What Are Clear Span Steel Buildings?

Clear span steel buildings allow builders and architects to cover a space without using interior columns in order to create wide, obstruction-free, enclosed spaces the entire width of the exterior frame. In addition, the unique frame style of clear span metal buildings allows users the versatility to move large machinery or rearrange floor plans without hindrance — an ideal choice for agricultural storage, factories, warehouses, aircraft hangars, recreational settings, and more. 

What’s the Longest Clear Span Building Length?

Clear span building lengths can extend up to 300 feet (the length of a soccer field) without intermediate supporting columns; however, lengths greater than 150 feet may require custom engineering. Most commonly, clear span lengths range from 40 to 100 feet. 

How Long Do Clear Span Steel Buildings Last?

With proper maintenance, durable and disaster-resistant steel buildings will maintain their strength and integrity, lasting as long as the owner desires. In addition, steel framing systems easily adjust to horizontal expansions, new loading conditions, and changes in owner needs, allowing for a new life beyond their original design, further increasing their lifespan. 

American Clear Span Steel Building Prices

Disclaimer: Construction prices’ current drastic fluctuations require us to advise using the following information as a general guide for clear span steel building prices, subject to change due to material costs, supply chain issues, and consumer demand.

Clear span building prices range between $12 and $19 per ft2. You can expect an increase in concrete and erection costs for 10,000 ft2 and larger steel buildings because they require extra crews and a 10,000-pound shooting boom forklift.

The turnkey cost for clear span building pricing must also include land, grading, foundation, soft costs (legal fees, permits, insurance, architectural drawings, engineering, taxes, non-permanent furniture, portable construction equipment, etc.), and financing expenses.

Breaking Down the Frame Styles of Clear Span Steel Buildings

Deciding on the best framing style for your clear span steel building depends on how you plan to use the structure. An adequately engineered building frame will support the structure’s intended application, weight, size, and scope. Therefore, we strongly recommend you consult with our building experts at Allied Steel to determine the optimum specialized steel building frame for your project. 

Straight Column Clear Span

Straight column clear span gabled rigid frames provide uniform depth columns and variable depth rafters, with a ridge at the centerline of the frame. These frames create a clear interior space, allowing full use of the floor space. They are often used for small commercial applications, such as offices, shopping centers, free-standing retail, fire stations, and convenience stores. 

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS:

• Standard roof slopes of 1/2:12 to 1:12
• Width of 16′ to 120′ and over
• Height of 8′ to 60′ and over 

Tapered Column Clear Span

Tapered column clear span rigid frames, with variable depth columns and rafters, and ridge at the centerline of the frame, create optimal efficiency of interior space — an ideal choice for large areas like aircraft hangers, agricultural equipment, or grain storage, warehouses, gyms, and indoor soccer or tennis arenas. 

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS:

• Standard roof slopes of 1/2:12 to 2:12
• Gabled or single sloped
• Width: 30′ to 300′ and over
• Height: 10′ to 60′ and over

Straight Single Slope Clear Span

Straight column clear span single slope rigid frames contain uniform depth columns, and uniform or variable depth rafters provide a structure with one roof surface and single-sided drainages. They are commonly used for shopping malls, convenience stores, and retail stores, particularly for spaces needing drainage control. 

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS:

• Standard roof slope: 1/2:12
• Width: 15′ to 120′ and over
• Height: 8′ to 60′ and over

Straight Column Multiple Span

 Straight column multiple span gable rigid frames contain uniform depth columns and uniform or variable depth rafter sections supported by an intermediate column with a ridge at the centerline of the frame. The interior columns distribute the loads, lessening the cost of extra-wide steel framed buildings. The multiple span straight column frame offers an ideal solution for distribution centers, manufacturing, warehouses, and other industrial purposes that require a high eave height of extensive square footage.

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS:

• Standard roof slope: 1/2:12
• Width: 10′ to 600′ and over
• Height: 20′ to 60′ and over

Tapered Column Multiple Span

Tapered column multi-span gabled rigid frames with variable depth columns and uniform or variable depth rafter sections, and a ridge at the centerline of the frame contain intermediate columns that reduce span lengths, lessening costs. Tapered columns, multi-span frames provide a solution for facilities needing high eaves or extensive square footage. They also allow partitioning the walls for finishing office spaces or extensive racking, essential for warehouses and distribution centers.  

