Step 1 : The Foundation

Now, I know you want to get rolling but there’s one more thing I need to quickly address before we get start putting together our building and that is permits and engineering. Most areas will require a building permit which, in turn, requires you to submit engineered drawings together with all structural calculations showing that your building meets and/or exceeds your area’s required Design Loads.   And if you’re getting a permit, all this paperwork has to be prepared, stamped and sealed by an engineer licensed in your State. The good news is Absolute Steel buildings will meet these Design Loads and we work with a network of engineers, licensed on all 48 contiguous States.

For more information on engineering and about the concrete/foundation requirements, see Concrete Requirements and Engineered Plans. These pages will address these subjects in more detail.

The building we’re going to put together here is a 5 foot on center, 20 foot wide x 25 foot long building with sidewall height of 8 ½ feet. We’re putting this on an existing 6” slab.  If you had a slab poured according to the assembly instructions, your slab should be 2” wider and 4” longer than the building itself.  The reason we recommend that your slab be a slightly wider and longer than the building itself is because we don’t want you drilling your anchor holes too close to the edge of the slab which can cause it to break or crack. Don’t worry about water leaking under the edge – that will be addressed in a moment.

Step 2: Eave or Corner Brackets

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