The initial Quonset huts design included arched steel rib members constructed in a T design and supported by wooden purlins. Flaws in this design soon surfaced when the military began converting Quonset huts to uses other than troop housing and equipment storage. These uses included showers, latrines, dental offices, bakeries and isolation wards, but the huts needed special layouts to accommodate these additional uses and related equipment. The military modified the Quonset hut design to include vertical side walls supporting an arched roof; this layout provided much more usable space.

Modern Quonset huts offer 100 percent usable space by not utilizing beams or trusses in their design. Their arched steel construction makes them one of the strongest structures in architecture; they can withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, heavy rain, snow and wind. Because of their strength, farmers find Quonset huts ideal for storing hay, grain, crops and machinery; some even use the huts to house horses and livestock.

Large Quonset huts also make fine, inexpensive airplane hangars. You can save money on labor costs by constructing your hangar yourself; all huts come with an easy to follow assembly manual that clearly illustrates how to connect the individual steel panels into a structure large enough to house a small airplane and related maintenance equipment. You receive the same level of security and protection for your investment by using a Quonset hut rather than outsourcing the materials and work.

Quonset huts have evolved from combat field housing and storage structures to versatile civilian buildings suitable for just about any purpose. There are Quonset hut kits for backyard workshops and machinery storage and light industrial and commercial structures; you can even convert a kit into a guest cottage, if you like. Accessories like skylights, windows and doors can turn a Quonset hut into a home.

The durability of metal garage buildings is second to none and makes them perfect for storing everything from the family car to farm machinery, grain, crops and even livestock. Maintenance free, these structures are strong enough to withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and heavy wind, rain and snow. In fact, the A series of metal garage buildings features a 4 to 12 pitch roof that effortlessly sheds heavy rain and snow. Its not hard to imagine that this model is especially popular in high snow and wind areas.

Metal garage buildings of the P series design employ a more traditional structural style consisting of high sidewalls and arched roof. By lifting the arch to the area above the sidewalls, this design offers an optimal amount of space for use as a backyard garage or workshop. With a little imagination and customization with accessories and colors, your P series metal garage building can even be used as a guest cottage that mirrors the exterior of your home.

Metal garage buildings in the Q series are modeled after the Quonset hut developed by the Navy Seabees during World War II. With their rounded arch design (one of the strongest structures in architecture) and lack of trusses and beams, the Q series of metal garage buildings offers 100 percent usable space for storing farm machinery, grain, crops, hay and livestock and even a small airplane.

Metal garage buildings of the S series work quite well for light manufacturing, industrial or commercial purposes as well as airport fueling stations and fire stations. High straight sidewalls and arched roof guarantee 100 percent usable vertical and floor space. You can even house a recreational vehicle in an S series metal garage building.

Metal garage buildings also function wonderfully as agricultural buildings. Pole barn kits absolutely provide the strong, dependable protection so essential to any agricultural business. Offering shelter for animals, machinery, grain, crops and hay, metal garage buildings constructed in pole barn design are stronger than traditional wooden pole barns, and maintenance free. (And what farmer does not like the possibility of fewer farm maintenance duties.) These structures are also capable of storing huge amounts of hay, grain and crops, so essential for those long winter months.

While the initial Quonset hut model was devised from the Nissen hut of British origin, they have seen a marked transformation into utility structures that provide flexible interior decoration options. One of the significant influences of the original Quonset huts was the arch roofed storehouse units that utilized lightweight metals such as Aluminum. Other influences include the Weather Port structures which employ the design principles of the Jamesway hut. Quonset huts have also shaped other patented housing models including the Pacific hut and the Portaseal hut units. Quonset huts find application both as residential structures as also for commercial purposes. Several versions of the original Quonset hut have installed with wooden ribbing and insulated fabric that allows even usage under the extreme arctic conditions. Many of these temporary structures found usage during operations that were carried out under strong weather, and they came with practical add ons such as fiber glass insulated interiors and fire resistant muslin as well as insulated blankets for added protection.

Quonset huts make innovative residences since they allow usage of indigenous material while still exhibiting a modern and functional aura to the interior and provide optimal usage of available space. Well known residences that adopted the design include the Daniel House in Tennessee which was uniquely built by incorporating salvaged Quonset hut support units. The lightweight feature of the Quonset hut is valuable since it means savings in terms of shipping and effortless construction. Aside from their lightweight features these are easily transported and assembled as needed, making them the ideal option for large scale temporary housing that is as resilient as it is inexpensive. Quonset huts are certainly the prime models when it comes to distinctive architectural ideas and much have been incorporated, from traditional housing and business complexes to even places of worship. Quonset huts are undoubtedly an architectural phenomena that have gone from being mere utility housing to a design innovation. The Quonset hut has made quite a remarkable journey from being mere shelters to the meeting of functionality with modernity and imagination.

