Considering metal building systems for your next project? See MBMA’s new video and resources

by Brianna Crandall — August 4 , 2021 — Of interest to those considering specifying metal building systems in their next building project, the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) announced several new resources in recent weeks.

MBS-construction metal building from MBMA

MBMA resources reveal the benefits of metal building systems, including speed of construction, lower overall costs, high levels of insulation and long-lasting metal roofs. Image courtesy MBMA

“How It’s Built” video: This seven-minute presentation gives viewers a comprehensive look at how a metal building comes together — starting with the manufacturing process, followed by construction on a job site, and lastly showing the final touches on a new facility. MBMA notes that revealing the entire building process shows what makes a metal building unique and why these buildings are so popular, including the speed of construction, lower overall costs, high levels of insulation and long-lasting metal roofs. A companion video to MBMA’s “How It’s Made” presentation, “How It’s Built” is available along with approximately 30 videos available to view for free at MBMA’s YouTube channel.

UL fire-resistance-rated designs: Six new UL fire-resistance-rated designs enable common fire-rated wall-roof joints and intersections in metal buildings to meet more stringent energy code requirements while maintaining fire safety. The new UL designs for wall-roof joints between fire-rated assemblies are HW-D-0926, HW-D-0927 and HW-D-0928. For intersections between a fire-rated wall and a non-fire-rated roof, the new UL designs are CJ-D-0029, CJ-D-0030 and CJ-D-0031. The new HW-D/CJ-D head-of-wall assemblies allow for significantly greater levels of insulation. More than 20 fire-resistance-rated assemblies for metal buildings are also available on the MBMA site, along with MBMA’s “Fire Resistance Design Guide for Metal Building Systems.”

Environmental product declarations (EPDs): MBMA released revised EPDs for three metal building product categories: primary rigid framing, secondary framing, and metal cladding for roofs and walls. These resources are valid for five years and are updates to the original MBMA EPDs released in 2016. They provide specifiers, designers and other industry professionals with third-party documentation of the environmental impacts of products used in metal building systems, and can be used to show compliance with LEED and other high-performance building programs.

Common Industry Practices guidebook: A free copy of this new Common Industry Practices guidebook is available to view or download from the MBMA blog. It provides an overview of standard practices for architects, engineers, owners, builders and manufacturers involved in metal building design and construction.