Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
ISSN 0049-2205
Print Post Approved
pp 255003/01614
ASI STEEL DETAILER MEMBERS
NEW SOUTH WALES Unit 6 Pacific Chambers Cranbourne VIC 3977 03 5995 2333
3460 Pacific Highway
Cadraw Pty Ltd Springwood QLD 4127 07 3299 2891 PlanIT Design Group
P O Box 191 PO Box 288
Kellyville NSW 2155 02 9831 6511 Pacific Drafting Australia Dingle Village VIC 3172 03 9551 6666
2 Classic Way
Centreline Drawing Services Pty Ltd Bureigh Waters QLD 4220 07 5593 5810 Vertex Engineering Design Service
327/20 Dale Street 26A Macquarie Drive
Brookvale NSW 2100 02 9938 6844 Q E I Pty Ltd Thomastown VIC 3074 03 9466 1255
104 Wellington Road
Elmasry Steel Design and Detailing East Brisbane QLD 4169 07 3891 6646 WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Level 2, Suite 1
39 Stanley Street Steelcad Drafting Pty Ltd Cadstruction Drafting
Bankstown NSW 2200 02 9708 6500 PO Box 1456 Suite 4, First Floor
Coorparoo DC QLD 4151 07 3844 3955 896 Albany Highway
Enterprise Drafting Company (EDC) Pty Ltd East Victoria Park WA 6101 08 9472 7457
Suite 2, Level 1 Steeltech Steel Detailers P/L
163 King Street Unit 1, Carnegie Associates Pty Ltd
Newcastle NSW 2300 02 4929 6910 7 Allardyce Street Unit 3, 46 Hasler Road
Graceville QLD 4075 07 3278 6699 Osborne Park WA 6017 08 9244 1311
Hunter Drafting Service Pty Ltd
P O Box 298 Time Line Drafting PDC Consultants Pty Ltd
New Lambton NSW 2305 02 4967 6500 PO Box 2006 PO Box 1267
Toowoomba QLD 4350 07 4659 8633 Canning Bridge WA 6153 08 9315 6600
Monaro Drafting Services
PO Box 299 SOUTH AUSTRALIA Steelplan Australia Pty Ltd
Cooma NSW 2630 02 6452 2337 15/885 Albany Highway
USDSA East Victoria Park WA 6101 08 9362 2599
QUEENSLAND 16 Drury Terrace
Universal Drafting
Clovelly Park SA 5042 08 8374 4999
Amalgamated Drafting 4/187 Main Street
PO Box 419 VICTORIA Osborne Park WA 6017 08 9440 4750
Spring Hill QLD 4000 07 3847 3064
Bayside Drafting (Aust) P/L Westplan Drafting
BDS Steel Detailers PO Box 2338 Unit 3/11 Robinson Road
80 Tribune Street Oakleigh VIC 3166 03 9544 3877 Rockingham WA 6168 08 9592 2499
South Brisbane QLD 4101 07 3844 8093
Cocciardi Pty Ltd NEW ZEALAND
Brice Engineers Pty Ltd PO Box 5135
7-8 Brice Court Cranbourne VIC 3977 03 9775 1556 4D Steel Detailing
Mt Louisa QLD 4814 07 4774 8322 PO Box 13772
Engineering Design Resource Christchurch 8031 +64 3 3775880
Draftology Pty Ltd 68 Hotham St New Zealand
Suite 10, Level 3 Traralgon VIC 3844 03 5174 0255
445 Upper Edward Street Steel Pencil Limited
Spring Hill QLD 4004 07 3831 3775 Fabcad Drafting P/L PO Box 546
Hempsall Steel Detailing Pty Ltd PO Box 758 Palmerston North +64 6 356 8253
Suite 1\67 Redcliffe Parade Morwell VIC 3840 03 5133 0733 New Zealand
Redcliffe QLD 4020 07 3284 3020 Flexsteel Drafting Service
Innovative Steel Detailing Pty Ltd 652A High Street
PO Box 1606 Kew East VIC 3102 03 9859 1862
Buddina QLD 4575 07 5444 7600 Global Drafting Corporation Pty Ltd
Online Drafting Services Qld Level 1
75-89 High Street
Electronic copies of Steel Construction journals are available from the members section of the ASI website. These pdfs
may be freely downloaded by members for their personal use. Financial corporate members of the ASI may add these pdfs
to their company intranets but in the event of resignation from the ASI, the pdfs must be deleted. ASI permits members to
quote excerpts from Steel Construction in their technical reports provided the journal is referenced as the source.
