Steel Stud design
Steel Stud design
(OP)
What are most people doing regarding the design of metal stud cladding for non-load bearing exterior walls. Do you delegate the design to the supplier and check the shop drawings and calcs, or do you provide the full design yourselves?






RE: Steel Stud design
And I will generally show any requirements for slip connections (ie: how much structure deflection they must accomadate),and any special conditions I think warrent special attention (sills under windows that create hinge conditions, doubling or tripling studs next to openings, lintels, etc).
I generally do not call out bottom or top tracks (unless they are needed for something unusual), track attachments to foundations, etc.
Somewhat of an inconsistant method I must admit.
RE: Steel Stud design
We typically leave the design up to the contractor or supplier, and check the shop drawings/submittals for adequacy and load transfer. (We do however perform a prelminary stud design to make sure it is feasible, i.e 4" vs 6" stud depth.)
We specify the required loads, deflection criteria, or other limitations. I believe this is fairly common, and masterspec even has a section on how to spec out the "delegated design".
If you are using it as a bearing wall, then I would say you should do the design.
RE: Steel Stud design
RE: Steel Stud design
RE: Steel Stud design
I take exception to your comment. I am a licensed PE and SE, and I do a lot of cold formed steel shop drawings. Most of the time, the EOR does show the wind pressures to use on walls, but forgets to show the wind pressures to use on soffits. So it is good I know how to use the ASCE 7
DaveAtkins
RE: Steel Stud design
Our drawings and specs include design loads, deflection criteria, etc.
Load-bearing walls and shear walls are included in our scope and detailed accordingly.
RE: Steel Stud design
RE: Steel Stud design
What do you mean by a " hinge condition" under the window at the sill?
What is a slip connection for metal framing?
RE: Steel Stud design
If the studs runsfull height of say a 1-story building, You have a 'pin-pin' condition. And the size of the stud is determined accordinly.
A hinge condition is created under long windows, for instance, when the track at the bottom of the stud is fastened to the foundation in the same way (a 'pin' condition) but a window interupts the stud. Then you have a 'pin-free' condition for this stud. If the wind blows on the window, which translates the lateral load to the top of the interupted stud, then there is no mechanism to handle the lateral load.
Been involved in a couple of retrofit jobs over the years to stiffen these kind of conditions after the wall/window began deflecting horizontally too much.
On one story buildings, with non-load bearing exterior stud wall, it is common to run the stud up past the roof steel line some distance to form a parapet. The top of the stud is braced laterally to the roof framing. A vertical slip connection is required between the stud and roof framing to allow the roof framing members to deflect under load, without imparting that vertical load to the studs.
Most of the stud supplier's have standard connection clips for this situation, as it is a very common thing.
Hopefully this makes sense.
RE: Steel Stud design
RE: Steel Stud design
RE: Steel Stud design
In my experience we typically generate the wind loading based on the design criteria provided in the EOR structural drawings. But, we are starting to see the loads provided by the EOR more often. I still verify given loads as I may be responsible for their accuracy.
An advantage to differed submittal is you "should" get a well detailed set of shop drawings that likely contain more wall sections and details than the architectural drawings have provided. At least that is what we generate and our clients have been willing to pay for the extra work on our end which translates into less "head-scratching" in the field.
RE: Steel Stud design