A cold-formed, light-gauge steel framing system offers architects a powerful new green tool.
 |
| Without the need for load-bearing walls,
spacious and open rooms can be easily incorporated into a house’s design. Photo
by Nuvue Interactive. |
|
The Design
The house in Yucca Valley required only six hand-dug 24-inch-by-24-inch
concrete footings to which 8-inch-by-8-inch square structural steel columns
were bolted. Cold-formed, light-gauge, high-tensile galvanized steel elements
were then bolted to the columns to create bidirectional, point-loaded,
moment-resisting frames — the system’s heart and soul. No specialized trades,
field welding or large cranes were required, which allowed the entire house to
be framed and enclosed in less than five days.
No load-bearing walls (neither interior nor exterior) were required due to the
strength of the moment-resistant frame. Thus, it was possible to locate windows
and doors almost anywhere.
The architect for the project, o2 Architecture of Palm Springs, Calif., was
able to maximize the amount of indoor-outdoor living space available in this
modest-sized home. Thus the house features extensive use of sliding glass
doors.
A decision was made early on in the project to minimize the amount of space
devoted to bedrooms and to maximize “public” spaces. Again, with no
load-bearing walls to contend with, this goal was easy to achieve, especially
given that the system is capable of creating large clear-span areas of up to 30
feet. The system can readily be used to create structures of up to three
stories.
The exterior of the house was clad with two materials: bare corrugated steel on
lower walls (which was sprayed with apple cider vinegar to create a rusted
patina) and painted Hardie board on upper areas. But a variety of other
cladding materials could have readily been used — further enhancing the design
possibilities.
Minimizing Environmental Impact
All of the steel used in the Yucca Valley home was manufactured with as much as
70 percent recycled steel, which can, itself, be 100
percent
recycled later. Most steel elements in the home were factory fabricated, which
meant dramatically less waste was created onsite.
The waste generated in the factory during fabrication was immediately recycled
— even the steel filings created during bolt-hole drilling. The extremely
limited amount of construction waste created onsite was also sorted and
recycled. The house’s rapid construction meant far fewer trips to and from the
jobsite by workers as compared to a typical construction project. In short, the
system creates structures that are highly sustainable in terms of fabrication,
shipping, assembly and life cycle.
Steel has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any building material.
Additionally, it is dimensionally stable and will not expand or contract due to
moisture. Nor will it warp, split, crack or creep. And it is highly resistant
to fire and impervious to mold, dry rot and termites.
The system is the result of more than 15 years of design and rigorous testing.
Additionally, it is now a recognized and approved standard of AISI (AISI S-110
and ASCE7), and is expected to be included in the International Building Code
(IBC) and the California Building Code (CBC).
The system, which requires no bracing of any kind, is capable of creating
cantilevers, is suitable for all seismic zones and can be engineered to meet
all wind-loading requirements.
As construction of the prototype house in Yucca Valley shows, a light-gauge
steel building system provides architects with a powerful new tool to overcome
engineering constraints and to execute highly green designs. Better yet, the
designs can be constructed without the heavy cost to the natural landscape that
is often caused by traditional site-preparation methods.
Comments (0)
