Our Church wants to put on an addition. They want in the addition two bathrooms, a extension to the kitchen, two classrooms and a social room. It will be 40’x50′, they want to use a Pole barn construction for the building. Is this the best kind for what we are doing? The reason they want a pole-barn is because its cheap. Will code allow for a pole barn to be used for habitibal space? We are in SE Michigan.
thanks
Replies
I would think that if it's just a pole barn structure that it will be cheap, but it will be cold and expensive to heat. (Gets chilly in your area doesn't it?).
Whether it meets code for public occupancy is a question for your local building officials.
A pole barn type structure can be a cheap way to get a roof up and an area in the dry. Infilled stud walls, insulation, an insulated ceiling, a heat system and so forth can be put in incrementally if one plans ahead for utilities and so forth, but doing it this way is not always, in the long run, the most economical.
I've seen more than one structure for the purpose you describe built with volunteer labor by the members. In my area a few of those structures are concrete block because the material is cheap and the skills to lay it were available within the membership. And other buildings were just simple stick-framed structures with simple trussed roofs. Again, a skilled member or two was available within the group to kind of guide the project along and ensure that it was done right.
Jules Quaver for President 2004
I would question how much cheaper it would actually be. At 40', you would have to have some pretty serious trusses to clear span that with the snow loads up there.
Then they're more difficult to insulate, add on to, etc.
Ask people why they have deer heads on their walls and they tell you it's because they're such beautiful animals.
I think my wife is beautiful, but I only have photographs of her on the walls.
with a good design... you bet a pole construction can be cheaper....
other than saving money on the foundation and excavation... there is no reason it can't be built with energy efficiency...
typically.. the poles are 4x6 treated to .60 .. another thing to think about..
you can hire pole barn specialists to erect the shell and finish it with volunteer labor..
we've done a few pole construction buildings and additions and think they are just the ticket for certain applications.... like anytime you can use a slab instead of a crawl space or full foundation...
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
"typically.. the poles are 4x6..."
I doubt 4X6 posts would fly up there. With a 40# snow load, and trusses 8' O.C., the reaction on each post would be about 4,800#.Q: What's the difference between government bonds and men?A: Bonds mature.
Boss,
The michigan code allows 4x6- 8 ft.oc. for walls up to 12 ft tall, even up here in the snow belt. I'm not sure if I would do it that way my pole barns all have 10 ft walls with no apparent problems.
Code or not, I doubt a post that small would actually calc out. But it obviously depends on the actual width of the building and the live load required.
I've never seen anyone use 4X6s for posts around here. Save a tree. Wipe yer butt with a spotted owl. (Beak side down)
I think you need to run some numbers on this before you can say that it is cheaper. Yes, it's cheaper if it's a barn but this isn't a barn you are building.
Excellence is its own reward!
Hey don't forget to take extra care with the door threshold; for the threshold of a church will see the soles of many a sinner.
Check out Morton Building at
http://www.mortonbuildings.com/
Morton Building has done many "Church / Multi Use" building. They have been in the pole building business for many many years and in my experience are a first class company to work with. They do a very good job of building for cold weather and know how to give you many other finishes and looks that just a old fashion barn.
In my experience the key thing I like about working with Morton was "no extras". I have build two shop building with them. When you sit down and define what you are getting -- that is what you get -- and since they know what they are doing they don't leave things out.
I would guess that they can show you many examples of church multi use building that they have done for other people. Check out their web site and give them a call.
Deblacksmith
Thanks for your help. The man who cam up with the idea of an addition is a retired school teacher. I dont know how much he really knows about construction. He thinks the chruch people can finish the interior. He wants there to be a kitchen addition in one part. Is it hard to add cabinets to a polebarn building? I would prefer to stick-frame the addition using panelized construction. Is there any other limitations to a pole-barn.
As to finishing the inside I don't see problems with "pole barn construction" from a either an engineering or construction stand point. The system Morton Buildings uses is to run horizontal 2 x 4's (layed flat) on the inside of the post and attach the internal walls to the 2 x 4's. You can place these at any vertical height and spacing that you want so that you have a very good surface for attachment of cabinets. The building Morton built for me had very good insulation with R -19 in the walls between the posts and blow in insulation in the ceiling space.
I see in some other posts that some have question the "snow load" capacity of the pole barn in nothern areas. Again I would refer them to Morton's engineers who have built 1000's of these building in many northern locations. I am also sure that Morton can provide you with a fully engineered building to meet your local code requirements in most cases. They would have provided me with the required engineering stamp if required.
I have no connection to Morton Buildings other than that they have provided me with two buildling in two different states. I do judge there engineering and performance base on 32 years of metals industry engineering and construction experience.
deblacksmith (PE)