What follows is the entire stream of
email between me (Julia Lucich), the Fire Trustees, and personnel from the C
& W Campbell Company regarding the suitability of considering
pre-engineered steel buildings as an option for our new fire hall.
From: lucich
[mailto:lucich@saltspring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 22:28
To: trustees@saltspringfire.com
Subject: Fw: questions re steel bldgs.
To SSIFDP Chair Bruce Patterson and members of the Board,
At your meeting of February 4, 2013, I inquired about
the possibility of examining alternative methods of construction for the new
fire hall such as pre-engineered steel. As I explained then, I am
not a proponent of a steel building or, for that matter, of any specific mode
of construction; I am, however, a concerned taxpayer who recognizes the need
for a new fire hall and, at the same time, wants to know that
there has been adequate cost/benefit assessment of our options prior
to decisions being made which affect the community.
The replies to my question, as quoted in the Driftwood, appeared to
contradict some of the information shared with me by residents of Saturna Island who chose to use
steel for their new fire hall construction. As a result, I contacted the
CW Campbell Co., the largest representative for pre-engineered
buildings I could identify in the general Victoria area,
and presented the Board's responses to them. Below is the email
stream, beginning with my inquiry (bottom), followed by a detailed reply
(from Kevin Adam, P. Eng.) to Mr. Chamney's comments, culminating
with a brief statement from the company president. The clarification
provided should, I hope, encourage further examination of pre-engineered steel
as an alternative that will be functional and affordable.
Respectfully,
Julia Lucich
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 4:47 PM
Subject: RE:
questions re steel bldgs.
Hi
Julia,
I
don’t think there is much I can add to Kevin’s responses below, but as a
general contractor for the last 48 years and being familiar with all types of
construction, I don’t believe there is a conventional building type that would
give better value for the dollar than the pre-engineered metal buildings.
We
have recently did a building for the CRD at the Hartland Landfill
and also supplied and erected two buildings for the town of Sidney that are used for
multi-purpose and offices. One building has a full mezzanine floor,
giving two full levels under one roof. These buildings are visible from
the highway just south of Beacon Avenue.
Although
specific design criteria may exclude a certain type of building, these
buildings can be quite purpose built to suit most designs.
Thanks
for your interest. If I can provide any further information, please do
not hesitate to ask.
Bill
William A. Campbell - President
C&W Campbell Homes Ltd.
Tel: 250-658-8226
Fax 250-658-8170
Hi Julia,
I passed on your
questions to our Western
Canada district
manager from American Buildings Company for his review. Please see his response
below.
I’ll also put
together a brief response with Bill, the owner of C&W Campbell, when he
gets a few minutes and get those to you asap.
Best regards,
Jamie
Jamie Campbell
C&W Campbell Homes Ltd.
4509 Emily Carr Dr.
Victoria BC V8X 2N5
Phone: 250-658-8226
Fax: 250-658-8170
1. There is no
“extra building” that needs to be constructed inside the steel
shell. Pre-engineered steel buildings are custom designed for each
application. If there are shelves and racks that are imparting load to
the walls, then we will accommodate their installation and allow for the loads.
2. Buildings are custom
designed for each location, in accordance with the 2010 National Building Code
of Canada and the 2012 British Columbia Building Code. This includes
seismic standards specific to each area. This “alteration” for seismic
standards is applicable to ALL construction, not
just metal buildings. No matter what the structure is composed of,
it will need to be designed according to code and according to the
climatic/seismic data of the area.
3. Steel beams have a
higher fire rating than wood beams. This goes without saying. If specific
ratings are required for various areas of the building, additional methods may
be employed to achieve higher ratings. There are ULC rated metal
building systems that provide 1 and 2 hour ratings without needing spray
fireproofing or drywall. I am not aware of any wood beam/wood stud
construction assemblies that are fire-rated without employing additional
materials.
4. Local trades would
be employed in the installation of the building. As a supplier, we
do not have specific “crews” that need to erect the building in order for it to
be certified.
5. Nucor is the largest
recycler in the world, and utilizes a large percentage of recycled materials in
the fabrication of their buildings.
6. American Buildings
Company is CWB and A660 certified, and engineers are registered professionals
with all provinces and territories.
7. American Buildings
Company has built numerous fire halls and post-disaster facilities, many of
which are in Western Canada. Recent projects include the Nordegg
Fire Hall (photos attached) and Hanna Fire Hall. Other photos of projects
are available for viewing at www.americanbuildings.com
under the Project Gallery – Government drop-down menu.
Kevin Adam, P. Eng.
District Manager - Western Canada
American Buildings Company - a Division of Nucor
Mobile: (780)
977-8837
Office: (780) 757-9346
Fax: (780) 757-9347
Hello Mr. Campbell,
Salt Spring Island's fire department is in the process of
pursuing construction of a new emergency services facility. As a
taxpayer, I have been attending meetings of the fire board as this process
unfolds. Having spoken with friends on Saturna who were involved in the
development of their new fire hall, I am left with the sense that there is
merit (and cost-effectiveness) in considering pre-engineered steel construction
as a possible alternative for Salt Spring. At a recent meeting of the
fire board I raised questions to this effect and received response as quoted in
our local newspaper:
Lucich also questioned why the trustees were not
considering a steel building such as those built by the Saturna Fire Department
and the Salt Spring Tennis Association facility on the golf course property.
Chamney explained the cost savings of using steel doesn’t
include the extra building that has to be constructed inside the steel shell in
order to have load-bearing capabilities for shelves and racks, and to not void
the warranty. He further explained the outside shell would most likely have to
be altered for seismic standards, and said steel beams do not have the fire
rating of wood beams. Using locally sourced materials and hiring local trades
is also a strong consideration, Chamney said, noting steel buildings must be
put together by the supplier’s crew in order to be certified.
Since your company is one of the larger, locally-based
representatives of pre-engineered steel buildings, I would appreciate your
thoughts on the points raised above, or any other clarification that may
help me better understand the costs vs. benefits of this alternative mode of
construction for a "post-disaster" building.
Thank you in advance for your assistance,
Julia Lucich