The beauty of Quonset huts lay in their durability and mobility in the field. The military needed something that could be quickly and easily assembled and taken apart for transport to the next location, sometimes every day. Quonset huts successfully addressed the need for lightweight and movable storage and housing and gradually evolved into structures that could be used as bakeries, showers, latrines, dental offices, and isolation wards. However, the initial Quonset huts design presented problems with its expanded uses and was subsequently recast from a sixteen feet by thirty six feet sized building with wall curve beginning flush with the floor to a structure with sidewalls and multiple interior designs. After the war ended, the military sold its surplus Quonset huts to the public for one thousand dollars per unit. Universities purchased them for student housing, and some returning soldiers even purchased them for their own personal housing.

The Quonset huts of today are so versatile that they are perfect for machinery or grain storage, backyard workshops, or even airplane hangars. How about turning a Quonset hut into a guest cottage. The lack of beams and trusses in the Quonset hut design equals 100 percent useable space, and the huts can be expanded to any length simply by adding additional sidewall panels. You can also customize Quonset huts with skylights, insulation, wiring, and colors that match the exterior of your home. With their corrugated steel construction, Quonset huts are amazingly strong; in fact, their rounded arch design is one of the strongest structures in architecture. Quonset huts can withstand anything Mother Nature can throw at them.

With the help of a few buddies, you can assemble your Quonset hut in just a few days. Once you have laid your foundation (on a graded and level surface), you simply bolt the steel panels together and your Quonset hut is ready to go. Adding a durable and attractive storage or workshop space to your property could not be any easier.

The metal buildings you see today had their beginnings in the design of Quonset huts. Because the arch design of Quonset huts meant that the walls were curved where they met the floor, it was difficult to place furniture and machinery against the walls. The structure was later altered to have walls at 90 degree angles, which eliminated the wasted space of the original curved wall design. The design change actually allowed the structures to break down even smaller and made it lighter to ship. And many metal building makers today still utilize the arched construction of the original Quonset huts.

How easy it was for unqualified people to put the structures together and the fact that the Quonset huts could be packed up and shipped easily are the qualities that make the metal buildings of today so advantageous for consumers. Steel buildings, much like Quonset huts, can be assembled with a handful of people without special equipment. Steel buildings are used for a wide variety of commercial and residential purposes. They are gymnasiums, body shops, churches and garages. They are more economical than traditional buildings and require little maintenance. The Quonset huts live on.

The skyrocketing costs of lumber these days has made metal buildings more and more a viable option. Not only that, but the clear cutting of forest has made a bad impact on global environment. Metal buildings are really rising to the challenge in the building industry for the need for change.

So what are the advantages of metal buildings?. Metal buildings have evolved into being strong, stylish and durable buildings. If you have not paid much attention lately just to look around at all of the attractive metal buildings in your area.

You will be really amazed at the cost advantage too. It is noticeably less expensive to build metal buildings than buildings made out of lumber are. Not only that, metal buildings are very low maintenance buildings. This will save you a lot of money to. People are really happy about the metal buildings when they realized they only have to invest their hard earned cash one time instead of constantly repairing and replacing lumber.

A metal building will last for a long time. Metal buildings are heat resistant and resist climate changes quite easily. This has a great advantage over wood that does not hold up in all kinds of weather very well.

Another great advantage that they have over wood is that the fact that the framework can be prefabricated and marked which makes it really easy to put together once it is on your property. All you have to do to put together a prefabricated building is bolt the pieces together. Think about it, there is no labor costs.

The advantage that these buildings have over wood is amazing when you think about how wood gets wasted all the time if it is cut into the wrong length. Another advantage is the recyclable material that is used.

Another advantage over wood buildings is you can build them a lot taller. Custom buildings are also available and all you have to do is give the company your dimensions first. If you have really tall machinery is easier to keep it in a customized building.

And there is no problem getting you building insulated either. You can completely forget about worrying about insect infestation too. With just a little time and consideration you will see that there is actually no reason not to choose metal buildings.

Are you looking for a prefabricated metal building to house your commercial or industrial concern. Without the need for either pole or beam support, the S series employs high sidewalls and a rounded roof that offer maximum floor and vertical space large enough to store recreational vehicles and boats and to house small manufacturing, distribution and maintenance operations, commercial and industrial shops and airport fueling stations. They also work well as horse barns.

