The time spent waiting for a project to be completed can often cause unwanted downtime, which is why more businesses are looking to pre-engineered steel construction instead of going conventional.

Brent Thomas, president of W.K. Thomas Construction in Butler, said it has constructed many pre-engineered steel buildings throughout the region since 1990. Although the company does all types of construction, he said pre-engineered buildings have become the largest part of the business.

While many of these may look like they were built through traditional construction, the components such as steel beams, columns, roof sheets and the wall panels are created by a manufacturer off-site and then shipped to the construction site and assembled.

“To put it simply, it’s kind of like a big erector set and you put all the parts together,” Thomas said.

One of the greatest advantages of pre-engineered construction is the reduced time. Depending on the size of a building, it can take as little as four weeks.

Of course, a much larger building will take several months to assemble the components, but a shorter time than conventional construction. Thomas pointed out that Oberg Industries’ new 80,000-square foot plant in Buffalo Township took only nine months to construct.

And for many large warehouse operations or manufacturers, pre-engineered buildings provide what they need. The buildings can have wide open spaces with very few columns to allow more interior room.

“We can have a clear space up to 150 feet without any columns in the middle,” he said. “Most industries need those wide open areas.”

Pre-engineered buildings can also be less expensive to construct. While traditional construction of a 10,000-square foot building may cost from $40 to $60 per square foot, a pre-engineered building might cost $30 to $50 per square foot.

“It’s an inexpensive way to quickly construct a building that offers you a lot of square footage for the dollar,” he said.

In addition, Thomas said the buildings save money by being more energy efficient than a conventionally constructed one.

“We like to talk about not just the cost of the building, but the total cost of ownership over the life span of the building. If we build your building with 12 inches of insulation instead of nine inches, it will reduce your energy costs. It might cost a little bit more upfront, but over the life of your building, it’s going to save money,” he said.

Also, virtually everything on a pre-engineered building is made from recycled steel.

Maintenance costs are also less. The building frames, walls and metal roof and roof systems require little to no maintenance and can last for decades.

For older pre-engineered buildings that were constructed before more modern advances in energy-efficiency construction, Thomas said these buildings can be “re-enveloped.”

“We’re able to go in and add insulation, while at the same time put new siding on the exterior and new roof panels on the roof,” he said. “So you’re able to get practically a new building, while still maintaining the original structure.”

After the initial assembly, a pre-engineered building also can be spruced up with brick, stone, glass block and landscaping giving it more of an eye-catching exterior.

The United Plate Glass Company facility on Grundman Drive in Butler was constructed by W.K. Thomas in 2015 with added brick and stone veneer making it almost unrecognizable as pre-engineered.

United Plate President Mike Cully said the three buildings on the property, which are all pre-engineered, were constructed quickly and the company was able to be operational in a short period of time.

“It’s a spectacular building. We’re pretty proud of it,” he said.

“They can look just like any other building or they can just simply be metal boxes with metal siding and metal roof. You can construct anything from inexpensive to elaborate,” Thomas said.

W.K. Thomas also constructed two pre-engineered buildings for Pittsburgh Power on South Noah Drive in Saxonburg. The first was constructed in 2008 and the second in 2015.

Bruce Mallinson, Pittsburgh Power owner, said a pre-engineered building was important because of the wide open spaces necessary for the diesel engine repair service.

Mallinson said the new buildings were easily constructed and have been trouble-free.