# I need help with a bid, steel building.



## chewy (May 9, 2010)

I havent been allowed to drill steel since 2/22/2010 no engineer wants to sit infront of a panel of beaurecrats explaining why a catostrophic failure occured.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

Dude its just a carport , likely made by american steel , I have a couple of them , they are pretty cool anyways if I was you I would not drill the bottoms of the trusses , but I would drill the sides and use a l bracket to hang the strut on or just something to hang the lights from. Is it a 14 or 12 gauge tube ? What is the size of it and how many lights


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

jackchain


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

Tubing is 12 gauge. the building is 45' by 20'. I have been advised that the area is subject to very high winds.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

five.five-six said:


> Tubing is 12 gauge. the building is 45' by 20'. I have been advised that the area is subject to very high winds.


What part of the country ? Snow ? Need info


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## johnnyontheside (Aug 30, 2010)

You could screw 3/4" minis to the steel and attach emt in place of the strut. Then attach mini to top of light and hang the light from emt.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

We are not structural engineers 556. 

Your _'head of buildings' _municipal entity knows this, has a stamped architectural , and doesn't wish to budget any engineering into what most likely _he _forgot.

Do yourself a favor, bid to his wishes, then include a caveat dependent on some 3rd entity's decision, essentially landing liability on Mr H-O-B's lap

~CS~


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

socalelect said:


> What part of the country ? Snow ? Need info


I live in California, this "snow" you are asking about, is it the white stuff that I see on the TV news?



This facility is high enough that it may get a few inches every few years.




chicken steve said:


> We are not structural engineers 556.
> 
> Your _'head of buildings' _municipal entity knows this, has a stamped architectural , and doesn't wish to budget any engineering into what most likely _he _forgot.
> 
> ...



Yea, and here's the thing. Mr H-O-B has had several other similar structures, smaller and without sides lighted the way he prescribed. I didn't realize at the time but he was having a little uh-oh moment when I was questioning how to attach the unistrut.


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## That_Dude (Feb 13, 2012)

I'd go with what the head of building service says. Drilling 1/4" hole should not be much of a problem in a 2 1/2" tube.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

Like I said just drill the holes on the sides and not bottoms of the trusses , think of the tube like a I beam you sure as hell wouldn't drill the flanges of that


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

I would drill the 1/4" holes and not think twice about it. How many screws do you think go through the roof sheeting? And you're worried about a few 1/4" holes....?


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## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

Why don't you sell the "head of the building" on some beam clamps if that's what you want to use? After explaining to him the added benefits and labour savings, they should sell themselves.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

Cow said:


> I would drill the 1/4" holes and not think twice about it. How many screws do you think go through the roof sheeting? And you're worried about a few 1/4" holes....?


How is he going to thread the holes ? 12 gauge tube won't make many threads with a course threaded fastner


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

I don't know of any clamps that fit that tube. Perhaps square u bolts.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

jza said:


> Why don't you sell the "head of the building" on some beam clamps if that's what you want to use? After explaining to him the added benefits and labour savings, they should sell themselves.


Beam clamps for sq tube I never seen em


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

five.five-six said:


> I don't know of any clamps that fit that tube. Perhaps square u bolts.


Ya beat me to it


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

five.five-six said:


> Yea, and here's the thing. Mr H-O-B has had several other similar structures, smaller and without sides lighted the way he prescribed. I didn't realize at the time but he was having a little uh-oh moment when I was questioning how to attach the unistrut.


I'd just carefully word any written exchange so that it remains _his uh-oh_ in any event 556

~CS~


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

chicken steve said:


> I'd just carefully word any written exchange so that it remains _his uh-oh_ in any event 556
> 
> ~CS~


At the time I was discussing the connection system, I hadn't seen the other structures yet... 


I think square U-Bolts will be fine and I won't need any written disclaimers. I am going to play with my kids and then have the quote out by Monday morning.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

socalelect said:


> How is he going to thread the holes ? 12 gauge tube won't make many threads with a course threaded fastner


Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it, I figured he knew how he was doing it. I would rather use some #14 x 1" self drilling sheetmetal screws with a 3/8" hex head that Fastenal sells, I keep them on the truck in a few different sizes.

http://www.fastenal.com/web/product...Mv84VlxfdkJRDlJLMt071yB!-628775415!-888801569


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