You may have seen a few of these types of structures particularly in rural areas, although they are fast becoming common fixtures in more urbanized areas as well. They are called
quonset huts, and they are pretty hard to miss once you come across them.
Quonset huts–also known as arch steel building–first entered the public consciousness during the Second World War, when they were ordered in large numbers by the U.S. Navy, who opted for these multipurpose structures for the ease in which they could be constructed and relocated.
With the end of the war, Quonset huts found favor with the general public who found new uses for them in businesses and as residential structures. Many of these early adaptations of Quonset huts where actually quite ingenious, with many converted into shops or stores. These early army surplus Quonset huts paved the way for their eventual widespread use as office and residential structures, garages, hangars, and warehouses.
Quonset huts are generally almost entirely constructed out of corrugated steel sections, with interlocking ribs giving the structure its distinctive semicircular appearance. Plywood is often used to cover this steel framework, and openings that serve as doors and windows are cut into the sides. Where Quonset huts really shine however is the utmost flexibility with regard to where they can be installed. Finished Quonset huts can be placed virtually anywhere, with concrete or wood foundations being the most common. In some cases, Quonset huts are even placed on top of pilings. This flexibility is due largely to the extreme lightness of these types of structures. In addition, Quonset huts also provide the further advantages of durability and the ability to stand up to a wide range of environmental conditions, making them suitable for use virtually anywhere in the world.
If you are looking to build your own Quonset huts, you may be interested to know that they also present a significant cost advantage over buildings made of traditional materials. While buildings that are made of wood or concrete can be quite costly and take a long time to build, Quonset huts can be built in a fraction of the time, and cost much less. The reason for this is that most of the parts of the Quonset hut are manufactured at a facility, and they are simply transported to the final location where they are assembled.
One drawback to Quonset huts however is that you do not usually have as many options with regard to customization as you would with other types of buildings. Doors and windows can only be placed in the ends of the structure for instance, and the overhead clearance that they provide may not be sufficient for all uses. Nevertheless, the many advantages offered by Quonset huts often outweigh these drawbacks, and they are still feasible solutions for a wide variety of uses.
