Post-frame construction of large low-rise buildings is not at all a new development. During the 1930s, when farmers needed to erect new barns and had to save on building materials due to the economic distress of the Depression years, architects developed for them a new construction method utilizing utility poles. The poles, twelve inches thick, would be spaced eight feet apart, anchored to the ground, then joined together by cross-planks. Capped by truss-framed roofs, the resulting structure afforded a large open interior space without the need for an internal supporting framework. The best feature of this construction method was its savings on both time and materials costs, which were very important considerations in that period of American history.
Today’s modern post-frame buildings which are sold and assembled by contractors such as Town & Country Builders Inc in Spokane WA carry this simple but very effective engineering concept through to a variety of structures of different sizes and functions. The utility poles are now replaced by laminated plank columns of pressure-treated wood. These can be assembled to any thickness to handle anticipated wind-induced stresses and provide superior support capacity for the structure. Unlike standard wood-frame structures with wall studs, a post-frame structural lattice provides an interlocking support grid. This effectively transfers all load-bearing stresses into the ground. The result is a building which is far less subject to shear and warping from wind or seismic disturbance and therefore much more likely to survive a minor earthquake or a hurricane.
Post-frame buildings are easier to assemble and require fewer materials. The large frame spaces on the exterior walls allow far more insulation coverage than a standard wood-frame building, which translates into superior energy efficiency. Unlike steel buildings, post-frame buildings require no special engineered foundation as support. They can be assembled and renovated or modified using standard tools. Level ground is all that is required to start work, and the construction involves a lesser degree of site disturbance. Post-frame buildings can be built to a wide range of sizes for commercial, industrial, agricultural or even residential purposes. And the interior space can be configured to any design the owner wishes since interior load-bearing walls are not necessary for a post-frame building.
Visit the website of Town & Country Builders Inc in Spokane WA and see for yourself the variety of buildings we offer.
