We Love a Challenge: Installing Metal Buildings For Cold Climates and Remote Locations
Did you know that the coldest project site MSC has worked on was -50C in Iqaluit? MSC thrives when three things come together in a project: remote locations, challenging logistics, and helping bring a client’s vision to life using our metal building expertise.
We love a challenge, and we also love working in the further corners of Western and Northern Canada, so when the going gets cold and remote, MSC is excited to step up to the plate. Not only are these projects invigorating for us, but steel buildings are also the best choice for many applications in challenging locations or for extreme weather.
Extreme weather in Canada
The highest recorded temperature in Canada is 49.6C, and the lowest is -63C. We live in a country that likes to throw extreme weather curveballs at you. That makes future-proofing your business more important than ever.
Investing in steel buildings for your business is an excellent choice for either temperature swings and any rain or sleet in between, thanks to the high strength-to-weight ratio, durability, and insulating power of the material.
Why steel buildings are a great choice for extreme cold
As a building material, steel has many properties that make it the best choice for extreme cold.
- Performance under cold temperatures: Some of steel's excellent properties as a material, such as strength and elasticity, are actually at their highest point the colder the temperatures drop.
- Strength-to-weight ratio: Pre-engineered steel buildings are created using commercial-grade steel, which has one of the strongest strength-to-weight ratios of any building material. That strength is crucial when standing up to strong winds, heavy snow, sleet, and hail.
- Ductility: Steel is a highly ductile material—meaning it can take a beating. Steel is able to withstand more damage than many other materials, i.e., bending of beams or buckling, before a collapse. This also makes it a great choice for those wanting to withstand potential earthquakes!
- Rust and corrosion-resistant: Pre-engineered metal buildings are resistant to oxidation thanks to their galvanized steel components. This resistance makes them suitable for conditions where the buildings may be exposed to moisture for long periods of time. The walls and roof of a pre-engineered steel building are also finished with a protective paint coat that fights rust and adds a customizable aesthetic touch.
- Insulated for stable temperatures: High R-value insulation in pre-engineered steel buildings helps maintain and stabilize interior temperatures. This insulation provides resistance to heat and cold and even helps prevent moisture and condensation build-up.
What is the R-value?
R-value is the thermal resistance and measurement of how well something resists heat flow. In simpler terms, it’s the rating of how well something is insulated. A higher R-value means higher insulation, or better at insulating your building.
Just because something has a high R-value doesn’t mean that it will make your building unbearably hot in the summer. On the contrary, solid insulation should also result in less heat gain in the warmer months.
Typically, a building will come with R30 insulation in the roof and R20 in the walls, but that number can increase depending on needs and climate.
For instance, in Fort St. John, BC, we installed R40 roofing insulation on a custom metal shop.
What kind of insulation is used in metal buildings?
A variety of insulation materials can be used for steel buildings, including fiberglass, mineral wool, cellulose, polyurethane foam, and polystyrene, but the gold standard in the industry today is insulated metal panels or IMPs.
Insulated metal panels: These panels are made from foam core rather than the compressed materials of the past and have a more effective R-value. As energy codes have evolved, specializing in IMPs has been crucial in meeting today's standards.
Considerations for a winter build
While we try to tackle projects in the summer, if a winter build has to happen it isn’t impossible, just challenging. Steel buildings have an advantage over other materials when it comes to construction as they are manageable in all but the most extreme weather.
Delays can happen when undertaking a winter build due to factors like:
- Weather
- Employee safety considerations
- Fewer daylight hours
While progress might be affected by these factors, MSC’s coldest project site reached -50C. We’re not afraid of a good challenge and have the planning, provisions, and insight to get your winter build off the ground.
Other benefits of metal buildings for extreme weather
Beyond being a great choice for extreme cold, metal buildings are an ideal choice for most extreme weather, including heat and fire, and have even stood up against earthquakes thanks to their low height and lightweight. Steel as a building material is:
- Non-combustible, so it won’t catch fire or relieve vapors when exposed to heat
- Highly ductile, so able to withstand high loads of pressure and bending before collapse
- High strength-to-weight ratio
- Rust and corrosion-resistant
How MSC handles complex steel building projects in remote locations
At MSC, we’re masters of logistics and relationship building. Both of those assets are key when managing builds in remote locations. MSC has the full-service capabilities to project manage, design, supply, and install buildings as far north as Iqaluit or remote smaller locations in BC or Alberta.
The benefits of steel buildings for remote locations
Opting for a steel building in a remote location has many benefits beyond just us being excited to install them.
- Steel buildings are erected quickly
- Remote locations are often subjected to extreme weather conditions that steel buildings are excellent at withstanding
- Steel buildings are versatile, making them adaptable to multiple uses
- The low maintenance of steel buildings makes them ideal locations where access and services may be challenging
We love remote projects; here’s the proof:
NCC Development Warehousing in Iqaluit, Nunavut
Three time zones away, MSC undertook three different metal warehouse projects and a media studio for NCC Warehousing in Iqaluit. While the process was new to NCC at the time, the company was so impressed with MSC’s ability to handle the projects in a remote location while maintaining professionalism and helping smooth out any bumps from it being NCC’s first experience.
Just outside of Fort McMurray, this gas station/convenience store is not large, coming in a t 40-by-75 feet, but features all the amenities of a conventional service station, including a convenience store, gas bar, and restrooms. The building was finished with three-inch insulated wall panels and a single-slope, standing-seam roof with an R-value of 30.
Victoria Gold Corp Mining Building in White Horse, Yukon
This 14,070 square-foot truck shop for Victoria Gold Corp. in the Yukon features insulated metal panels for the roof and walls, a custom-sealed wash bay with epoxy columns, heavy-duty industrial door canopies, and more.
Way at the northern end of BC, close to the Yukon border, Atlin is one of the more remote locations MSC has serviced. The location required special care on the planning and logistics end to get this home shop off the ground. That didn’t stop us from completing this aesthetically unique building with a 9:12 roof pitch, the steepest roof MSC has ever installed.
Metal Structure Concepts has been designing and constructing steel buildings in Western Canada for over 20 years. From retail spaces to warehouses to wineries and more, we are the experts for your next project. Contact us today for a free quote.