What is
Light gauge steel?:
Light-gauge
steel sections are also known as cold formed steel sections. These sections are
made from thin sheets of uniform thickness without the application of heat. The
thickness of the sheet used is generally between 1 mm and 8 mm. These types of
sections are extensively used in the building industry as purlins girts, light
struts, roof sheeting, and floor decking and so on. These sections become
economical for light loads and to form useful surfaces such as roof covering,
wall panels. Nowadays, these are widely used, especially, in pre-engineered
steel buildings.
Advantages Of Light Gauge Steel
Some of the key advantages of Light Gauge steel
construction are listed below:
1.Buildability:
The usage of
light gauge steel structures lessens on field works, decreases material wastage
and enhances the quality of the structure.
2.Speed:
LGS takes less construction time with comparison to
bricks or concrete blocks construction. It overall saves up to 30% time for a
project.
3.Strong but Lightweight:
LGS possess high strength to weight ratio than any
other material used for constructing buildings. Due to this, a large amount of
reinforcement is saved during foundation construction. Moreover, it can be
easily handled and moved from one place to another.
4. Safety:
LGS possess
huge safety for inhabitants. It is fire resistant and noncombustible. Cold-formed steel
buildings perform better during natural disasters. Due to its light weight,
buildings are designed for higher seismic and wind load.
5.Easy to Remodel:
Remodeling
of light gauge steel component can be easily attained especially partition walls can be
easily shuffled, detached or even changed.
6.Design Flexibility:
LGS offers flexibility in design as larger span
lengths are available due to less weight of structure and space utilization is
increased.
7.Consistent Material Costs:
Light gauge steel members are continuously
available due to which price fluctuations are minimum. Moreover, LGS costs
lesser as compare to other construction materials. Reduced construction
duration, reduced labour costs, reduced scrap and reduced construction waste
makes it efficient and cost effective.
Furthermore, it has higher resistance against
sound, fire and water. Moreover, it doesn’t have termite problem.
Where steel frame
structures are used?
Light gauge steel construction is most often used in:
1. High rise
buildings
because of its strength, low weight, and speed of construction
2. Industrial
buildings
because of its ability to create large span spaces at low cost
3. Warehouse
buildings
for the same reason
4. Residential
buildings
in a technique called light gauge steel construction
5. Temporary
Structures
as these are quick to set up and remove
Weight of steel
frame structures?
Consider a single
storey building measuring 5 x 8m (16 x 26ft). Let us first construct this in
concrete, with four columns at the corners, beams spanning between the columns,
and a 150mm (6") thick concrete slab at the top. Such a structure would
weigh about 800 kg/m2, or 32 Tons (32,000 kg) in total. If we build this of steel
instead, with a sloping roof covered with corrugated metal sheeting with
insulation, this would weigh only about 65 kg/m2. The steel framed building
will weigh only 2.6 Tons (2,600 kg). So the concrete building is over 12
times heavier! This is for single storey structures - in multi-storey
structures, the difference will be less, as the floors in multi-storey steel
buildings are built of concrete slabs for economy - but the difference is still
significant.
This low weight of steel frame buildings means that they have to be firmly
bolted to the foundations to resist wind forces, else they could be blown away
like deck umbrellas!
Time-lapse videos of some project that were done
Edited by muhammed78 - 16 Jul 2018 at 4:47pm
Steel has an outstanding strength-to-weight ratio and flexes with force, which is why it’s commonly used for large construction projects. Steel is the ideal material for high rise buildings because it can withstand high winds, earthquakes and other stressors. Due to its strength, steel frames require fewer vertical supports, which in turn makes them more cost effective. Steel is also considered an eco-friendly material because all steel products contain recycled steel, and in framing, they typically contain a minimum of 25%. There are two options when it comes to steel framing: light gauge and structural steel. Here is a comparison of the two methods, and their best applications.
Light Gauge
This steel is cold formed, which creates long, thin sheets that are then shaped into guided “C” or “Z” patterns capable of holding heavy loads. Light gauge supports come in a galvanized finish of zinc, aluminum or a combination of the two. For this construction process, a load-bearing wall is constructed first, then interior partitions and exterior cladding follow.
Light gauge is most commonly used in residential or light commercial construction as an alternative to wood framing. It’s similar to wood in that little cutting and sizing is required on the job site because the studs are manufactured to precise lengths. However, light gauge steel won’t rot, warp, burn or harbor insects like wooden frames. Due to their strength, light gauge steel frames also require less studs because they can be placed further apart. In general, light gauge will produce less waste, which is more environmentally friendly and more cost effective than alternatives like wood. Its main disadvantage is in case of fire, rather than burning, the steel structure will lose some of its stability and there is potential for collapse.
Structural Steel
Structural steel is hot rolled, and once hardened it becomes incredibly strong. For comparison, a one-inch circular bar that is firmly attached to supports can hold 20 tons. Structural steel is used in heavy duty construction projects such as multi-story buildings, bridges and industrial plants. Its strength and flexibility allow it to withstand moderate seismic activity, heavy traffic loads and high winds.
While concrete and stone can be used in similar projects, structural steel is able to provide stability and strength at great heights unlike the alternatives. However, when combined with steel, concrete can provide a higher level of support for large infrastructures.
The downfall of structural steel is its weight. It requires heavy trucks for transportation and must be placed with cranes. For this reason, structural steel is rarely used in residential or light commercial construction because it’s cumbersome and expensive. Medium-size commercial construction can use either light gauge or structural steel, it just depends on the needs of the project.
Structural steel and light gauge framing are quite different in both production of the steel, application and fastening methods. Structural steel requires thicker and heavier fastening methods, such as welding, bolting or riveting. Light gauge steel on the other hand can be fastened more simply with steel screws. Steel framed structures have long presented a fastening problem for trim contractors. Traditional finish nails will not penetrate most load bearing steel members and regular hardened fasteners are not suitable for finish work.
ET&F® Fastening Systems, a Sister company of BECK America®, offers tools, fasteners and systems for installing steel studs. For example: wood to steel, steel to steel, face nail siding, and gypsum wall board fastening, plus more! See what they have to offer steel framers http://www.etf-fastening.com. BECK America® offers the SCRAIL® SteelThread® that is a faster fastener and works in a variety of applications. It is ideal for non-code housing, flooring, subflooring, framing, decking, and SCRAIL® SteelThread® will install perfectly every time. It also has the necessary durability and holding power for a long-term and reliable solution.