An Architects Guide To

Cold Formed Steel Framing

Presented by...

Lesson Agenda
LEED and cold formed steel. Identify practical uses for cold formed steel (floors, walls, roofs, whole buildings). Identify the materials that cold formed steel can efficiently replace (from a cost perspective). Provide basic design guidelines for what needs to appear on your construction documents. Provide resources you can use to help your design effort (the Sweets of cold formed steel). Answer your questions.

What Is Cold Formed Steel?

It is typically a recycled material comes from a mill in coils. The steel is then rolled into a shape (most commonly a C).

New Designators
600
6 Member Depth in 1/100 inches

S
Stud or Joist with Stiffener

162
1-5/8 Flange in 1/100 inches

- 54
Min. base metal thickness in mils
(.054 = 54 mils)

LEED with Cold Formed Steel

Steel is the most recycled product in the world. Cold formed steel is a LEED certified product based on its virtually 100% recycled steel content. Adding cold formed steel to your project may add as many as 2 points towards a LEED certification. See the Steel Recycling Institutes LEED documentation letter for further information: http://www.recycle-steel.org/leed/leed.pdf

How to LEED with Steel

Go to U.S. Green Building Council www.usgbc.org Acquire LEED Green Building Rating System Go to Steel Recycling Institute: www.recycle-steel.org Earn Steel Recycled Content Credit

PART ONE

Practical Uses For Cold Formed Steel

Practical Uses For Cold Formed Steel

Sheathed Floor Systems

Concrete Floor Systems

Roof Systems

Exterior Wall Systems

Exterior Wall Systems

Ballston Tower Arlington, Virginia

Whole Buildings

Substitutes pre-cast concrete & structural steel.

PART TWO

Notes & Specifications

(Give this part to your Structural Engineer)

Your Drawings Should . . .

Eliminate discrepancies between the architectural drawings, structural drawings, and specifications. Provide sufficient information for the cold formed steel sub-contractors bidding projects. This will result in tighter, more competitive bids. Provide adequate information for the specialty engineer to design cold formed steel. Minimize the number of RFIs and change orders during cold formed steel design and construction.

Structural Notes (Your Engineers Checklist)

Provide building code and year. Provide gravity loads (dead and live loads) Provide wind data (wind speed, importance factor, exposure, and mean roof heights). Specify deflection criteria for different veneer materials.
Yes, believe it or not, these items are frequently missing. However, this is critical information needed by the specialty engineer.

Material Specification
Review 5400 specs and make certain that it is consistent with the architectural design intent on the drawings and with the structural notes. Indicate galvanizing as G-60 or G-90 (be selective with G-90 because it is a cost item). Specify 33 KSI or 50 KSI (50 KSI usually not necessary in non-bearing wall projects since deflection usually controls). Brick Institute recommends a maximum allowable deflection of L/600 for brick veneer. Please do not specify a lower deflection criteria.

Stud Sizing on Drawings

Engineered cold formed steel is a component element usually addressed as a performance specification item. It is engineered and detailed by the specialty engineer who is typically hired by the contractor. Specify stud sizes (3 5/8, 6, etc.). The engineer of record should help to advise the architect. Specify maximum stud spacing based on sheathing requirements or brick tie spacing. Do not specify gauge of studs unless a minimum gauge is required for performance. If required state No Exceptions Will Be Accepted. If cold formed steel is not addressed in the structural details, the cold formed steel engineer will follow the architectural sections. So it is important that the engineer of record review the architectural sections with respect to cold formed steel.

PART THREE

Exterior Non-Bearing Walls

Use slide clips and deflection tracks to accommodate for vertical deflection of the structure. Specify slide clips where curtain wall studs bypass spandrel beams. Specify deflection tracks where curtain wall studs span between floor levels.

