Permanent steel building
For schools, halls, worship, industrial, commercial and institutional projects needing a conventional engineered building shell.
Africa / Decision guide
Permanent steel building, clear-span structure or expandable modular system?
Across African projects, the best starting point can be driven as much by freight access, local erection capability, services and project life as by floor area. These three pathways solve different levels of permanence, span and site work.
Destination-specific planning Manual project review Exact-system evidence only
Direct answer
The short version.
Use a permanent steel-building pathway where a conventional long-life shell and full building programme are required; SARENTA where a lighter clear-span hall or cover suits sport, worship, community or commercial use; and Montara where transport-efficient expandable modules better fit accommodation, office, classroom or rapid-deployment requirements.
Project decision
Separate the pathways before asking for pricing.
These comparisons are designed to narrow the project route. They do not replace local engineering, authority review or exact-system technical evidence.
SARENTA clear-span
For sport, events, worship, community and selected commercial uses where large open space and a lighter structural pathway suit the brief.
Montara expandable
For accommodation, offices, classrooms and project facilities where compact transport and faster deployment are important.
Comparison matrix
Africa building delivery pathways
Country, climate, roads, port route, foundations, local labour and statutory requirements must be checked for the actual project.
| Factor | Steel building | SARENTA | Montara |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanence | High | Project-specific | Modular / project-specific |
| Span strategy | Large by design | Clear-span strength | Module-based |
| Local erection | Significant | Required | Reduced / assembly-led |
| Freight | Container / break-bulk | Container / project | Container-efficient |
| Typical fit | Institutional / industrial / commercial | Hall / sport / worship / event | Accommodation / office / classroom |
Project brief
Information worth collecting before quotation.
01Country + site
02Building use
03Target life
04Length × width × height
05Clear span
06Wind / seismic / heat / rain criteria
07Foundations
08Power / water / wastewater
09Port + road access
10Crane / unloading
11Local erection capability
12Programme + approvals
Frequently asked
Keep the destination and scope explicit.
Does Apollo recommend one system for every African building project?
No. The decision page is a shortlisting tool. Final suitability depends on the actual site, use, dimensions, exposure, selected system, available evidence and local project requirements.
Who handles local engineering, approvals and installation?
Apollo is supply-led. Local engineering, approvals, foundations, services, installation and other site works remain with the appointed local project team unless a written project scope expressly includes something different.
Is pricing calculated automatically from this guide?
No. Apollo uses a manual project-brief process so the selected system, quantities, destination, freight and project interfaces are reviewed before pricing.
Next step
Turn the shortlist into a destination-specific brief.
Send the site, dimensions, use, quantities, exposure information and known local requirements. Apollo can then review the relevant systems, evidence, freight and supply scope.