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
Long gone are the days when steel structures meant bulky and heavy buildings. The advent of technology and increased use of computer systems has enabled steel structures to evolve and become lighter.
Light gauge steel has been in use for quite some time now, but it has now become even more popular because of the many advantages it offers to its users.
This article will discuss some of these advantages.
Light gauge steel frame construction is a lightweight framing system that uses thin-gauge steel members to form the frame of a building, typically about 20-gauge or thinner. These members are connected together to form a skeleton for the building, which can then be filled with insulation, wallboard, and other finishes.
This system has many advantages over traditional construction methods, including speed of assembly, cost-efficiency, and flexibility.
With the global population on the rise and the need for more sustainable, efficient construction practices, light gauge steel frame construction is becoming an increasingly popular option for builders and architects. Steel is a strong, durable material that can be used to create frames for buildings of all shapes and sizes, making it a versatile choice for construction.
Here are four advantages of using light gauge steel frame construction in your next project:
Steel is a strong, durable material that can withstand the test of time. A frame made from light gauge steel will be able to withstand wind and weather conditions, as well as everyday wear and tear.
Steel is a flexible material, which makes it a great choice for construction. It can be used to create frames for buildings of all shapes and sizes, making it a versatile choice for construction.
Steel is a sustainable material that can be recycled and reused. This makes it a more environmentally-friendly choice for construction than materials like wood or concrete.
Steel is a lightweight material that can be used to create frames for buildings that are both strong and sustainable. This makes it an efficient choice for construction, reducing the amount of material needed and helping to save on costs.
Light gauge steel construction offers many advantages over other materials that are used to build structures. With the help of a steel fabrication company, you can build a structure that will last a long time and that will be able to handle the forces that are placed on it.