structural steel vs. light gauge framing
Steel has long been a favored material for large construction projects since the inception of industrial-level manufacturing. Without it, skyscrapers couldn’t exist. Understand Building Construction explains the reason why. Steel, unlike masonry, wood and other construction support materials, has a terrific strength-to-weight ratio and flexes with force. The ductile feature of steel renders this super strong metal perfect for high rises subject to high winds and possible earthquakes. Plus, its stalwart nature enables building designs with much longer spans between vertical supports. Not only can architects design more open floor plans, the savings in quantity of needed material makes steel budget-friendly. Assembled properly, steel framed buildings rarely collapse.
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Not only economical, building with steel is “green.” Using steel reduces demand for timber. Additionally, according to Steel Recycling Institute, all steel products contain recycled steel, and framing products usually contain a minimum of 25 percent. If constructing a stick-built 2,000-square-foot house, up to 50 trees, or about an acre of forest, would come down. But with steel, roughly six scrapped cars would render their bones to frame the home.
Depending on the desired application, steel framing can call for either light gauge or structural steel. Because Barton Supply provides both, here’s a comparison of the two types.
LIGHT
GAUGE
WHAT IS IT?
This steel is cold formed, meaning long, thin sheets are guided through a series of rollers to bend and shape the sheets into strong “C” or “Z” forms capable of holding heavy loads. They can be sized to conform to wood studs of 2×4 or 2×6 inches and can be bent for architectural purposes, unlike timber. Light gauge supports will come galvanized with zinc, aluminum or a combination thereof. Like wood framing, a load-bearing wall is constructed first, then interior partitions and exterior cladding follow.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF LIGHT
GAUGE
STEEL FRAMING?
Light gauge steel can replace lumber in residential and light commercial structures. It serves perfectly for load-bearing walls and interior rooms. However, due to its strength, studs can be 24 inches on center rather than the customary 18 or 20 inches, reducing the number of studs necessary to frame a wall.
Framing is quite similar to wood, but very little cutting and sizing need occur at the job site as the studs are manufactured to precise lengths. Most experienced light gauge framers fasten the parts with self-tapping screws. Because of its light weight, each piece can be carried by hand. The longer spans means less fastening and faster construction. As a metal, light gauge steel won’t rot, split, warp, shrink twist, burn or become termite food.
Steel framing produces far less on-site waste than wood framing, making debris removal less costly. Also, since it goes to recycling facilities, the waste can even produce some income to offset project costs.
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES?
While light gauge steel won’t burn, it can lose strength in a fire. In buildings finished in, and furnished with, combustible materials, cladding must be with Class A fire rated materials. Also, steel’s conductive properties call for a different insulation design. To avoid drawing exterior cold into the building, it may be best to use high R value rigid insulation layers on the outside of the studs. Similar to its thermal conductivity, steel also transmits sounds more readily than wood. Internal soundproofing materials may need to be incorporated into the building’s design. Subject to rusting, water may be steel’s only nemesis.
STRUCTURAL STEEL
WHAT IS IT?
Structural steel is hot rolled while molten and hardened, making it incredibly strong. Understanding Building Construction illustrates the strength of structural steel by explaining that from a one-inch circular bar firmly attached to supports, one can suspend either two and a half African elephants, 18 Honda City Cars or one and a half London double-decker city buses. All of which, separately, weigh about 20 tons.
Used in conjunction with concrete, the most durable structures employ structural steel. Because it is thicker and much heavier than light gauge steel, the best fastening methods employ welding, bolting or riveting.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF STRUCTURAL STEEL?
Suitable for multi-story buildings, bridges and industrial plants, structural steel offers much longer spans and stout cantilevers. Its ductile properties allow it to flex without breaking during moderate seismic, events, heavy traffic loads and high winds. Concrete and quarried stone alone can’t compete with structural steel at great heights, hence its preference in skyscrapers where the weight of stone becomes untenable. If sufficiently reinforced with steel, concrete can support tall bridges or other components of modern infrastructure.
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES?
The weight of structural steel requires heavy trucks or trains (or maybe two and a half African elephants) for delivery and cranes for placement. For small-scale buildings like houses or light industrial plants, the weight adds considerable cost to the project. For homes, structural steel seems like overkill. For medium-sized commercial building, framing often uses both structural and light gauge steel.
