A Quonset Hut For Any Purpose
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by: fredthompson
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Word Count: 410
Quonset huts, a product of World War II, are an iconic symbol of American life. The huts were originally developed by the Navy Seabees by modifying the British Nissen hut design to include wooden lining, insulation and tongue and groove wooden flooring. They proved indispensible as lightweight, portable troop and equipment housing able to be quickly assembled in the field with just a set of hand tools. Quonset huts were so successful that returning soldiers purchased the surplus for their own post war housing, and universities purchased them for student housing. Some of these huts are still in use today.
The first Quonset huts were constructed from T design, arched steel rib members supported by wooden purlins. Flaws in this design soon surfaced when the military began converting Quonset huts to uses other than troop housing and equipment storage. These uses included showers, latrines, dental offices, bakeries and isolation wards, but the huts needed special layouts to accommodate these additional uses and related equipment. The original structure was replaced with a design that employed vertical side walls supporting an arched roof; the new setup provided much more usable space.
Modern Quonset huts offer 100 percent usable space by not utilizing beams or trusses in their design. Their arched steel construction makes them one of the strongest structures in architecture; they can withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, heavy rain, snow and wind. Farmers find them ideal for hay, grain, crop and machinery storage; some also use the structures to house horses and livestock.
Quonset huts also offer an inexpensive alternative for small airplane storage. You can save money on labor costs by constructing your hangar yourself; all huts come with an easy to follow assembly manual that clearly illustrates how to connect the individual steel panels into a structure large enough to house a small airplane and related maintenance equipment. You receive the same level of security and protection for your investment by using a Quonset hut rather than outsourcing the materials and work.
Quonset huts have evolved from combat field housing and storage structures to versatile civilian buildings suitable for just about any purpose. There are Quonset hut kits for backyard workshops and machinery storage and light industrial and commercial structures; you can even convert a kit into a guest cottage, if you like. Accessories like skylights, windows and doors can turn a Quonset hut into a home.
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