The Versatility of Quonset Huts
Quonset huts, originally a product of World War II ingenuity, are as iconic as the roadside diner. The Navy Seabees developed Quonset huts from the semi cylindrical British Nissen hut design by adding 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. In fact, they were so successful that some soldiers purchased surplus Quonset huts after the war for their own housing, and universities purchased them for use as student housing. You can still see some of them 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. The huts also worked well as showers, latrines, dental offices, bakeries and isolation wards but needed special structural layouts to accommodate these additional uses and related equipment. The military modified the Quonset hut design to include vertical side walls supporting an arched roof; this layout provided much more usable space.
With no beams or trusses, and 100 percent usable space, the Quonset huts of today serve many purposes. The arched steel construction of a Quonset hut makes it one of the strongest structures in architecture; these huts can withstand the worst of Mother Nature. Because of their strength, farmers find Quonset huts ideal for storing hay, grain, crops and machinery; some even use the huts to house horses and livestock.
Large Quonset huts also make fine, inexpensive airplane hangars. Labor costs are minimal when you construct your own hangar; all kits include an easy to follow assembly manual with concise instructions for connecting the individual steel panels into a structure capable of housing a small airplane and related maintenance equipment. Creating an airplane hanger from a Quonset hut kit is much less expensive than outsourcing the materials and work, yet you still enjoy the same level of security and protection from the elements by using a Quonset hut.
Quonset huts have evolved from combat field housing and storage structures to versatile civilian buildings suitable for just about any purpose. You can purchase Quonset hut kits for backyard workshops and machinery storage and light commercial and industrial structures; a Quonset hut can even be converted into a guest cottage. Accessories like skylights, windows and doors can turn a Quonset hut into a home.