Prefabricated buildings for beginngers
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 changed to one with high sidewalls that supported a rounded steel arch roof, which opened up more usable space. What added to the appeal of the modified design was that it proved to be even easier to construct and take down in the field. In fact, military personnel liked Quonset huts so much that many of them purchased surplus huts after the war for their personal housing; even universities purchased them for student housing.