The arrival of personal computers and (eg. clinching, rivets, screws). The thinner gauges also
workstations facilitated the development of software assisted the following trades; ie. plasterers, electricians,
that could control these machines. carpenters, plumbers, etc. in their ease of use of steel
frames on site.
These advances led to the development of systems
where the house design was entered into the During this phase of development, Aluminium /Zinc
computer system and the cutting information was fed alloy coating (ZINCALUNE/TRUECORE) replaced
electronically to the programmable roll former. This galvanising as the preferred method of providing better
saved significant costs in manufacture due to error corrosion protection due to its superior performance,
minimisation, material waste and work in progress. with a life of two to four times that of the galvanised
product [4].
In the late 1980s, Australia led the world with the use of
G550 steel in house framing. With the development of Today the steel framing industry in Australia is highly
more complex and structurally more efficient shapes, innovative with many different systems. This creative
the advantage of the higher strength steel could be and competitive environment has led to steel frames
utilised and consequently the steel mass in a house becoming a mainstream option for framing of houses
was reduced. The thinner gauge members resulted in and similar structures. All systems must comply with
lighter frames and trusses which assisted with speed the requirements of the Building Code of Australia
of manufacture and installation. The thinner gauges (BCA) [5] which now references the NASH Standard
of steel encouraged the use of alternative methods of Residential and Low-rise Steel Framing Part 1 Design
connection in the shop assembly of frames and trusses Criteria [6]. The reference to old standard AS3623-
U section
The webs of the studs often have stiffeners rolled into
Z section them to increase their effectiveness, particularly with
the thinner high strength G550 steels.
FLOOR FRAMING
Figure 4 Truncated trusses with webs fixed to the A wide range of floor systems has been developed
external face of chord and supported on girder
for both the sub-floor and first floor. Typically the steel
truss
members are combined with a timber floor (eg. particle
Webs of trusses are usually channels. The webs can board, plywood or tongue and groove hardwood.) The
either be in the same plane as the chords or attached timber is glued to the steel and then mechanically
to the external face of the chord. This latter solution fastened using screws or nails. To avoid squeaks in
introduces issues of eccentricity in the design and is the floor, the nails or screws should not touch the sides
more difficult to stack efficiently, which usually involves of the floor members or webs of the trusses.
a greater stacked volume and therefore fewer products
The floor system consists of floor joists at typically
per transport load.
450mm centres that are supported on bearers. These
Webs of trusses should be attached to the top and bearers can be either in the same plane as the joist
bottom chord so that any relative movement between or under the joists. The joists and bearers can be
the web and chords does not cause any noise or constructed from the following sections:
the relative movement is stopped through providing C purlins
sufficient connectors.
Trusses
At hip ends of roofs, the roof can either be framed by Hollow sections
a series of truncated trusses or by using hip and jack
Top hats
trusses.
BRACING
WALL FRAMING
The bracing is designed to take the lateral loads from
Initially a 75mm stud depth was used for steel framing
the roof down to the foundations. The plasterboard
in Australia. Later 90mm and 70mm wall studs were
ceiling and the timber floors are assumed to act
introduced to match timber framing. The ability to
as a rigid diaphragm. Tests have shown that the
match the local timber sizes reduces problems on
plasterboard walls are the most rigid part of the vertical
site with the builder ordering the wrong width door
bracing system and hence the plasterboard takes the
jambs or window reveals to suit the stud width. These
horizontal loads whether it is designed to or not. Lateral
differences can cause problems when designing a
bracing must be provided until the plasterboard is fixed
house as the designer does not know what width wall
and this normally represents 50 - 60% of the ultimate
Welding Testing
Carpenters have traditionally been responsible for the The release of Part 1 of the NASH Standard provided
construction of the timber frame and as the skills for an opportunity to hold seminars on the use of steel
erecting steel and timber framing are very similar, it is framing. These seminars have been very well attended
a logical extension that they also erect steel frames. and received, and the program will be increased as
Some state licensing systems require that licensed further parts of the Standard are published.
carpenters are responsible for the erection of steel
MARKETING
framing[17].