Both structural and light gauge steel make for excellent framing materials in all manner of construction designs. Sturdy, difficult to destroy, impervious to pests and most elements, economical and recyclable, steel has few framing peers.
The Advantages & Disadvantages Of Steel Frame ...
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Steel frame construction is steadily increasing its market share in the construction and civil engineering sector. However, is steel framing an effective construction method compared to the alternatives? In this article we will weigh out the pros and cons of structural steel frame construction as a guide for developers and design engineers exploring different construction options.
Understanding Steel Frame Construction
Steel frame construction used to be primarily used for large, simple structures, such as garages, large agricultural buildings and warehouses – as well as high-rise buildings. This is how steel frame construction is still understood in popular belief, but it is now also used for a wide range of other types of development, including offices, factories, schools, public buildings and some residential dwellings.
Steel frame construction is a good option for a diversity of projects for many reasons, including:
- Durability
- Affordability
- Sustainability
Structural steel components can quickly be fabricated off-site and then transported to the construction site when needed, minimising onsite labour requirements and reducing the impact of variables that can delay a project, such as adverse weather.
This aside, there are several distinct advantages to steel frame construction from the point of view of fabrication, as well as a couple of disadvantages. These will be noted below:
Advantages of Steel Frame Construction
Steel frame constructions offer the following advantages compared to brick, concrete and wooden constructions.
1) Strength & Durability
Structural steel components are lighter and stronger than weight-bearing wood or concrete products. A typical weight-bearing steel fabrication is 30% to 50% lighter than a wooden equivalent. This makes steel frame construction far stronger and more durable than traditional wood framed alternatives.
2) Easy Fabrication In Different Sizes
Steel studs are available in a variety of sizes and can be fabricated order. This means they can be customised to bear specific loads in buildings of all different types and sizes.
3) Fire Resistance
Steel frame constructions are highly resistant to fire, reducing the fire risk to a building and retarding the spread of a fire should one occur. Special flame retardant coatings act to increase this property of structural steel.
4) Pest & Insect Resistant
Structural steel components are immune to the degrading effects of burrowing insects and mammals – which can cause a problem for wooden framework unless adequately treated.
5) Moisture & Weather Resistance
Structural steel can have good moisture resistant properties, depending on its carbon content. Hot zinc coating and extra powder treatments for enhanced rust resistance will make a structural steel component even more immune to the effects of water – an important consideration for components exposed to the weather.
The Disadvantages of Steel Frame Construction
Steel frame constructions do have a couple of disadvantages, the most regularly cited being:
1) Thermal Conductivity
Steel is not known for its warmth, due to its high efficiency in conducting heat. The insulation value of walls can be reduced by as much as half when heat is transferred away through steel studs, which is not good news for energy retention in a building. Where steel frame construction is used, insulation measures need to be put in place to counteract the thermal conductivity of steel.
2) Reduced Flexibility On Site
One of the benefits of using wooden structural components is the ability to adjust them on site. A component can be cut down to size, nails hammered in to strengthen the join and so on. This obviously can’t happen with steel. The measurements of steel need to be precisely calculated in advance, because a steel fabrication is delivered to site in its final form, ready to be slotted into the building. This is of course one of the big advantages of steel, but if the fabrication has resulted in an inaccurate component for whatever reason, the project may be held up while the framework is sent back to the workshop for adjustment. You can avoid this issue by working with a fabrication company such as GLW, where we take a consultative approach to accuracy and measurements from the very beginning, to avoid any unpleasant surprises on site.
3) Supporting Structures
Steel frame constructions rarely work on their own. They usually require drywall, sheathing, insulation and supplementary wooden components to bring a building together. In the opinion of some construction businesses, this longer construction time is an argument against steel frame constructions, although usually the time savings outweigh any adjustments that need to be made on site.
Steel Frame Constructions For Your Project?
If you are in the planning stages of a development and want help deciding whether steel frame construction is a good choice for you, please get in touch with one of our engineers today. We can talk you through your different fabrication options and explain how structural steel fabrications can increase the sturdiness of your building, reduce building costs and cut construction time.
For a guide to working with subcontractors on structural steel fabrication, please download our new guide: How To Ensure Quality, Compliance & Lead Time When Hiring Steel Fabrication Companies. With sections covering legal compliance, metal finishing, selecting a fabrication partner and common mistakes to avoid; a complimentary copy of the e-book can be accessed by clicking here.
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