Fortifying Communities With Metal-Building Alternatives
A solution to help bring residents together after the current health crisis ends
By Tiffanie Reynolds
Photos: Metal Building Manufacturers Association
Parks and recreation facilities are the heart of a community and provide a valuable way for people to exercise, socialize, and engage, even as they overcome the impacts of COVID-19. The facilities also offer low-cost programs that engage and embolden underserved populations. The equity these facilities provide is critical, but how do municipalities justify constructing recreation facilities when the economy remains unstable? One answer is low-cost, durable, metal-building construction.
However, in many cities, due to budget constraints, either no community center exists or if it does, it is in an area not easily accessible to underserved neighborhoods. Now, more than ever, cities and counties can construct and maintain recreation centers at a low cost. Electing to use metal-building systems up-front will save a public organization time, money, and headaches in the future.
Recreation centers erected with steel systems are not only less expensive to construct than more traditional methods, but they require reduced maintenance, offer an increased lifespan, provide enormous flexibility of use, and are a sustainable solution.
The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) is a national advocacy group with a membership comprised of metal-building manufacturing firms and suppliers that serve this industry. The association, now in its 64th year, documents that the use of metal buildings for parks and recreation facilities has increased by 25 percent over the last six years. In 2014, MBMA members constructed 690 community-recreation buildings, and in 2020, that number grew to 870.
A Smart Solution
In 2019, MBMA surveyed 1,000 people from the architecture, engineering, construction, and development professions for their opinions about using metal buildings for parks and recreation projects. According to Tony Bouquot, MBMA’s general manager, almost half (42 percent) the responders said they’re seeing an increase in the number of recreational centers, arenas, and pool buildings constructed using metal-building systems and listed these systems as the preferred type of construction.
“It’s easy to see why,” says Bouquot. “For large-span buildings like community or recreation centers, metal buildings are an optimal solution; they offer open, column-free space, allowing for flexibility for use as aquatic centers or large athletic facilities, full indoor sports fields, or even meeting and community centers. A metal building can span upwards of 400 feet and include variable eave heights, without needing interior support columns.”
A case in point is the Bentonville Community Center in Arkansas. This 80,000-square-foot facility serves residents of all ages, offering an aquatic center with two pools, a fitness and exercise facility, dance/aerobics studio, gymnasium, indoor running track, community rooms, an arts and crafts center, secure child-care, a senior activity lounge, and a mini-branch library. Integrated mezzanines in metal buildings provide space efficiencies and typically house administrative functions.
According to materials provided by Crossland Construction Company on its website, using a metal-building structure rather than a conventional wood or concrete building saved the city more than $1.2 million. This savings allowed the parks department to offer more comprehensive and diverse programs. “Using metal-building systems is a growing trend in parks and recreation facilities because construction is faster and more efficient than typical construction methods, and it is easier and less expensive to maintain,” adds Bouquot. The cost benefits that metal structures offer may make the option most attractive during periods of economic downturn, which cause local government revenue to fluctuate.
Another example is the Towns County Recreation and Conference Center in Hiawassee, Ga., constructed as an economic-development project for its local jurisdiction. This 37,161-square-foot facility is comprised of a double gymnasium, large community room, kitchen, and multiple offices. The venue was not only less expensive to construct and now maintain, but it has become a revenue generator for the greater Hiawassee community.
A Sustainable Solution
Steel-building construction also provides a sustainable solution. Because nearly every metal-building component incorporates recycled steel, it has the least material impact on the environment. The American Iron and Steel Institute states that steel is the most recycled and recyclable material in the world. Structural steel has a recycling rate of 98 percent, and 76 percent of steel (in general) is recycled at its end of life.
“Sustainability is one key value of metal buildings,” Bouquot says. “The building manufacturers that belong to MBMA use sustainable manufacturing processes like an optimized engineering analysis for metal-building frames—meaning only the steel required to construct the building is manufactured—so waste is minimized.”
Typically, whatever amount of steel is needed at the most critical area of a building is what defines the amount required for the remainder of the structure. Metal buildings are structurally efficient as they use about 30 percent less steel and are lighter than conventional steel buildings. With the optimized design process the MBMA member companies use, the steel-frame parts are custom-engineered, creating virtually no waste. Scrap at the factory is reduced to 5 to 6 percent, and what remains is typically recycled. Bottom line … 100 percent of steel material sent to a job site is used, and construction waste is dramatically reduced.
Budget-Friendly Throughout Its Life Cycle
Bouquot explains that metal buildings offer long-lasting, durable performance with low maintenance costs. In general, roofing components and wall panels of a metal-building system are coated with an aluminum, silicon, and zinc alloy that is highly resistant to corrosion because of the microscopic formation of zinc- and aluminum-rich zones within the coating.
The MBMA recently commissioned a total life-cycle analysis of the cost of a metal roof compared to that of a conventional roof on a 100,000-square-foot building (for a large, indoor athletic or recreation center). The initial cost for a standing-seam metal roof is approximately $700,000 with a 40-year lifespan requiring minimal maintenance. A conventional built-up membrane roof costs approximately $500,000 with a 10- to 15-year lifespan. Considering a lifespan of 40 years, the conventional roof would cost $2 million for replacement and maintenance versus a mere $710,000 for a metal roof. Long-term maintenance costs—such as clearing snow/ice from flat roofs, patching roof leaks, and replacing roofs—can add up when going the route of a traditional roof.
Flexibility Is Key
Placer Valley Event Center in Roseville Calif., is another flexible event-center space with 160,000 square feet, including 12 basketball courts (or 24 volleyball courts), eight meeting rooms accommodating up to 6,000 people, and 10,000 square feet of lobby space. The facility requires no support columns to serve its courts, achieves a 35-foot ceiling height, and allows for future expansion by the removal of only one wall. The long-span frames and strong structural-steel supports provided by using a metal building-system frame were the solution that met the facility’s space and height requirements in a budget-friendly manner.
Since opening in February 2020, the Placer Valley Event Center has booked a variety of events, ranging from the state bar exam, trade shows, and an indoor Renaissance festival to high school graduations and sports tournaments.
While the COVID-19 crisis has sent some state and local governments into an economic tailspin, there will always be a need for cost-efficient, flexible public spaces that provide respite for residents. These park and recreation assets are a tangible reflection of the quality of life in a community. An article posted on health.gov, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s website, claims these facilities “encourage physical activity, mental health, socialization, a connection to nature, and promote health equity in low-income, underserved communities.”
Today, it is vitally important to provide accessible and affordable programs to help residents reengage in society after prolonged social distancing and shelter-in-place mandates. A quick-to-construct, low-maintenance, sustainable, flexible metal-building system can be a functional solution for bringing a community together again.
As the Director of Marketing and Communications for MGT Consulting Group in Tampa, Fla., Tiffanie Reynolds is a writer and marketing communications professional, serving consulting firms ranging in size from 100 to 22,000 employees across the globe. Reach her at treynolds@mgtconsulting.com.