A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel with a semi-circular cross-section. The design was developed in the United States based on the Nissen hut introduced by the British during World War I. Hundreds of thousands were produced during World War II, and military surplus was sold to the public. The name comes from the site of their first deployment at Quonset Point at the Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center in Davisville, Rhode Island.
Quonset huts at Point Mugu, California in 1946 (Laguna Peak in background)
A Quonset hut being put in place at the 598th Engineer Base Depot in Japan, post-World War II
Quonset hut adapted for commercial use in Westland, Michigan
A Quonset hut in Dade City, Florida
Corrugated galvanised iron
Corrugated galvanised iron (CGI) or steel, colloquially corrugated iron, wriggly tin, pailing, corrugated sheet metal, zinc or custom orb / corro sheet (Australia) is a building material composed of sheets of hot-dip galvanised mild steel, cold-rolled to produce a linear ridged pattern in them. Although it is still popularly called "iron" in the UK, the material used is actually steel, and only the surviving vintage sheets may actually be made up of 100% iron. The corrugations increase the bending strength of the sheet in the direction perpendicular to the corrugations, but not parallel to them, because the steel must be stretched to bend perpendicular to the corrugations. Normally each sheet is manufactured longer in its strong direction.
Corrugated galvanised iron roofing in Mount Lawley, Western Australia
A corrugated iron church (or tin tabernacle) in Kilburn, London
Typical corrugated galvanised iron appearance, with visible large flake type patterns. The galvanised sheet is viewed from below and is supported by a piece of angle iron (painted white).
Early manual corrugated iron roller. On display at Kapunda museum, South Australia