Builders Guide Residential Steel Floors


Introduction To Residential Steel Floors

For decades, people have used steel in the construction of bridges and buildings, in the

automotive industry, machinery, and other products because of its strength, fire

protection qualities, and durability. Being one of the most versatile of building materials,

steel has experienced a steady growth in the commercial construction. Nationwide, home

builders and homeowners are recognizing the many benefits steel has to offer the residential

market. The steel that is predominantly used for residential framing is cold-formed steel.

Steel is gaining acceptance among home builders and homeowners alike due to advantages

such as cost-effectiveness, dimensional stability, noncombustability, termite resistance,

durability, high strength to weight ratio, and recycleablity.







The Builders Guide to Residential Steel Floors is provided as a guideline to facilitate the

appropriate use of cold-formed steel floor framing in the construction of conventional

one- and two-family residential dwellings, townhouses, and multifamily dwellings. The

provisions in this document were developed by applying accepted engineering practices,

test results of steel floor assemblies, and other published reports, technical bulletins, and

manufacturer data. However, users of this document should verify its compliance with

local code requirements and seek any necessary regulatory approvals prior to use. The

user is advised to refer to applicable building code requirements for technical issues

beyond the scope of this document and when engineered design is called out.

The first three chapters of this document provide an overview of cold-formed steel framing,

including its advantages, technical resources, tools and fasteners, and material properties.

The overview has many helpful tips and guidance, particularly for first timers. Builders

and contractors must understand the strengths and weaknesses of the material they are

using. They must also know how to cut, trim, measure, mark, and install steel framing

members. Steel framers must know how to order steel members, how to select the proper

tools, and how to fasten framing members together. While many of these considerations

are best learned by practice, the transition between wood and steel floor framing can be

rather easy with the proper guidance and planning.



Chapters 4 and 5 of this document describe how to construct cold-formed steel floors

and related sub-trade installations. Chapter 6 provides general recommendations and

construction guidelines that are gathered from experienced steel framers. The intent of

that chapter is to provide steel framers with good practices that could save them time,

material, and frustration.


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