The more traditional P series of prefabricated metal buildings combines straight side walls with an arched roof to give you strength and durability ideal for backyard garages or workshops and retail or storage space. These structures are so versatile that they can even be used as guest cottages customized to match the exterior of your home. The A series of prefabricated metal buildings are similar to the P series in design, with one exception. The A series roof is built to a 4 to 12 pitch that effortlessly resists heavy rain or snow buildup in extreme weather areas.

Last, but certainly not least, we have the Q series of prefabricated metal buildings. This series is based on the iconic Quonset hut used during World War II to house troops and equipment in the field. Their arched roof design is unbelievably strong and effortlessly withstands intense weather and such natural disasters as tornadoes and earthquakes. These prefabricated metal buildings employ no poles or beams, giving you maximum usable space for your hay, grain and crops, farm machinery, horses, livestock and even a small cropduster. The Q series of prefabricated metal buildings are also quite suitable as an alternative form of housing. Returning World War II servicemen and universities purchased the surplus huts for personal and alternative campus housing after the war ended. If you already have a home, why not consider a Q series prefabricated metal building for a mountain lodge or a cottage.

P series metal building kits give you a traditional straight sidewall and arched roof style that optimizes storage space with room enough for a backyard garage or workshop. If youre feeling creative, you could even turn your P series metal building kit into a guest cottage customized to match the exterior of your home. The A series of metal building kits follows the same basic engineering design as the P series, with the exception of a 4 to 12 pitch roof for superior protection from the elements in high wind and snow areas.

The classic Q series metal building kits are modeled after the iconic Quonset huts of the World War II era. Their arched roof to ground design makes the Q series one of the strongest structures in architecture and effortlessly protects livestock, farm equipment, hay, grain and crops from the worst of Mother Nature. Finally, S series metal building kits, with high, straight sidewalls and rounded roof, offers 100 percent usable space for purposes as diverse as light industrial and manufacturing use, fire stations, airport fueling stations and RV storage.

Metal building kits also come with easy to read assembly manuals that make construction a breeze. Before commencing construction, be sure that your chosen spot is level and clear of any tree roots, stones or grassy spots that could affect the flooring. You will next either pour a full concrete floor or square concrete pads where you plan to erect the steel frame columns. Embed anchor bolts into the concrete pads, erect the columns into the anchor bolts after the concrete has dried, then raise and bolt the rafters to the columns. Your next step is to attach the roof purlins, wall girts and cable bracing to the roof and walls.

If you intend to insulate your metal building, now is the time to unroll your insulation and put it into place, before attaching the metal sheeting to create walls and roof. Your final step is to customize your metal building with doors, windows and metal trim.

The original Quonset huts had corrugated steel sheets for their sides. Their semi circular ends were wooded, as were their floors. The versatile structure of Quonset huts could be set up virtually anywhere. Their multi purpose structures found use as barracks, offices, ammunition dumps, housing, latrines, among many others. After the war, surplus Quonset huts were sold off by the army to the public.

Quonset huts, which had been created as an answer to an urgent necessity for the war efforts turned out to be a highly effective answer for the very pressing people of housing people in times of peace. Quonset huts were found to be an effective means of providing cheap housing on a mass scale. Quonset huts were easy enough to manufacture and transport, easier to set up everywhere. Quonset huts were in many ways the perfect kind of housing solution that people were looking for, because they were space efficient, efficient, economic, multi purpose, practical and could serve the problem of cheap and effective housing for potentially thousands of people. Since the war, many variations of the original or T Bone Quonset huts have come about adapting them to different purposes as required, such as the Redesign model which makes use of a different structure for the semi circular arch so that beds and furniture no longer have to be shifted away from the wall towards the interior, and the Stran Steel model which are made of lightweight steel and are far more spacious than the original, while being much lighter. There exist many other structures which make use of the basic design of the Quonset huts and differ only on minor counts, such as the size or construction material, proving the versatile nature of the design and functionality of the original.

Far from being just historical architectural antique pieces, Quonset huts have a huge potential for use even in modern times. Quonset huts had been designed to multi purpose structures that make maximum utilization of space, and this makes them an effective solution for providing cheap and effective housing. Quonset huts are sturdy and durable, and are fit in every way for this purpose. Quonset huts are more than something that eccentric individuals will choose as homes in remote outbacks, but something that can easily be mass produced for people for whom it is not a viable option to rent apartments in the cities. In the extreme space crunch experienced in and around cities in this day and age, Quonset huts could just be the unlooked for answer that people are neglecting.