Steel framing initially found a ready market amongst
Trades people are trained through an apprenticeship owner-builders, who were reasonably well informed
scheme where they receive their practical training from about product performance and prepared to accept
their employer and receive their theoretical and skills slightly higher costs for the framing and trade services.
training from a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). As the industry grew, progressive builders were
The RTO can be either a government Technical and targeted to use steel framing in all or part of the houses
Further Education (TAFE) Institute or a private training they were constructing. Some of these builders now
provider. The typical apprenticeship lasts for four years make their own steel frames.
and involves the apprentice attending their RTO for
one week, eight times a year. The balance of their time Today steel framing is often targeted at second and
is spent working for their employer. In response to the third home owners who are prepared to pay a small
current industry skills shortage, there is pressure from premium for a quality product. The direct promotion
sections of industry to compress this time or run more of product benefits to these home owners has been
specialised courses in a shorter time. effective in stimulating demand and helping to persuade
builders to offer a steel framing option.
Current carpentry apprentice courses include steel
framing in the wall competency unit which is a core NASH
unit and steel framing is also included in some elective The National Association of Steel-Framed Housing
units. NASH is seeking to have steel framing included (NASH) was formed in 1982 to foster the development
as a core unit in walls, floors, roofs and fitting out of the steel framing industry. It represents the interests
competency units. of steel frame fabricators, their suppliers and their
customers. It has currently about 100 members spread
In addition to actual frame erection, theoretical and across Australia.
practical steel framing skills need to be taught more
widely and effectively in the following trades: NASHs key objectives are:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A special thanks to Michael Kelly and Lex Somerville for their contributions and feedback on this paper.
REFERENCES
1. ANZ Research, ANZ Property Outlook July 2006 www.anz.com
2. Victorian Building Commission, Pulse Building Intelligence 2005 www.buildingintelligence.com.au
3. Ogg, A., Architecture in Steel The Australian Context, The Royal Australian Institute of Architects, 1987
4. BlueScope Steel, Corrosion Technical Bulletin CTB-6 Aluminium Zinc Coating on Steel 2003
www.bluescopesteel.com.au
5. Australian Building Codes Board, Building Code of Australia 2006
6. NASH Standard Residential and Low-Rise Steel Framing Part 1 Design Criteria 2005 www.abcb.gov.au
7. Standards Australia, AS3623-1993 Domestic Metal Framing
8. BlueScope Steel, Sample Steel House Framing Warranty www.bluescopesteel.com.au
9. Jeary, A.P. Study of the Attack Rates by Termites and Costs of Associated Damage on Domestic Housing in
New South Wales 2003 www.nash.asn.au
10. Ezard, Ezards Connection - The fight against termites. Building Connection September 2006
11. Standards Australia, AS/NZS 2589.1:1997: Gypsum linings in residential and light commercial construction
- Application and finishing - Gypsum plasterboard
12. Rawlinsons, Australian Cost Handbook Edition 24 , 2006
13. Worksafe Victoria, Code of Practice - Prevention of falls in housing construction. 2004
14. Standards Australia, AS 4100-1998 : Steel structures
15. Standards Australia, AS/NZS 4600:2005 : Cold-formed steel structures
16. Standards Australia, AS1684 Series : Residential timber-framed construction
17. Australia Government. Mutual Recognition Act 1992 Ministerial Declaration (9/02/2007) Legislative Instrument
F2007/L0043 Schedule 1
18. Light Steel Framing Customize To Optimize. Steel