Steel Framed Buildings
Steel Framed Buildings
BPS Facilities designs, supplies and installs steel-framed buildings for industrial, commercial and agricultural use across South Wales, the South West and the M4 corridor. Most are cold-formed steel portal frames; hot-rolled frames are available for larger or higher-load builds. Concrete bases and groundworks are included, so your building arrives on a foundation we’ve laid.
Steel Framed Buildings
Steel-framed buildings are structures built around a steel skeleton, used across the industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors. At BPS Facilities, we know extra space isn’t a luxury but a necessity, so we provide cost-effective, quick-to-install steel buildings for commercial and industrial businesses of every kind — factories, warehouses, workshops, barns, stores, garages and more.
Most of our buildings use cold-formed steel portal frames, prefabricated off-site, then assembled and bolted to a concrete base by our own installation team for a secure fixing. For larger or higher-load projects, we also build in hot-rolled steel, up to a practical span limit. Whichever suits your project, the sides are finished with insulated or non-insulated cladding to your specification, and roof panels including 10–20% roof lighting panels.
Every steel building is custom-designed using structural software that accounts for wind and snow loading at your site’s location and elevation. You choose the size, along with windows, personnel doors, roller doors, insulation and cladding options — so the finished building fits your business exactly. Because we lay the concrete base and groundworks ourselves, the foundation is handled as part of the project rather than left for you to arrange.
To talk through an industrial, commercial or agricultural steel building in South Wales, the South West or along the M4 corridor, call our team on 029 20 484114 or enquire online here.
Steel Framed Building Benefits
There are a huge number of benefits and advantages to our steel frame buildings at BPS Facilities. Steel buildings offer superior strength and durability, as well as being cost-effective, flexible and better for the environment.
Steel is a highly recyclable material, which reduces its environmental impact and therefore your business’s carbon footprint. At BPS Facilities, we forge our prefabricated steel buildings off-site, which means very little steel is wasted during the construction and installation processes, therefore making it a much more sustainable process. The prefabricated nature also ensures fewer trips on and off-site for our installation team, reducing carbon emissions from delivery and transport vehicles.
Steel-framed buildings are also highly resistant to rot, fire, pests and harsh weather, resulting in lower insurance premiums and reduced maintenance costs. Their resistance to adverse weather conditions particularly makes them the ideal solution for businesses based in South Wales, the South West of England and the M4 Corridor
At BPS Facilities, our steel-framed industrial, commercial and agricultural buildings have highly flexible design options to suit any business need. Not only is our design system high-tech and fully comprehensive, allowing you to create and visualise your new steel building, steel has a high structural integrity that allows the construction of large buildings resistant to cracking, bending or warping.
As part of our design process, you can also include other design choices such as roller shutter doors, personnel doors, roof cladding options including roof lighting panels, side cladding options, block or brickwork and insulation options. Our expert team will help you choose the best options for your new steel building, and install it to the very highest standard.
To discuss your bespoke steel frame building solutions and steel building installation with a member of the BPS Facilities team, or if you’re ready to get started on your steel building design process, get in touch today by calling 02920 484 114 or enquiring online using our contact form here.
How Much Does a Steel Framed Building Cost?
Every steel framed building is priced on its own specification, so there’s no single figure that fits — a compact storage unit and a fully insulated distribution centre are different projects with different costs. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the price, so you can shape a building that suits both your needs and your budget before you ever ask for a quote.
What drives the cost:
- Footprint and eaves height — the two biggest factors. Larger floor areas and taller eaves need more steel and more cladding. Our clear spans run up to 20m before a new stanchion is required, and up to 6m eaves height, which covers most commercial and industrial needs without added structure.
- Frame type — cold-formed portal frames are the cost-effective choice for most buildings; hot-rolled frames, used for larger or higher-load builds, carry a higher material cost.
- Cladding — insulated cladding costs more than non-insulated, so the right choice depends on how the building will be used. A heated workshop and an unheated store have very different requirements.
- Doors and openings — the number and type of roller doors, personnel doors and windows all add to the total.
- Groundworks and base — because we lay the concrete base and prepare the ground ourselves, this is included in your project rather than a separate cost you arrange elsewhere. Site conditions affect how much groundwork is needed.
The most reliable way to control cost is to design to your actual requirements — no more span, height or insulation than the building’s use calls for. To get a tailored quote for your project, call us on 029 20 484114 or request a quote here.
Industrial Steel Buildings
Our steel portal frame industrial buildings are the perfect, flexible template for any commercial or industrial unit and can be designed for functions such as warehouses, workshops, distribution centres, manufacturing plants and steel framed garages – amongst many more.
With clear spans of up to 20m before a new stanchion would be required, and a maximum eaves height of 6m, our industrial steel buildings are an affordable option when looking to construct similar buildings, such as hot rolled column buildings, whilst never compromising on the high quality standards of materials, construction and installation.
The portal frame of our steel-frame buildings, in turn, lends itself to internal divisions and partitioning, allowing your new business space to be converted into your ideal layout – offices, toilets and waiting rooms can all be integrated into your project when designing with BPS Facilities. Designs can also incorporate blockwork or brickwork, both rendered or unrendered, to further customise your bespoke industrial unit.
Find out more about our steel frame construction buildings and industrial steel buildings installations in South Wales, the South West of England and along the M4 corridor today by getting in touch with the team at BPS Facilities by calling 02920 484 114 or enquiring online here today.
