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A
A-Frame – A roof style shaped like the letter “A,” common in garages and sheds.
Accessory – Any component added to the building beyond the basic frame and panels (windows, skylights, vents, gutters).
ACM (Aluminum Composite Material) – Panels with aluminum skins and a core, sometimes used in cladding.
Air Infiltration – The unintended flow of outside air into the building envelope, minimized with sealants and proper flashing.
Anchor Rod / Anchor Bolt – Embedded bolts in the concrete foundation that secure steel columns.
Apron – A trim piece used at the base of a wall to cover panel ends and flashing.
B
Bar Joist – Lightweight truss-type member often used in commercial roofs.
Bay Spacing – Distance between frames/columns down the length of the building.
Beam & Column System – Structural system with interior supports, allowing wider buildings at lower cost.
Bearing Plate – A steel plate placed under a column to distribute load on the foundation.
Bird Screen – Wire mesh used at ridge or vents to prevent birds from nesting.
Box Girder – A built-up beam with a hollow rectangular cross-section.
Bridging – Bracing between purlins or joists to stiffen them.
Butt Plate – End plate welded to a member for bolting.
C
Cee Section – A cold-formed steel member shaped like a “C,” used as purlins/girts.
Canopy – A roof extension attached to the side of a building.
Cantilever – A projecting beam or truss anchored at one end.
Cap Plate – A flat plate welded atop a column.
Clear Height – Vertical clearance inside the building (below lowest obstruction).
Clip – A small plate or angle for connecting panels or framing.
Closure Strip – Foam or rubber pieces that close gaps between panels at eaves/ridges.
Collateral Load – Loads from additional materials (HVAC, sprinklers, ceilings).
Composite Action – Combined load sharing between steel and concrete.
D
Dead Load – Weight of the permanent structure itself.
Deflection – The bending or displacement of a structural member under load.
Design Loads – Total loads considered: dead, live, wind, snow, seismic, collateral.
Double Slope – A gable roof building with two roof pitches.
Drift Pin – Temporary alignment pin for bolt holes during erection.
E
Eave Height – Distance from finished floor to the top of the eave strut.
Eave Strut – A horizontal member at the eave line, supporting wall and roof panels.
Endwall – The shorter side of a rectangular building, often non-loadbearing.
Expansion Joint – Separation that allows building movement from thermal changes.
F
Fascia – Vertical band covering the edge of the roof.
Flashing – Thin metal used to waterproof roof/wall intersections.
Floor Live Load – Loads expected from people, equipment, storage on floors.
Foam Panel – Insulated sandwich panels for walls/roofs.
Footing – Enlarged base of a foundation spreading loads into the ground.
G
Galvalume – Aluminum-zinc alloy coated steel, excellent corrosion resistance.
Gantry Crane – Overhead crane supported on legs, running along rails at floor level.
Gauge (Steel) – Thickness of sheet steel, lower number = thicker.
Girder – A primary horizontal beam supporting other beams.
Glazed Panel – Panel with glass or translucent sections.
H
Haunch – The deepened area of a rafter/column connection.
High Strength Bolts – Bolts designed to withstand high shear/tension, typically A325 or A490.
Hip Roof – A roof with slopes on all four sides.
Hot Dip Galvanizing – Immersion of steel into molten zinc for corrosion protection.
I
IBC (International Building Code) – U.S. model code specifying loads and design standards.
Impact Load – Sudden load applied (e.g., dropped equipment).
Insulated Metal Panel (IMP) – Panel with insulating foam core between steel skins.
Intermediate Frame – Frames between endwalls and main frames.
J–L
Jack Beam – Secondary beam supporting joists/purlins where a column is removed.
Jamb – Side posts of a door or window opening.
Knee Brace – Diagonal brace at frame joints for stability.
Liner Panel – Interior panel covering insulation and protecting it.
Live Load – Weight of occupants, furniture, stored goods.
Load Factor – Safety multiplier applied to loads in design.
M
Main Frame – Primary structural system (columns, rafters).
Mezzanine – Intermediate floor within a building.
Moment Connection – Rigid connection transferring bending forces.
Monolithic Slab – Slab and footing poured as one.
N
Nesting (Panels) – Overlapping panel edges for water seal.
Net Area – Effective cross-sectional area of steel, minus bolt holes/cuts.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) – Inspection method (ultrasound, x-ray) for weld integrity.
O
Overhang – Roof extension beyond the wall line.
Overload – Loads exceeding design capacity.
Oxidation – Corrosion/rusting of exposed steel.
P
Parapet – Extension of wall above roofline.
Peak – Ridge point of a gable roof.
Pier – Vertical support for foundation loads.
Portal Frame – Rigid frame with strong moment joints, typical in clear span.
Purlin Bearing Rib (PBR) – Common roof panel profile.
Q–R
Quonset – Semicircular steel building type.
Rake – Edge of roof at gable end.
Reinforcing Steel (Rebar) – Steel bars in concrete for strength.
Ridge Vent – Vent at roof peak for airflow.
Roll-Up Door – Door rolling into a coil above the opening.
S
SAG Rod – Rod used to brace and align purlins/girts.
Sandwich Panel – Another term for IMP (insulated metal panel).
Secondary Framing – Purlins, girts, bracing – support system for sheeting.
Seismic Load – Earthquake-induced loads.
Shear Wall – Wall designed to resist lateral loads.
Sill – Base member under openings.
Sliding Door – Large panel door sliding horizontally.
Snow Drift – Uneven snow accumulation requiring special roof design.
Spandrel Beam – Beam at edge of floor/roof supporting wall panels.
Stiffener – Plate reinforcing a web or flange.
Stud Wall – Wall system using vertical studs, common in hybrid steel buildings.
T
Tapered Member – Beam or column fabricated with variable depth.
Thermal Break – Material inserted to prevent heat transfer.
Tie Rod – Steel rod in tension, often for bracing.
Truss Frame – Triangular steel structure for wide spans.
U–Z
Uplift – Wind pressure lifting forces on roof.
Valley Gutter – Gutter at roof valleys, handling large water flow.
Ventilator – Device for airflow at ridge or roof.
Wall Lite – Translucent panels in walls for natural light.
Web – Vertical part of I-beam between flanges.
Zee Section (Z-Purlin) – Cold-formed member shaped like “Z.”
Zinc Coating – Protective anti-corrosion finish.