Wall Strength for Metal Stud Wall

[DM2]

I'm trying to point someone in the right direction. The issue is that a fire suppression system that discharges a gas into a data center needs pressure relief venting above the 5 psf referenced by the IBC section 1607.15.

We're being asked to calculate the venting requirements at different wall strengths. I'm trying to figure out what wall strengths are common, or listed in a table somewhere, rather than me waiting for them to design a wall. In order to do away with any venting, one of the rooms is going to need a wall strength of 87 psf and I don't think that's realistic. Most of the spaces could do away with venting if the walls could handle 35 psf.

I had looked at "SSMA Product Technical Guide" which references 2015 IBC. The document includes tables for "Combined Axial and Lateral Loads" of 5 to 50 psf (800S200 Stud). These tables list wall heights a 16 feet, which is below the the current wall height of about 25'. They're currently using a 16" spacing, but not sure about the bracing being used.

I'd like to be able to give them their options at the various psf value and reference the studs from the table. For a 800S200 Stud (page 41), with a Mil thickness of 118, and a spacing of 16" is 14.42 the deflection of the stud? [16' / 14.42 = 1.109]?

Am I going about the correctly?

 

[Ron247]

From what I read, the 14.42 represents 14,420 lbs of axial force the stud can take while being subjected to the 50 psf lateral load. In other words, it is the vertical weight the stud could support, not a deflection.

The bottom says since there is no superscript note (1-4) the deflection meets L/720. Whatever units (feet, inches) you use for L, that is what deflection is calculated as.

Not wise to use any chart if you cannot reasonably reproduce it yourself if you had to. Contact a stud supplier. Since your height is 25' and the max height of the tables is 16', you already have a big problem relying on ANYTHING in the tables. While interpolation is "somewhat reliable"; extrapolation is "somewhat dangerous".

 

[DM2]

Ron,
Thanks for the input. I don't want to provide too many assumptions since the selection of the Stud is something they'll need to do...

I think I'll look for s stud manufacture and see what they might suggest for this...

Thanks again.