Agricultural Buildings
There are many uses for steel buildings in the agricultural sector, including, but not limited to, grain and crop storage buildings, machinery storage buildings, lambing sheds, calving units, barns, and even riding arenas.
Our cold rolled steel frame building construction methods and installation at BPS Facilities allows for truly bespoke and low-cost building solutions for your farm’s needs. Their customisable designs allow for flexible, open-plan spaces that enable efficient cleaning and feeding routines, improved airflow and temperature control, as well as being able to be quickly and conveniently reconfigured into smaller spaces, such as for sectioning livestock.
BPS Facilities’ high quality buildings can also be used for machinery storage in order to keep your tractors and other machines safe from both the elements and theft. When designing your ideal steel building, you can encompass high security personal doors and roller doors, as well alarm systems to ward off potential intruders.
To discuss your the installation of your new agricultural building and design it to perfectly suit you and your farm, contact our steel frame experts at BPS Facilities by calling 02920 484 114 or enquiring online using our contact form here.
Cold-Formed vs Hot-Rolled Steel Buildings: Which Do You Need?
Steel framed buildings are built using one of two frame types, and the right choice comes down to the size and load of your building. At BPS Facilities we work in both, so we recommend the frame that fits the project rather than the one that fits our workshop.
Cold-formed steel is shaped from thinner steel sheet, folded into structural sections at room temperature. It’s lighter, quicker to fabricate and more cost-effective, which makes it the right choice for the majority of commercial, industrial and agricultural buildings — warehouses, workshops, storage units, barns and garages among them. Most of the buildings we install use cold-formed portal frames.
Hot-rolled steel is formed at high temperature into heavier, thicker sections. It carries greater loads and spans, so it’s the choice for larger or more demanding builds where cold-formed steel would reach its limit. It costs more in material, but for the right project that strength is exactly what’s needed. We build in hot-rolled steel up to a practical limit — enough for substantial commercial and industrial buildings, though not stadium-scale structures.
For most businesses, a cold-formed portal frame delivers everything the building needs at the lower cost. Where the span, height or loading calls for more, hot-rolled steel is there. The advantage of working with a contractor who does both is a straight answer about which your project actually needs — not a frame chosen to suit whoever’s building it.
Not sure which is right for your building? Talk it through with our team on 029 20 484114 or enquire online here.
FAQs
Do you need planning permission for a steel frame building?
In many cases, planning permission is required for the construction of steel frame buildings. Some steel buildings may fall under permitted development rights, depending on the size, height and location of the building. Industrial or agricultural buildings often require planning permission due to the large size requirements of the building specifications.
Are metal buildings easy to customize?
Steel buildings are highly customisable, offering significant flexibility in terms of size, design and functionality. As our steel buildings are prefabricated off-site, we can customise height, size, insulation, roof styles and panels, as well as door options such as roller doors.
Do you need a foundation for a steel building?
A solid foundation is essential for any steel building to ensure its structural stability, correct load distribution and prevent shifting or settling. Depending on the building size and the conditions of its location, large steel frame buildings require reinforced footings, concrete slab-on-grade or a perimeter wall.
Do you handle the groundworks and concrete base?
Yes. We prepare the ground and lay the concrete base as part of the project, so the foundation isn’t a separate job you need to arrange with another contractor. A solid, correctly specified base is essential to a steel building’s stability, and handling it ourselves means the base is right for the frame that sits on it. Site conditions affect the extent of groundwork required, which we’ll assess when quoting.
Is steel harder than concrete?
Steel is generally harder and stronger than concrete as it possesses a superior strength-to-weight ratio. Whilst concrete wins in terms of compressive strength, it is weak under tension; steel is considerably more flexible, ductile and resistant to bending, shock and seismic forces.
How long does it take to install a steel framed building?
Installation time depends on the size and complexity of the building, but steel framed buildings are among the fastest structures to erect. Because the frame is prefabricated off-site, on-site assembly is quick — most buildings are weathertight far sooner than a traditional brick-and-block build of the same size. Groundworks and the concrete base are completed first, then the frame is assembled, clad and roofed. We’ll give you a realistic timescale for your specific project when we quote.
How long does a steel framed building last?
A well-built steel framed building lasts for decades — commonly 40 years or more, and often considerably longer with basic maintenance. Steel is highly resistant to rot, pests and warping, and the cladding and coatings protect against corrosion. Keeping gutters clear and cladding in good order is usually all that’s needed to protect the building over its lifetime.
How big an agricultural building can I build without planning permission?
There is no blanket answer to whether your agricultural building will need planning permission, or how large your building could be without requiring planning permission, however, under agricultural permitted development, you can usually bypass the need for planning permission if the land is five hectares or more, if it meets the development requirements in terms of height, size and location, and if it will be for agricultural purposes only.
What's the difference between cold-formed and hot-rolled steel buildings?
Cold-formed steel is lighter and more cost-effective, and suits the majority of commercial, industrial and agricultural buildings. Hot-rolled steel is heavier and carries greater loads and spans, for larger or more demanding builds. We work in both — you can read more in our guide to cold-formed vs hot-rolled steel buildings above.
Can a steel framed building be extended later?
Yes. One of the advantages of a steel portal frame is that it lends itself to future extension. Additional bays can often be added to the end of an existing building, and the open-plan interior can be reconfigured with internal divisions as your needs change. If you think you may expand later, it’s worth telling us at the design stage so we can plan for it.