Sizing Metal Studs For Residential Ceiling

[TomBrooklyn]

Does anyone know of an on-line resourse that would indicate size and guage for metal studs to be used in a residential cieling?

The application at hand is for two ceilings on the second floor of a two story wood frame residence in two adjoining rooms, 12'L x 12'W and 10'L x 12'W. The 12'width goes between a brick firewall adjoining an attached house without beam pockets and the center bearing wall of the 25'W house. The existing studs that were removed ran the other way supported between room divider walls and the exterior rear wall of the house at one end of the 12'x12' room. Those studs were 2" x 2" approx. wood studs with in intermediate stud running the other way and tied up to the roof joists through a cockloft (crawlspace). They supported a plaster and lathe cieling and were sagging. They are believed to be the original cielings from this house built in 1907.

We will be putting 5/8" gypsum board on the ceiling, using 16" o.c. placement and wish to use the least expensive studs that will serve without allowing sagging.

Beam pockets on the brick wall are not believed to be an option as the wall may be only one brick in width, as determined from the brick wall on the same side of the house put further up front in the house.

TIA for any links or advice. =TB=

 

[Taro]

The Steel Stud Manufacturers Association ICBO evaluation report (ER 4943P) includes span tables for ceilings, floor joists, walls, etc. It can be downloaded from

http://www.icbo.org/ICBO_ES/Evaluation_Reports/

or a hardcopy can be obtained from SSMA member companies. See

http://www.ssma.com/

for contact information. Other stud manufacturers that are not SSMA members will also be happy to send you their product catalogs with span table information.

AISIWIN software for sizing common light-gage steel members can be downloaded from

http://www.clarksteel.com