Made In Canada
BEHLEN Steel Buildings PRAIRIE STEEL Buildings
Prairie Steel Buildings combine an innovative Open Web Truss System with a screw pile and base tube foundation, delivering farm structures that are strong, cost-effective, and built for Canadian climates.
The Open Web Truss System
Our Prairie Steel Building is a steel open web truss system designed to fit a steel base tube foundation system on screw piles.
A steel open web truss system uses interconnected triangles (webs) between top and bottom chords to create strong, but lightweight structural frames for buildings requiring relatively large clear spans of 60’ to 120’ without interior columns. The open design of the trusses can allow for easy routing of pipes and wires where needed.
The Prairie Steel open web truss system is commonly used for large agricultural equipment storage buildings, hangars, and shops.
The Screw Pile & Base Tube Foundation System
The main distinction of the Prairie Steel Building is that it’s designed to be supported by a steel base tube foundation system which is secured to screw piles. This allows the building owner to opt for a gravel foundation rather than a costly concrete foundation.
Prairie Steel Buildings Competitive Advantages
Prairie Steel Buildings are custom-designed and manufactured in Clavet, Saskatchewan, for farm applications. The open web steel truss system provides large clear spans, making it ideal for equipment storage, farm shops, aircraft hangars, or multi-use agricultural buildings. Supported by a screw pile and steel base tube foundation, these structures can be built on gravel with the option to add concrete later, offering cost savings and budget flexibility. Overall, these buildings are well suited for the Canadian prairies.
Advantages of the Open Web Truss System
- Superior strength-to-weight ratio: The triangulated open web truss design distributes loads efficiently, enabling longer spans with less material than solid beams.
- Cost-saving design: The lightweight open web truss reduces the need for columns and load-bearing walls, opening floor plans and lowering material, foundation, labor, and equipment costs.
- Construction and design flexibility: The open web truss allows HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems to run through the truss without cutting or modifying structural members.
Advantages of the Screw Pile & Base Tube System
- Superior performance in Canadian climates: Screw piles provide a stable, year‑round foundation by anchoring below the frost line, avoiding frost heave and enabling all‑weather installation—even in northern and permafrost regions – while reducing seasonal delays.
- Speed and efficiency: Screw pile foundations install quickly with minimal excavation, provide immediate load‑bearing capacity, and allow construction to start right away – reducing timelines, labor requirements, and overall costs.
- Cost‑effectiveness: Screw pile foundations reduce overall project costs through fast installation, minimal labor, and little to no excavation, while working effectively in a wide range of soil conditions without costly site preparation.
- Environmental benefits: Screw pile foundations minimize soil disturbance, reduce erosion, eliminate the need for high‑carbon concrete, and can be removed and reused – making them an environmentally responsible choice for both permanent and temporary structures.
