MSS Engineering LLC – Indiana
After Travis McDaniel graduated from Trine University in 2011 with a civil engineering degree, he soon found himself at Timber Tech Engineering. One of his first projects included modeling the calculations for Perma-Column® precast concrete columns and its steel brackets. He also helped the firm design buildings using Perma-Column foundations.
A decade later, McDaniel is thriving as principal engineer at the company he founded, MSS Engineering, in 2019. His career has come full circle, as he's a staunch proponent of the same Perma-Column permanent foundation systems he evaluated as an associate engineer at Timber Tech a decade ago. McDaniel credits Perma-Column with helping him build his business on a solid foundation.
For McDaniel, using the Perma-Column permanent foundation system is a no-brainer. The precast foundation columns and precast deck posts keep wood from coming in contact with the ground, eliminating rot and decay, while Sturdi-Wall® and Sturdi-Wall® Plus heavy-duty anchor brackets enable traditional post-frame construction on cured or freshly poured concrete foundations.
"You're able to build structures more efficiently using Perma-Column."
McDaniel uses Perma-Column to provide his customers with high-quality, long-lasting products and to build his own firm's high-quality industry reputation.
"Not only is Perma-Column a high-strength concrete product, but we're taking that moisture factor out of the wood; we're taking a treatment out of the wood," McDaniel says. "You're going to save on treated posts versus untreated posts."
At MSS Engineering, McDaniel and his team provide civil and structural engineering and drafting for the residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural industries. He says the firm's goals in every project are life safety, economic design, and efficient use of resources.
"You're able to build structures more efficiently using Perma-Column," McDaniel says.
In the past four of five years, post-frame construction has exploded in popularity, McDaniel says. He attributes that to the growth in "barndominium" residences and increased knowledge of the benefits of post-frame construction.
"Perma-Column has played a really large part by taking the wood out of the ground," he says. "Because that's one of the largest concerns a lot of lenders or insurance companies have. They're saying, 'Well, if that post is in the ground, it's going to rot and then I'm going to have to pay out for insurance.' When we take that concern away, they say, 'Oh, well, that's a great way to do it."
McDaniel also has an answer for those who balk at investing in a permanent foundation system.
"When we say, 'This is an ICC-ES-certified precast concrete product using high-strength concrete.' Their response is, 'Well that makes all the difference,'" he says. "Then they're all ears and willing to listen."
The bottom line, McDaniel says, is, well, the bottom line.
"We're trying to make the most economical building," he says. "We're able to reach our performance and budget goals using Perma-Column."