Study shows metal building construction boom

Study shows metal building construction boom

According to the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA), in 2004, 40.7% of low-rise, non-residential buildings were built using metal building systems. This marks a 2.7% increase over 2003 and represents the fourth straight year in which such materials gained in market share. Metal building construction held a 32.9% market share in 2001, before increasing to 35.5%, and 38% in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Metal building systems offer durable, economic construction and can be assembled quickly. To overcome what many viewed as bland, generic cracker box designs, manufacturers developed ways to incorporate more aesthetically pleasing materials into their designs. Today’s metal buildings combine materials such as glass, stone, concrete, and wood to create structures that are as much functional as they are beautiful. Of the 40.7% of metal buildings built in 2004, the figures breakdown to 43.7% commercial buildings (retail stores, banks), 30.6% manufacturing (plants, warehouses), 16.9% community buildings (hospitals, churches), and 9.8% miscellaneous (parking garages, greenhouses).