Step 6 : Base Rail Assembly

An Absolute Steel building is very easy to assemble. This is step 6 in a 24 step video series that shows you how to assemble the base rails on a Sierra model Absolute Steel building.

Regardless of whether you’re erecting your building on an existing slab or you poured a slab specifically for the building, use parallel chalk lines to ensure the sidewalls of your building are straight. The building we are installing is 20 feet wide, the parallel chalk lines are 20 feet apart centered on the slab. If the building you ordered is 24 feet wide the parallel chalk lines will be 24 feet apart; you get it now don’t you?

Take a starter base rail (the one with 3 vertical pins) and place it in one of the front corners of the slab but don’t anchor it yet.  Next attach a 10 foot base extender (that’s the one with 2 pins) to the starter base rail. See how easy our “slip joint” connection works! Nice, isn’t it?

For this particular building, you now attach a 5’ base extender (1 pin) to the 10 foot base extender, making up the 25 feet in building length (the actual frame length is 25’-2”). Align the base rail assembly with the chalk line. Assemble the remaining base rail and position it side by side with the first.

Now that you’ve made sure each side of the base rails are equal and straight, fasten each joint with four #12 x 1” TEK  frame screws that were supplied with your building. Move the second base rail assembly to the other side of the building and position it next to the remaining chalk line.

Next we need to take a diagonal measurement to make sure the building is laid out square. Take the measurements diagonally from corner to corner, the distances should be equal. If not, adjust the base rail assemblies’ front to back to be sure your building is square. Try to keep the building centered on the slab as much as possible.

When the base rails are in the proper position make a reference mark at the end of each on the concrete. You will use the reference mark later when you are anchoring the base rails.

Step 7: Anchoring Base Rails

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