The “pole barn” has been around for centuries. In fact, many prehistoric people used posts driven into the ground as a way to erect buildings for a number of uses. Buildings along shorelines were built with poles to raise them above the water line. In rural areas, poles were used as the base for farm sheds.
However, these buildings could only be relied on for a short period of time as the lifespan of the poles were limited due to contact with the ground, unless they were built in very dry regions.
As the Great Depression settle in and building materials were hard to come by, a new type of pole building emerged. An American entrepreneur designed a building that used 2′ x 4′ boards and a truss system.
Pole Buildings Move into Canada
In 1963, Irvin Goodon, known as Canada’s Post Frame Pioneer, designed and built the first treated pole cattle shelter in Manitoba. “Over forty years later, that same design is being used,” says Goodon. He continued to developed the design and engineering focusing on efficient buildings for the farm community, paving the way for today’s modern post frame buildings.
Award-winning Goodon is widely credited as being instrumental in developing a practical and economical building alternative for the Canadian farmer.
Hip roof barn: new design for post frame
Advances in Post Frame
Since the humble beginning of pole buildings, the industry has experienced many advances in
engineering. Treated, laminated posts are standard in most building practices. Another option is the superior Permanent Wood Foundation (PWF) treated wood post that has an even higher level of protection than regular treated wood. Engineering to local codes, large rib metal with 40-year warranty, energy efficient doors and windows, Hardie Board siding, new building designs and modern accessories are just some of the innovations of the post frame industry.
Concrete Post: Exciting new development for Canadian farmers
New Era for Post Frame with Engineered Concrete Base for Post
Probably the biggest advance for post frame today is the introduction of the Perma-Column. Perma-Columns are precast concrete columns that keep wood out of the ground. They are the first product to combine the economy of post frame construction with the durability of a concrete foundation.
About Perma-Column
- Uses the latest in self-compacting concrete precasting technology, which gives three times the strength of standard concrete
- The special concrete mixture is designed to be so dense that water can’t penetrate it and subsequently freeze/thaw to break it up. The mixture is comparable to that used in bridge piers—meaning that it must stand up to cold temperatures around water.
- Find out more about why this concrete works
- Used for years in the U.S. and thoroughly tested by the universities of Wisconsin and Purdue, the Perma-Column outperforms standard wood posts
- Comes with a lifetime guarantee
- Find out more about the Perma-Column engineering specs.
Goodon also believes the Perma-Column to be the most important advance in the post frame industry in years. “Having been in the industry for close to 50 years, I believe this technology will significantly extend the life of post frame buildings here in Canada–especially considering the weather extremes of our climate.”
Modern Applications for Post Frame
If you look around the rural Canadian landscape, post frame buildings are everywhere serving a wide range of purposes: machinery storage, farm shops, hay and grain storage, riding arenas, commercial operations, new hip roof style barns and more. And it’s just started. Stay tuned to see what else is coming for post frame!
Tips to help pick the perfect doors
Every post frame building needs at least one door to make it functional. In reality, most buildings require two or more to make it the most useable for you. But how do you choose the doors that would work best for your operation? After all, this is one of the most critical decisions when designing a building.
Before You Start
Key points to consider when choosing doors for your building:
- What will you be using the doors for? Moving animals or equipment?
- What’s the largest piece of equipment you would bring in?
- How many different types of doors will you need?
- What purpose will each serve? Where is the most logical flow of traffic to help direct where you would place the door(s)?
- Do you need to drive your equipment straight through the building? If so, would you consider having doors on both ends?
- Is the building insulated or cold storage? Will you potentially insulate it in the future?
- What’s your budget?
What You Need to Know
Here’s a quick primer on the pros and cons of doors available for post frame buildings.
1. Sliding Doors
Benefits:
Sliding door in machine shed
- Most economical
- Wide range of uses for all building types
- Great for cold storage
- Available in widths up to 32’
- Available in all colours
- Moderate seal against building
Application:
Used in all types of post frame buildings
Considerations:
- Generally used for uninsulated or cold storage buildings
- Manually operated
2. Overhead Doors
Benefits:
Shop with overhead doors
- Available in a variety of sizes up to 30’ wide
- Have an insulation value of R16
- Clear span to 30’
- Tight seal against building (weather stripping)
- Optional electric operators
- Optional remote control
- Can be used in insulated or cold storage buildings
- Available in bright white
Application:
Riding arenas, shops, garages, commercial, barns, acreage
Considerations:
- Need extra 2’ in height for clearance
3. Bi-fold Doors
Benefits:
30’ x 18’ bi-fold door
- Heavy-duty doors
- Long lasting
- Clear span to 90’ makes it a great option for large openings
- Full height opening means no head room loss
- Tight seal against building (weather stripping)
- 220 volt electric operator comes standard with door
- Many accessories available including remote control, automatic locking controls and more
- Available in all colours
- Bi-fold doors supplied by industry leader Diamond Doors
Application:
Wide range of uses from airplane hangars to insulated shops
Can be used for cold storage or insulated applications for any large building
See a bi-fold door in action on an airplane hangar.
