood blocks) to prevent moisture accumulation.
  • Store bundles at an angle to prevent water pooling
  • Inspect inventory for missing components or driver damage

Staging your Jobsite for Erection  

  • Keep structural beams, girts, and purlins close to the foundation, as they’ll be needed first
  • Ensure there is still room for crew and machines to move around the foundation

Concrete and Anchor Bolts

  • Ensure your concrete slab is square and flat
  • Check to ensure anchor bolts are correctly placed against drawings and layout plan
  • Ensure any anchor bolts placed before concrete pour are free of excess concrete (clean with WD40, run a die down them if necessary to clean up threads)
  • For anchor bolts not placed before pour, drill and epoxy anchors in the appropriate location and allow adequate time for the epoxy to fully cure before erection begins.

Erection Sequence

Start with Walls and Girts

  • Start with sidewall columns, preferably brace bay if your building is equipped with one 
  • Hang girts on set columns and square the whole assembly before tightening fasteners
  • Once sidewall columns and girts are in place, move on to end walls 
  • Ensure girt orientation is correct

Rafters and Purlins

  • Bolt rafters together on the ground before flying 
  • Fly end wall rafters first, then move in before installing purlins

Pre-Sheeting Preparation

  • Install Base and Rake Angles
  • Hammer sets are faster and less expensive than tapcons
  • ¼”x2 ½” is sufficient

Door Installation

  • Decide which direction you want your door to swing and to what side prior to install
  • Ensure the building frame is square and plum and that all fasteners are correctly tightened prior to installing doors
  • Remove low girt if necessary for door installation 
  • Align door edges with high ribs on exterior panels when possible
  • Hold the door flush with the edge of the building while marking centers for baseplate holes
  • Use 7 or 8-inch wedge anchors
  • Plum door jams and clamp the top of the door frame to the 7’ 4” girt and secure with screws or rivets
  • Take your time installing lock sets; it can get aggravating 
  • Install weather stripping and test to ensure the door is functioning properly and in the desired direction

Trim and Sheeting

  • Start with cover trim, then move to outside trim 
  • Install drip trim, then jamb trim 
  • Start wall sheeting furthest from the typical view of your building
  • Sheet overlap with the direction of typical winds when possible
  • Cut a kerf in the drip trim for paneling to slide into at framed openings
  • Once walls are complete, install corner trims and low eave trim prior to roof install
  • Ensure panels stay in correct modulation to ensure proper ridge cap fitment
  • Install rake trim, then peak boxes 
  • If you have gutters, install them prior to corner boxes

Insulation

  • Each insulation roll is numbered. Ensure you’re using the correct roll for the correct spot with corresponding numbers on your building plan.

Windows

  • Mount windows to wall paneling before installing framed opening (if applicable for your building)
  • When cutting wall panels for windows, take time and ensure your measurements are spot-on
  • Ensure your window openings are from high rib to high rib on your panels
  • Secure top first from the outside, then jam fins, then bottom from the inside
  • Install outside closure strip between panel and bottom of the window for additional weather sealing
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Enjoy!

Enjoy your brand new Great Western Buildings steel build. Please share your finished building
with us; we would love to see your creation and feature you on our website! Send pictures to
info@greatwesternbuildings.com

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