Pre-Engineered Buildings vs Conventional Buildings: Which is Better?

Over the years, building technology has been constantly developing and innovating from conventional building techniques to one of the most recent construction innovations, the pre-engineered buildings (PEBs), also known as prefabricated buildings. But which type of building structure is better? If you plan to build a new building project, it is important to consider some important parameters to help you decide which type of structural building technique is more cost-effective and sustainable.

Pre-engineered buildings are built mostly in steel and are factory-made, shipped to the site, and bolted together. The rigid framing completes the roof, beams, and columns.

The other exterior panels are assembled, along with structural elements and accessories. Pre-engineered buildings revolutionized the construction market with their built-up sections in place of conventional hot-rolled sections. Larger column-free area sets PEBs apart, compared to their conventional counterparts.

Pre- engineered Building Reefer Rack

Conventional buildings, on the other hand, are traditional buildings consisting of steel, brick, and cement sections. These are fabricated and assembled at the site. Conventional building methods involve welding and cutting, which are done largely at the construction sites. A conventional building is designed from scratch, requiring substantial design inputs, and detailing of the intricacies is done by consultants.

Pre-fabricated Steel Buildings Installation on Site

Here we have differentiated between the pre-engineered buildings and conventional buildings on various parameters, which will help you understand a proper comparison between the Pre-engineered buildings and conventional buildings.

Parameter	Pre-Engineered Building	Conventional Building
Weight	About 20-30% lighter than the conventional buildings.	Structural members of the conventional buildings are Hot Rolled, which makes the building heavyweight.
Structure	Primary members are tapered. Secondary Members are lightweight & rolled framed ‘Z’ & ‘C’ sections	Primary members are hot rolled ‘I’ sections. Secondary members are ‘I’ & ‘C’ sections, which are heavier in weight.
Design	Software-based Standard designs that are replicable. The design of a PEB structure is efficient due to its integral framing system.	Partially automated designs with manual intervention. Requires more time and offers less precision in design.
Delivery Timeline	The components of the PEBs are designed at the factory, so they require a significantly shorter duration for their construction.	The delivery of conventional buildings is prolonged as compared to the PEB structures and can extend depending on complexity.
Foundation	Simple design and easy to build, as the structural weight of the building is low, it requires a simple foundation design.	Substantial investment in foundation work is required as the weight of the building is greater, so it requires more cost for the construction of the foundation.
Erection Process	Easier, faster, and safer.	Labor-intensive.
Seismic Resistance	The PEB offers good resistance against seismic actions due to its lightweight and flexible members.	Conventional Buildings cannot withstand seismic actions due to their heavy, rigid members.
Sustainability	Reduced wastage and a lesser impact on the environment due to lean construction.	Wastage and energy consumption.
Flexibility	Future expansion is simple, easy, and cost-effective, as PEBs can be easily expanded in width as well as height by adding additional bays. A single supplier can coordinate changes.	Revisions or additions can be difficult and costly due to extensive redesign.
Performance	All components are specified and designed to act together as a system, for maximum efficiency, precise fit, and performance.	Components are designed in general for possible use in many alternative configurations.
Accountability	Single source responsibility.	Multiple vendors are involved.
Overall Cost	Lower cost due to the savings in design, manufacturing, and on-site erection cost.
Applications	Best suited for industrial, infrastructure, and warehousing projects.	Best suited for commercial establishments, institutional structures, industrial, and residential applications.

Both pre-engineered and conventional buildings have their own advantages. Choosing the right kind of building structure depends on design requirements and materials your project demands. One must consider budget, safety, durability and maintenance before arriving at a decision.

Pre-engineered Building Components Loading for Shipping

ESC can supply an assortment of prefabricated steel buildings, also known as pre-engineered steel buildings (PEB), for a wide range of applications: from workshops, agricultural buildings, aircraft hangers, dealerships, industrial buildings, retail stores, and more.

Utilizing steel is a sustainable, cost-effective, and very durable building material solution. It easily meets both aesthetic, technical requirements of a range of building codes around the world. ESC's full service, along with its roster of industry experts in engineering and manufacturing, allows fabrication to follow all the way from the factory to the site, providing hassle-free solutions to its customers.

Other Steel Structure Fabrication Capabilities

Miscellaneous steel items for the Material Offloading Facilities

Bailey Bridge

Auxiliary Structures

Wastewater Treatment Plant

ESC is an expert steel structure fabrication company. Contact ESC to discuss your requirements.