Small Vertical Trusses used for Studs in Plaster Walls 1

[sparky475]

I have a project where the wall "studs" (vertical members) are made up of small steel truss like members, 4" deep at 17" on center. The top and bottom chord consist of 2 - 3/16" diameter wires. There are wires connecting the top and bottom chord of the truss. Does anyone have any information on this type of system, can it take vertical load, etc.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

A picture would help. Sounds kind of weird??
Either the top or bottom chord will go into compression - depending on loading - and 3/16'' wire is not very good in compression!!

 

[msquared48]

What is spanning between these "studs", and, if present, how is it attached?

I wonder if this is some kind of a sound wall, not intended for shear, bearing, or transverse loading?

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[sparky475]

There is metal lath and plaster on the wall studs. The wall is a partition wall, that separates an exit hallway from a room in an old church.

 

[dhengr]

That sounds like a proprietary wall system, and is probably surprisingly strong when done correctly and in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions. I don’t recognize the system, but I’d look for some manufacturer’s literature which would have design tables, etc. Try Sweet’s Catalog, or the like.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

They still have Sweets Catalog??? I remember as a very young engineer - like 35 years ago - looking up spas... Almost as good as Playboy at the time!!

 

[Ron]

Sparky475...I agree that this is probably a proprietary system. About 20 years ago I designed a similar system for a client, to be used for shear walls, but they were actually about 12 inches deep and were made from light gage steel framing.

Agree that you might find something in an old Sweet's.

MiketheEngineer....and you could even look at them (legitimately) at work!!

 

[hokie66]

Good story, Mike. I found the spas too, but that wasn't what I was looking for, and then I forgot...

 

[hokie66]

sparky,
I found a picture of what you described in my old Architectural Graphic Standards, Sixth Edition, 1970. If you have access to that, it is on page 390. It specifically says that these are non-bearing.

 

[sparky475]

Thanks alot hokie 66, thats exactly what we have. Mystery solved.

 

[dhengr]

Whoo... you dirty old men..., why didn’t you tell me about that 35 years ago. Little did I know, I don’t think that particular book ever left the shelf, until right now. And, my keepsake 1972 edition does have some fairly explicit pictures for that era. That would certainly sell spas to some portion of the population, especially if they caused women’s cloths to fall off, or one of those gals was part of the total spa package.

Hokie..., forgot what? Talk about thread creep, I forgot what I was looking for too, and never did spend the time to try to find the product which was the subject of the OP, what I found was so much more interesting. I assume that’s what you meant, since at that age you certainly hadn’t forgotten, yet, what THAT was all about.

 

[hokie66]

Exactly. We seem to think alike quite often. Scary.