4. Walk-in Doors
Benefits:
- Available in 3’ or 4’ widths
- Steel
- Available in bright white
Application:
We suggest adding a smaller service door (walk-in) beside larger doors so that the large door does not have to be opened for routine activities.
Next Steps
Take measurements
The increasing size of today’s farm equipment requires increasingly larger door openings. Avoid unpleasant surprises by taking measurements of your equipment and carefully verify your needs.
Choose the characteristics
We’ve looked at the general characteristics of the different types of doors and where to best use them. Now it’s time to decide which characteristics will work best with your needs
Decide on placement of doors
We recommend placing large doors in the end walls of your post frame building for a couple of reasons:
- snow doesn’t fall directly in front of them making it easier for you to enter and exit your building during the winter
- ensures your building is structurally sound.
See how the design of the post frame machine shed at Prairie Rock Farms and placement of an overhead door on each end of the building has made moving large air seeders a breeze.
Ask for advice
While this is my last bullet, it really should be your starting point. We have designed and built hundreds of post frame buildings for a variety of uses. We’re more than happy to help customize your building with the best doors for your needs from the start.
Contact us to find out more on pole building design.
Riding Arena Profile: Robert Klein
Thinking of building a riding arena to cope in our cold Canadian climate? For roper Robert Klein, an indoor riding arena just made sense. Based in DeWinton, Alberta, Klein can now rope in comfort all year round.
Robert Klein and his post frame riding arena
Klein’s equestrian building is designed specifically for his needs. It includes an overhead door on one end for livestock, another at the opposite end for horses, attached barn, tack room and office.
Arena Specs:
- 80’ x 200’ x 18’ 8” post frame riding arena with breezeway to attached barn
- Two 12’ x 14’ overhead doors
- Two walk-in doors
- Two smoke wall light panels along both sides, ridge light on length of roof
- Four custom dormers
- 6’ high kick wall, finished with a cap on top
“They did a really nice job. It was all the finishing stuff—the way they put the wall on and capped the top of the wall,” says Klein. “The crew was great. It was built on time, not a lot of complications. The service was excellent.”
See more photos of Klein’s arena or watch a video of his equestrian centre.
This is an exciting post for us at Integrity. We are so pleased to let Canadians know of the biggest development to hit post frame! The Perma-Column is a pre-cast concrete column–the first product on the Canadian market that keeps wood out of the ground.
Perma-Column in Post Frame Building
They give the best of both worlds: the cost-effectiveness of post frame construction with the durability of concrete. The Perma-Column has been used for years in the U.S. and is now available for the first time in Canada.
Tested by both Wisconsin and Purdue University, the Perma-Column outperforms wood posts in comparative strength tests.
How is it made?
The wood column is attached to a “U” shaped steel bracket made of 1/4” steel with 1/2” thru-bolts and 1/4” lags. This bracket is robotically welded to steel reinforcement that runs the entire length of the column. All the steel is a premium domestic high strength alloy.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the benefits of this new technology:
- made of the latest in self-compacting concrete precasting technology give 3 x the strength of standard concrete
- microfibers add shock resistance and durabilit
- microsilicia enhances flexural/compressive strength and erosion resistance
- corrosion inhibitor protects the rebar reinforcement from rusting
- a final admixture is added to give freeze/thaw protection
We have more specs at Integrity Post Structures or you can get more information on Perma-Columns direct from the manufacturer.
Over the years, I have sold and helped design over 500 post frame buildings across Western Canada. Here are a few tips I’ve learned that will help you with your project.
Integrity Post Structures buildings constructed to highest standards
1. Approach prospective builders as if you’re hiring someone for a job. Start with a series of questions to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples when you get quotes. There can be big differences in how a building is constructed, materials used and labour expertise that can affect the price and outcome.
2. Develop an outline of what you want out of your building. An experienced salesperson might be able to lay things out in a more efficient way by first seeing what your needs are on paper.
3. Materials really do matter. Remember, your building is only as good as what it’s made of (and the crew who puts it up, of course). Are your posts tightly laminated in a manufacturing plant? Are they treated throughout? Is your metal going to last? Whether it’s a farm, ranch or commercial, your building is an investment and you want it to last and look good for as long as possible.
4. Talk to other customers. Go and look at their buildings, find out how the crew performed, if they were satisfied that problems were dealt with quickly and in a friendly way or, if they had to wait for service (and how long).
5. Never underestimate the importance of a skilled, disciplined crew. Enough said.
6. Don’t rush the job. Compared to other methods of construction (steel, wood frame), a post frame building doesn’t take long to erect. Be wary of companies who sell “speed.” We believe it’s worth an extra day or two to invest in your building versus rushing out to the next job leaving you holding the bag.
Because at the end of the day, it’s your building, not ours. We want you to be completely happy. That’s why our buildings are consistently priced competitively, we give you quality materials, and real service. Why? It’s just the right thing to do.
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The team at Integrity Post Structures specialize in the construction of post frame buildings across Western Canada (Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan). We build machine sheds, shops, riding arenas, hay sheds, acreage buildings, commercial, aircraft hangars and more.
Our buildings meet or exceed the most demanding engineering specifications for toughness, strength and durability at a reasonable price. Find out more on our website.