SMODI INFRASTEEL Building Maintenance Manual (Recommendations)

Pre-Engineered steel building are popular for its excellent quality, aesthetic and elegancy. Therefore it is important to carry out periodic maintenance of the building to ensure trouble free service and extend the life of the building.

Following are general maintenance recommendations for Pre-Engineered steel buildings. We suggest that you develop a preventive maintenance schedule for your buildings based on the basic guidelines given below and considering any special conditions that are specific to your project.

A. Maintenance of Building Exterior :

Periodic maintenance of the exterior will depend on the location of your building.

Building Location Maintenance Period
Up to 5 miles from the sea 3 months
High Pollution industrial area 3 months
Medium pollution industrial area 6 months
Area of high humidity 6 months
Low pollution industrial area 9 months
Dry, desert areas 12 months

 

Preventive maintenance should commence immediately after a project is erected, modified or repaired.

  1. Check for any debris that may have been left on top of panel/sheets or flashing/trims/covers etc. Example of this are ferrous items such as screws, pop rivets, nails, drill  swarf, sheet metal off cuts, tin cans, etc large or heavy items should be removed by hand to avoid damaging the paint or zinc layer on the panel. The remaining smaller items may be swept off with a soft nylon brush. Please note this check should be made after any trade has worked on the building e.g. electrician, plumbers, air-conditioning technician, lightening/ earthing team, steel erector etc.
  2. Check for sand or dirt built up. These retain salt and moisture and will rapidly break down the paint and zinc layers resulting in corrosion of the base metal.
  3. The most vulnerable areas of the buildings are :
    1. Eave Gutters/Concealed gutter/Valley gutters.
    2. Roof Sheets
    3. Sheltered areas under eaves or canopies.
    4. Top portion of walls sheltered by roof overhangs or gutters.

    Sand and dirt should be washed off with clean water and a soft nylon brush. Cleaning from top to bottom is the right method and gives a final rinse with water when completed. Ensure no water is trapped   anywhere.

  4. If the building is in an area of high industrial pollution or close to a marine environment (e.g. Dahej, Mundra, Bhuj, Hazira, Haldia etc.) then water is not enough for cleaning. Salts and other deposits built up at the formed corners of panels and quickly breakdown the paint and zinc layers and finally corrode the base metal. As such deposits built up, the hardness of the layers increases making removal more difficult. In these cases the period between maintenance operations should be shortened and a mild detergent should be added to the initial washing water.The following is a suggested solution:
    1. 1/3 cup detergent
    2. 1/3 cup tri-sodium phosphate (e.g. Soilex)
    3. One quart sodium hypochlorite-5 % solution (e.g. Chlorex)
    4. 3 quart water

    Wash down the panel with the above solution and a soft nylon brush. A final rinse with clean water should follow.

    Caulking compound oil grease, tar wax or similar substances can be removed with mineral spirits. Follow this cleaning with detergent solution and clean water rinse.

    WARNING : Avoid solvent and abrasive type cleaners as they can do more Harm than good by wearing away both the paint and zinc layers.

  5. Check the base of wall panels to ensure the ground level is at least 1 ½” below the bottom of the panel .If windblown soil has built up at the base of the wall, it should be removed. If plants/shrubs, etc is around the building, make sure they are not touching the wall panel, particularly thorn type bushes.
  6. Check all equipment which is located through or adjacent to any panel (roof or wall) .Ensure there is no moisture build up on the near the panel. If there is, and then corrosion is inevitable. If this condition exists, then make modification to avoid it.

    The following situations are examples of conditions to be avoided:

    1. Water runoff from water services or air conditioners.
    2. Copper pipes fastened directly to the steel panel.
    3. Open water storage tanks or ponds adjacent to the panel.
    4. Steam outlets adjacent to the panels.
    5. Acid storage areas adjacent to the panels.
  7. Standard Gutters and Valley Gutters/Concealed Gutters :
    1. Regular check should be made and all rubbish and sand should be removed.
    2. Flush the gutter with water periodically.
    3. Check the downspouts sere clear .Flush them with water periodically.
    4. Check that downspouts have adequate drainage away from the building.
  8. If minor damage occurs to the sheeting or trims and paint touch up is required, then the Following procedure should be followed.
    1. Abrade the affected area.
    2. Clean down with a solvent ( e.g. Sigma 9053)
    3. If base metal is exposed, apply one coat of zinc chromate red oxide primer. If base metal is not exposed, then primer is not required.
    4. Apply one coat of touch up paint available from SMODI INFRASTEEL.

B. Maintenance of Accessories

Personal doors:

  1. Occasionally lubricate the hinges and lockset.
  2. Remove any dirt or girt from the threshold.
  3. Make sure the doors are not allowed to swing back against the wall, this can spring the hinges and may damage the panel.

Sliding Doors:

  1. Regular cleaning of the bottom door guide / channel by removal of debris, stones and sand etc will ensure smooth running of slide.

Rolling Shutters:

  1. Occasionally clean and lubricate the shaft, chain gear box and motor etc.
  2. Lightly grease the vertical guides.

Power Vents:

  1. Periodically clean the blades to avoid built up of dust and dirt. Check electrical connections and check tightness of all fasteners.

Building with Cranes:

  1. At every 3 months, check the diagonal bracing is tight.
  2. After one month of operation, check that the high strength bolts on the crane beams are tight.
  3. Every six month check that the high strength bolts in the crane beams and main frame are tight.

C. Safety Precaution:

Roofs:

Extreme caution should be exercised when working on roofs:

  • Only use ladders which are long enough to reach one meter above the step off point.
  • Always secure the ladder to the building and make sure it is on a firm base.
  • Do not step on the skylight panels / day light panel. It may damage or may lead to accident due to breakage.
  • When walking on the roof, step on the low corrugation (minor ribs). Stepping on the high corrugation ie high rib, may damage the rib. Walk along the screw line i.e. purlin line  wherever possible.

Over head Cranes:

  1. When maintaining overhead cranes or associated parts, lockout the electrical on the crane before commencing work.
  2. Whenever in use do not over load the cranes beyond design load. It may lead to failure of hardware’s as well as structure.