Understanding the Engineering Process and Types of Drawings for a Pre-Engineered Metal Building (PEMB)

When you decide to build a Pre-Engineered Metal Building (PEMB), one of the most important parts of the process is the engineering. A PEMB is custom-designed to meet your specific needs while ensuring safety, durability, and cost-effectiveness. The engineering process involves creating detailed drawings that guide the construction of your building. In this blog, we’ll break down the different types of drawings you’ll receive: Approval Drawings, Permit Drawings, and Construction Drawings.

The Engineering Process for a PEMB

The process starts with understanding your building’s requirements, including size, use, location, and any special features you want. Based on this information, engineers create a design that meets local building codes and structural requirements. They’ll also perform calculations to ensure your building can handle factors like wind, snow, and seismic loads. Once this is complete, they prepare the drawings that will guide the construction process. Different Types of Drawings You’ll Receive:

1. Approval Drawings

These are the initial set of drawings that show the basic design of the building. They help you visualize the layout, structure, and key elements like the roof and walls. Approval drawings are usually less detailed and are provided for your review before moving forward. You’ll get a chance to check that everything meets your expectations before the design moves to the next stage. Approval drawings are typically used to confirm:

• Overall design (size, shape, features)
• Key structural elements
• The basic layout of the building

Once you approve these drawings, the project moves forward to the next stage.

2. Permit Drawings

Once the basic design is approved, the next step is creating permit drawings. These are more detailed and are used to apply for local permits from your city or county. Permit drawings include all the necessary information for the building to meet local zoning and building codes. These drawings must comply with all safety regulations, environmental factors, and construction standards.

Permit drawings typically include:

• Foundation details (size, type, anchor bolt placement)
• Structural components (beams, columns, and trusses)
• Roof and wall panel details (material, insulation, and finishes)
• Site plan (where the building will be placed)

The permit drawings are submitted to your local building department for approval. Once

they approve the drawings, you can move forward with construction.

3. Construction Drawings

The final set of drawings is the construction drawings, which are the most detailed. These are used by the contractors and builders to construct your PEMB. Construction drawings provide all the precise measurements, material specifications, and assembly instructions needed for each part of the building.

Construction drawings typically include:

• Foundation details with exact measurements for footings and anchor bolts.
• Framing and steel structure details including column sizes, beams, trusses, and how everything will connect.
• Roof and wall panel specifications with installation instructions.
• Electrical plans (if applicable), showing where lights, outlets, and wiring will go.
• Connection details, show how different structural elements will be fastened together.

These drawings ensure that every step of the construction process is clear and organized, ensuring the building is built exactly as planned.

Conclusion

The engineering process for a Pre-Engineered Metal Building (PEMB) involves several stages and the drawings you receive at each step are crucial for the success of the project. Approval Drawings give you a basic design to review, Permit Drawings ensure everything meets local codes and regulations, and Construction Drawings provide detailed instructions for building the structure. At Mountain State Steel Buildings, we handle every aspect of the design and engineering process, ensuring you receive accurate and detailed drawings for every stage. Whether you’re building a warehouse, workshop, or garage, we’re here to guide you through the process and ensure everything goes smoothly. Ready to get started? Contact us today!