The International Building Code (IBC) is the primary non-residential United States model building code. Although the code covers all buildings, and has been adopted to varying degrees in all 50 states, most agricultural buildings are not designed in accordance with its provisions. This is because most state and local governments which adopt the IBC exempt […]

As I said yesterday, a properly engineered building is a fully engineered building.  Either it is engineered, or it is not.  I have been appalled to hear what clients feel are reputable companies tell me they sell buildings at a much lesser price if the client does not require sealed plans.  My question to them […]

Some or all of a building collapses in a wind or snow storm. Upon examination, it is determined the building had several major weaknesses due to lacking engineering. The building owner is frustrated and angry as he truly believed he had purchased a properly engineered building. A properly engineered building, in the average client’s mind, […]

Seeing as it’s Friday, I’ll give you a “shorty” today.  At the beginning of this year my bride and I visited a horse barn facility in Florida we sold fall of 2010.  This was a huge building and although our programs calculate just over a 5% overage cushion for screws, we really went heavy on […]

It’s not even December and I’m already tired of pushing/shoveling snow.  But strangely, there is something about the wintertime which is somewhat comforting.  My wife and I live by a lake in the mountains where most folks around us retreat to the city when the snow flies.  Like relatives, we happily welcome our summertime friends […]

Farmers who are considering building a new barn or storage shed on their property in 2012 can take advantage of a tax relief benefit which can translate into significant savings. For 2012, new agricultural buildings such as pole barns, equipment sheds, hay storage, and livestock facilities are eligible for “bonus depreciation” of up to 50 […]

As long as we are on the subject of designing for horses (see yesterday’s blog), we should give a little attention to something which seems “not that big of a deal”, but it really is…size of your horse aisleway. If you start looking on the internet, you will find suggestions for an 8’ aisleway, to […]

My 21 year old daughter Bailey is a professional horse trainer. She works at a riding facility in Aumsville, Oregon – near Salem. Now Dad is pretty proud of her, as she has competed with the best in Tennessee and one of her horses was a national grand champion. The road to her dream occupation […]

My lovely bride and I have been putting away money so we can finish our new home – cabinets, trims and floor coverings and we’ve got it made. Now we have been saving for what, five years? At this rate, I will be dead for about forty years before I’ll have saved enough to enjoy […]

Here is an easy home activity, which will give you an idea of how buildings work. Find a discarded shoe box; remove the top and any contents. Now turn upside down on a countertop. With one hand, push gently downward on the inverted box, enough so as to limit the ability of the sides to […]

Today’s blog is a true story continuation from yesterday – so if you missed it, go back and catch up. The location is masked so as to avoid any possible retribution against the clients who were just trying to do things right. Dealing with your Planning Department can be a hurdle to overcome before you […]

Just Saying No: A Planning Department Horror Story The location is masked so as to avoid any possible retribution against the clients who were just trying to do things right. Thankfully this is not how things usually go, but the Planning Department can be a hurdle to overcome before you even consider starting in on […]

I read a fair number of blogs relating to the construction industry. Recently one of them was talking about the proposed removal of an 80 year-old pine tree leaning precariously over their house. This resulted in a call to an arborist (on a sidebar, I have near my home a business “The Affordable Arborists”, which […]

Like many suppliers of pole buildings kits, whether “standard” or completely “custom” kits, such as ours, I’m sure I am barking up a familiar tree.  What does building materials inventory involve?  Let me tell you about one of my most frustrating stories first. The one which first comes to mind, in talking about inventory, is […]

As noted yesterday, damaged trusses warrant a repair design by a professional…a licensed engineer.  This is not something for “guesswork” or scabbing on a bunch of lumber.  First the forces of where damage occurred need to be analyzed, and then only an engineer with solid experience in repairing damages should be engaged to elicit the […]

Metal plate connected (MPC) wood trusses are found in nearly all types of pole building construction as well as both residential and small commercial projects. While the growth of the structural building component industry has been excellent over the years, it is not without some growing pains. As the use of trusses has increased, so […]

As I said yesterday, between 1952 and 2001, more trees grew, more trees died, and more were harvested.  Why? Forest density has a huge role in tree morbidity.  Forest restoration begins with sound ecologic management practices. I have a home in the state of Washington, and in fact, live a good share of the year […]

There have been times when I have seen manufacturers of all steel buildings attempt to portray pole buildings as being less than ecologically friendly. The premise being steel is 100% recyclable, while wood somehow is not. Or, by using wood in construction, we are somehow cutting down all of the trees! Today, forest growth in […]

Is Mini-Storage for You? My brother and I were pole building contractors in 1991, when we got a contract to construct 3 self-storage buildings along rural Highway 95 just north of Athol, Idaho. We’d done other work for the same client, and had met with the property owner, who was providing the financing for the […]

Most alternative eco-friendly roofing materials, such as those which contain a high recycled content, are about three to four times the installed cost of asphalt shingles.  This is a hard sell for anyone, no matter how green you want to be. There may be a reason to be optimistic for the future, however. Euroshiled Roofing’s […]

The desired level of soil compaction is best achieved by matching the soil type with its proper compaction method.  Other factors must be considered as well, such as soil compaction specs and job site conditions.  Since granular soils are not cohesive and the particles require a shaking or vibratory action to move them, vibratory plates […]

Ready to get your head deeper into the dirt?  Stick with me here and I’ll explain at the end why this is so important. Here we go…. The Proctor, or Modified Proctor Test, determines the maximum density of a soil needed for a specific job site.  The test first determines the maximum density achievable for […]

When I think of water and soil, I can’t help but think of the Tower of Suurhusen in Germany.  This one leans even more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.  But it’s why it leans which interests me.  Built in 1450, it probably would have never leaned, if not for changing the moisture […]

This is day two in several where I am discussing all kinds of issues with site preparation, mostly what to do with the…dirt. So what actually is soil? Soil is formed in place or deposited by various forces of nature – such as glaciers, wind, lakes and rivers – residually or organically.  The important elements […]

Caught your attention, didn’t I? Every building project starts from the same place – the dirt. In order to achieve a quality outcome, it takes a quality beginning.  It’s hard to believe, but there is a lot of “stuff” to cover about dirt.  Stick with me here for the next several blogs and we’ll take […]