INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
By Fred Koetting
Business is Better! Last quarter was the best fi rst quarter in four years
After weathering a major recession, the metal building systems (MBS) industry is invigorated by the strong sales fi gures from the last few quarters. Last quarter, in fact, was the best fi rst quarter in terms of domes- tic building shipments in four years—an exciting and promising statistic! MBMA members report that the fi rst quarter
dollar shipments were 15.91 percent ahead of the fi rst quarter in 2011 and were at the highest fi rst-quarter level since 2008. Tons of steel shipped in the fi rst quarter were up 5.17 percent from the same period in 2011—again, a level not seen in a fi rst quarter since 2008. This is very positive news and refl ective of
growth in private construction and of the ever- improving perception of metal building systems. Growth in manufacturing and energy is also helping to propel sales; and metal buildings are gaining market share as owners and specifi ers see the en- ergy effi ciency and sustainable benefi ts that metal buildings offer. In addition, more and more of the low-rise com-
mercial construction market is turning to metal build- ings as they see the adaptability and fl exibility they offer for virtually every application, from strip centers to auto dealerships to free-standing retail. Metal build- ing systems have economic and technological advan- tages over other forms of construction, and more and more owners are recognizing these attributes.
Research Builds Knowledge As the MBS industry continues to improve, the technical research performed by the Metal Build- ing Manufacturers Association (MBMA) is paying dividends and should give building owners and contractors even greater confi dence in the attributes of metal buildings. MBMA provides engineering leadership through many research programs. For example, an increasing research interest in the energy effi ciency of non-residential conditioned and semi-heated metal buildings has prompted new studies underway through a partnership between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and MBMA. The estimated fi ve-year research plan, involving the analysis of a one-story metal building system used as a fl exible test research platform, is a portion of the Maximum Building Energy Effi ciency Laboratory (MAXLAB) project. It was awarded to ORNL under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Historically, the energy research on metal
buildings has occurred at the component level via hot box testing, cool roof tests, air barrier tests,
10 METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS October 2012
etc. This new research initiative will provide a whole-building analysis that will take into account the complicated interactions among the building components and the effect of human behavior and its impact on energy demand and usage. This research will improve the performance, effi ciency and quality of metal building systems, and elevate the technology used to produce them. ORNL and MBMA have partnered on many signifi cant research activities through the years and expect that this current initiative will provide groundbreak- ing data of importance to owners, specifi ers and contractors/builders alike.
Coming Soon! New Metal Building Systems Manual One very exciting announcement is that the new "2012 Metal Building Systems Manual" will be printed shortly and you can reserve your copy to- day at
www.mbma.com/bookstore. The manual is the industry’s defi nitive resource and belongs on the bookshelves of every design-build professional in the country. Its 650-plus pages offer answers to essentially every issue that relates to metal building construction. The hard copy version of the manual will be shipped with a complimentary electronic version along with ready-to-use metal roof AutoCAD details. The manual refl ects changes based on the 2012 International Building Code and incorporates the results of the latest research sponsored by MBMA. Here are just a few examples of some of
the excellent updates and research compiled in this manual: • Considerable updates were provided in the Design Practice and Load Application chapter, which provide guidance on the applications of loads to metal buildings from the 2012 International Building Code (IBC).
• The ASCE 7-2010 standard provided major revisions to both the wind design and seismic design provisions, which are clearly delineated in the updated manual.
• The Climatological Data by County chapter includes a spreadsheet of all of the counties in the United States and now includes revised wind, seismic and rain loads based on updated loads referenced by ASCE 7-2010 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, respectively.
• The Fire Protection chapter includes two new fi re-rated metal building exterior wall assemblies recently tested at Underwriters
Laboratories (UL). These new assemblies offer greater fl exibility for construction and incorporate more wall insulation to meet today's energy code provisions. UL Design No. W404 is the one-hour wall assembly and UL Design No. W413 is the two-hour wall assembly. This chapter also includes updated commentary on how to utilize the head-of-wall fi re-rated assemblies in conjunction with the updated IBC 2012 provisions.
Accreditation Raises the Bar MBMA Building System member companies are all required to achieve and maintain accreditation in accordance with the International Accreditation Service (IAS) AC472, the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Inspection Programs for Manufacturers of Metal Building Systems. The comprehensive quality assur- ance program adds value for the end customer and differentiates the metal building systems industry from other forms of construction. AC472 is the most comprehensive quality
assurance accreditation program of its kind and no other association related to the metal building systems industry has anything like it. It underscores MBMA’s commitment to quality and to furthering the credibility and image of metal building systems; it prepares MBS members to deal proactively with codes in the future and it continues to improve qual- ity within the industry.
Business is Better if You’re in MBMA If you are associated with MBMA, you’re in great company. About 99 percent of our members survived the downturn. I believe this is because they are well-run companies with savvy business leaders whose fi rms are positively impacted by the accreditation activities, research and statistical data that MBMA offers. MBMA is uplifting members and customers
alike by supporting activities that have a profound and positive impact on the industry. Its membership represents more than $1.6 billion in annual steel shipments and accounts for approximately 39 per- cent of the total non residential, low-rise construc- tion market in the United States. These numbers can only grow as the industry’s image and infl uence continue to rise. We are excited and encouraged as we look forward to a renewed business economy.
Fred Koetting is chairman of the Metal Building Manufacturers Association, Cleveland. To learn more, visit
www.mbma.com.
www.metalconstructionnews.com
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