Bestimate LLC’s experience with large agricultural buildings began more than 30 years ago with postframe buildings, then ladderframe buildings, involved in about 100 wood framed freestall barns, many with parlors. Many large dairy freestall barns now are steelframe buildings, that Bestimate LLC’s experience with began in 1987.
Several things about this clerestory dairy freestall barn are unusual. This barn is built to National Resources Conservation Service specifications that are basically building an agricultural building to commercial building loads, calculated and stamped by a licensed engineer. Notice that the roof truss rafters are three ply’s thick with four 1” bolts at each end to fasten the trusses to the glue laminated treated wood columns; oversize roof purlins in hangers spaced closer than normal, per United States Department of Agriculture standards. Notice in the interior pictures of this clerestory barn, how light it is because the clerestory roof, gables and some walls are sheathed with polycarbonate translucent panel. This concrete for this barn and the manure tank near it is reinforced with fiberglass reinforcing rods to eliminate stray voltage, that was the owner’s innovation.
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105’x 236’ CAD drawing and structural calculations for S.D. Ellenbecker Construction to build a Wood Frame robotic feeding calf barn with floor and concrete plans and details.
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617’x 395’ Robotic Freestall Barn Preliminary Bid Plan with 27 robots, with 110’x 80’ Milk Room, Office and Education Center.
204’x 177’ CAD design for a robotic milking freestall starter barn with concrete plan and details, designed for two future additions to become a large dairy complex, involving combining the Nucor steelframe building plan with the milking plan.
162’x 218’ CAD design for a robotic milking freestall starter barn with concrete plan and details, designed for future additions combining the Nucor steelframe building plan with the milking plan.
100’ x120’ x 20’ tall insulated ladderframe farm shop to store and repair their farm equipment, with a large storage and repair shop, a first-floor office, conference room and restroom, and heavy duty second floor parts storage. The open area behind the office has a large steel beam and posts on heavy concrete foundations to carry two jib cranes, and is designed for a bridge crane if the owner wants. There is also a service pit in the concrete with steel rim, and a car hoist.
68’x 132’ calf feeding barn postframe building and concrete plan.