Provide vertical structural steel below sills of openings wider than 12-0. A similar condition may occur at parapet walls. Provide cold formed steel diagonal braces for headers larger than 12-0 or provide structural steel braced frames with infill studs.
Structural Steel 4 to 6 o.c. and welded to roof structure Rigid Connection Difficult at Roof Without Steel

Kickers

Hinge Between Window and Studs

Provide Structural Steel Below Openings Wider Than 12

Rigid Connection Difficult at Slab Edge Without Steel

For greater floor heights where stud depth is limited, provide diagonal cold formed steel braces above ceilings to reduce stud size and gauge. Provide continuous structural steel angles under roof decks to support the top of cold formed steel braces. Your engineer should verify that stud depth (4, 6, 8, etc.) will be adequate for specified deflection limits. Avoid 12 gauge and 2 1/2 flange widths. Provide structural horizontal girts between columns for very tall exterior studs or allow for deeper (10 or 12) studs.

Steel Angle

Kickers

Tall Studs & Limited Stud Depth

To reduce vertical stud spans, provide a horizontal structural beam at the floor level of exterior stairwells and elevator shaft walls. If cold formed steel is shown on architectural wall sections and not on structural drawings, the structural engineer should verify connection points. (i.e. attaching to bottom of beam, bearing stud on metal deck, etc.). Provide vertical structural steel (skylight curbs) under skylight mullions imposing thrust loads at top of curb.

PART FOUR

Bearing Walls

Rule number one when designing cold formed steel bearing walls: LINE UP THE WALLS.
It is critical that cold formed steel bearing walls align vertically. If you are not able to vertically align the bearing walls then you should consider other framing systems.

Identify stud bearing detail (continuous steel angle at top of bearing wall). Do not provide continuous cold formed steel box headers at top of bearing walls. This creates a hinge in the wall, subject to rolling.

Continuous Steel Angle or Tube

Wind Hinge Created Under Continuous Box Header

 Allow sufficient depth above doors and windows to accommodate the cold formed steel header. For large openings (i.e., over 10 feet) at windows and doors, consider structural steel framing. Consider the limitations of cold formed steel stud columns. Provide structural steel columns instead at steel beam supports.

Full Height Jamb Studs

Jack Stud

Box Header for Gravity Loads (Over Punch Openings Only)

 Identify shear wall locations and indicate main frame lateral forces to be accommodated in the shear wall design. Design the foundations at the shear wall anchorage. Provide enough dead load to resist uplifting force at each end of the shear wall.
Provide Main Frame Design Wind Loads Clarify Locations and Lengths of Shear Walls on Plans

Top of Straps Welded to Multiple End Posts Multiple End Posts X-Brace Strap on Each Side of Lt. Ga. Wall

Design Foundation To Resist Uplift

PART FIVE

Roof Trusses And Rafters

 Provide dead and live load diagrams for top and bottom chords, for rafters, and for floor/ceiling joists. Provide special loading requirements for situations such as attics in buildings or catwalks over retail canopies. The structural engineer should verify joist and rafter depth to support all floor and roof design loads. Truss heel depth should also be verified.

 Additional mechanical loads (RTU) requirements must be shown on structural drawings. Clearly show where special open configurations are required for equipment in attic spaces between trusses. Any additional special loads or deflection limits (such as hanging curtains) must be identified.

 Clearly detail gable end truss or continuation of end wall studs. Include design concept to brace walls against horizontal thrust from scissors trusses at the top of bearing walls (i.e. horizontal brace beam at the top of the wall under the truss).

Specify Thrust Beam or Design Wall

PART SIX

Connections

 Avoid welds or leave connection method open for specialty engineer. PAF and screw connections are typically preferred by cold formed steel contractors. Be aware that these connectors have low allowable load capacities. Beware that screws have very little capacity in tension in metal decks and cold formed steel. 0.14 diameter is the preferred powder actuated fastener (PAF) size by most cold formed steel contractors.

 Detail edge conditions so that the minimum edge distance required by fasteners can be maintained.

3 5/8 Stud

3 To PAF

1 Overhang

The End