Light weight steel frame is becoming increasingly popular among home builders. With framing techniques and framing techniques and details are now available that require little or no engineering services. Generally speaking, the construction process of a lightweight steel frame house is not significantly different from that of a wood-frame construction. Walls, floors, and ceilings are built using a repetition of lightweight framing members. Common wood-frame truss assemblies and built-up wood roofing systems can be used directly over steel-frame walls and floors.
Steel solutions for such systems are also available, but require the input of a design professional and are beyond the scope of this document. The construction of a new home requires the cooperation of many different professions. In later chapters of this document, we will explain in detail how other processes are affected by the construction of LSF houses. As a general rule, inform each contractor in advance that you will be constructing a steel framed house and what additional tools and accessories will be required.
About the Book
The purpose of this handbook is to provide builders with general design guidelines, common practices, and insights into the success of light weight steel framing. This handbook describes floor and wall framing methods for single-family dwellings and other small buildings using lightweight steel members. This handbook may only be used in conjunction with lightweight steel frame (LSF) products as evaluated in the CCMC Lightweight Steel Framing Components Technical Guide. For all other LSF building applications, technical design services are required.
The Light Steel Residential Construction Handbook is a document of convenience only and is not intended to replace state and national building codes. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the examples and descriptions in this guide book are for illustrative purposes only and constitute opinions only. Neither the Canadian Steel Plate Building Society nor its members make any warranty or assume any responsibility for the suitability of the material here in for general or specific applications.