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS:

• Standard roof slope: 1/2:12
• Width: 10′ to 600′ and over
• Height: 20′ to 60′ and over

Single Slope Multiple Span

Straight column multi-span single slope rigid frames contain consistent depth columns and uniform or varying depth rafter sections supported by intermediate columns, providing one-way drainage. Large square-footage warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities challenged with drainage issues will opt for single slope, multiple span frames. 

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS:

• Standard roof slope: 1/2:12
• Width: 10′ to 600′ and over
• Height: 12′ to 60′ and over

Why Buy Allied Open Span Steel Buildings?

Allied clear span steel building kits provide architects, contractors, and building owners with several advantages when building large span buildings: design versatility, quick free-span steel buildings construction, and reduced long-term expenses. In addition, Allied Steel span buildings create eco-friendly structures with good indoor environmental quality (IEQ). 

We recommend working with our experienced design team for constructing your free span metal building. The design team can customize your clear span steel building with accessories like insulation, large-overhead doors, windows, fans, and more. 

Versatile Building Kits

At Allied Steel Buildings, we pre-design and pre-engineer customized building kits, offering several design options for roof systems and wall panels to meet our customers’ specific needs and code requirements. In addition, our modular, pre-engineered buildings allow for easy expansion and even re-location for buildings less than 10,000 ft2.

Quick and Simple Construction

Our pre-engineered building kits arrive at the job site pre-cut, pre-drilled, pre-welded, and pre-painted. Builders and DIYs can quickly and easily bolt the precisely cut and prepped pieces together with accuracy using standard construction tools. 

You can finish one of our buildings in just a few weeks, saving nearly 60 percent on construction costs compared to traditional building methods, like wood.  

 Reduces Long-Term Costs

Steel buildings contribute towards lessening energy, maintenance, and repair costs: 

• You can efficiently light and ventilate clear span spacing, reducing your energy use, saving money, and contributing to a healthier indoor environment. 
• Steel has properties that minimize maintenance and repair costs. It has a higher strength-to-weight ratio for built-in resistance to structural damage from high winds, earthquakes, and heavy snows than wood construction. 
• Unlike wood construction, durable, dimensionally stable, and corrosive-resistant steel buildings will resist pests and will not expand and contract with fluctuating moisture levels. 
• The tensile and comprehensive strength protects them from seismic forces and severe winds of 180 mph. Building disaster-resistant wood structures costs 25–30 percent more than standard wood-frame construction.
• The strength of the steel building protects against snow loads reaching 120 lbs/ft2. 
• Non-combustible steel withstands fires and limits the spread of flames. However, combustible wood quickly spreads flames during a fire, putting the occupants and building at more significant risk of injury than a fire-resistant steel structure. 
• Allied Steel PEB buildings provide paint finishes with multiple-decade warranties that protect against peeling, blistering, cracking, chipping, unlike rot-prone wooden structures.
• Insurance companies determine a structure’s premiums based on the building’s resistance to damage. The design of Allied Steel Buildings contributes to lower insurance rates than comparable wood-framed structures. 

Eco-Friendly Buildings

Allied Steel Building is an ideal solution to green construction because we use recycled, non-toxic content to make our long-lasting, durable, and sustainable steel buildings. Moreover, our precise manufacturing process reduces construction waste.

About Allied Steel Buildings

Since 2003, Allied Steel Buildings has put their customers first, delivering on their promises and setting the bar high, manufacturing over 5,000 structures worldwide, including many clear span structures. Their friendly and knowledgeable building and engineering experts provide excellent support, and will help you:

• Meet your building codes, 
• Edit and finalize your drawings with your project manager, 
• Supply your structural blueprints to pull permits, 
• Price your clear span steel building 

Call us today at 1.877.997.8335 or fill in our contact form to learn more about Allied Steel clear span steel buildings!