Steel aircraft hangars, a review of the facts
Quonset huts (named for the town of Quonset, Rhode Island) were developed during World War II at the naval base in Quonset to address the need for light housing and storage that could be quickly erected and torn down in the field using nothing more complicated than hand tools. Their building panels were constructed from steel strong enough to protect troops and supplies from the elements. The trouble with the initial Quonset hut design was that the panels and steel rib frame were supported by wooden purlins that prevented effective use of the buildings for more diverse uses such as bakeries, showers, dental offices and isolation wards. The design was subsequently modified to its current incarnation of side walls with rounded steel arch roof, thus opening up more usable space in the structure. This modified design also proved easier to assemble and take down in the field.