Description: This method is an equivalent to conventional stick frame or post & beam home design where the structural lumber is replaced by steel studs and trusses or steel posts and beams.
Light-Gauge Framing System features screw-together, galvanized stud-and-truss, grid-type construction system built on 4-foot center. Greater strength of steel frame provides additional security and safety against earthquakes, high winds, heavy snow loads, termites, storms or other natural disasters that can damage and destroy conventional wood framed housing. Also, non-flammable steel frame is substantially more resistant to the fire than wood framed prefabricated home.
The steel frame of a home creates wider exterior walls than in a typical wood frame house, allowing installation of thicker 9" (R-30) insulation. The result is a home that is quieter, and more energy efficient than prefabricated house constructed by other methods.
Prefabricated home framed with steel provides long lasting quality - steel won't shrink rot, warp, crack or split.
Red-Iron Metal Post & Beam System
features bolt-together, pre-engineered post-and-beam-type framing system that uses the red-iron steel "C" beams on 8-foot center. The prefabricated home built with this method can be single-story, two-story, and even tri-level home.
Unlike conventional wood framed home that requires interior walls to support the roof, the higher strength-to-weight ratio of steel house allows to span greater distances with less material and fewer supports. The result is higher floor layout and interior design flexibility.
Unlike wood, steel won't shrink, rot, warp, buckle, split, or be attacked by insects. This results in greater durability, lower long-term maintenance, higher energy efficiency and overall greater quality of this prefabricated home.
Advantages:
- Highest strength-to-weight ratio in between building materials - flexibility in floor layout and home design
- High strength of steel frame structure - lower maintenance, slower aging of structure
- Stronger structure - less probability of damage in an earthquake, flood, high wind
- Fire safety - non-combustible steel frame does not contribute fuel to a fire
- Inorganic - not vulnerable to insects, termites, fungi or other organism
- Dimensionally stable - does not expand and contract with moisure contentd, rot, warp, split or crack
- Lighter structure - less probability of foundation problems
- Consistent material quality
- 100% recyclable
Steel frame supports heavier loads and provides a longer-lasting frame than other types of prefab homes. Steel frame home is dimensionally stable which eliminates movement which might cause drywall cracking. A home design using steel frame can be finished with any exterior and interior material. Some manufacturers of prefabricated steel frame homes supply galvanized steel wall frame already panelized and trusses assembled. When it's delivered to the job site the panels are ready to be bolted to the foundation.
Disadvantages: Although steel frame is methodically very similar to wood frame method of the construction, the vast difference in construction material require builders specialized in metal construction.
Associations:
American Iron & Steel Institute
Hawaii Steel Alliance
Metal Buildings Manufacturers Association
Metal Construction Association
Steel-Frame Home Vendors by State
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