Innovative Residential Floor Construction: Horizontal Diaphragm Values for Cold-211 Formed Steel Framing

摘要

For centuries home builders in the United States have made wood their material of211u001echoice because of its satisfactory performance, abundant supply and relatively 211u001elow cost. However, over the past several years, lumber prices have increased and 211u001ebuilders have become concerned with the quality of lumber. Consequently, builders 211u001eand other providers of affordable housing are seeking functional and competitive 211u001ealternative building materials and methods. This report looks at the use of cold-211u001eformed steel (CSF) as an alternative to wood. CFS is suitable for residential 211u001efloor framing systems, but there are some technical barriers that limited the use 211u001eof CFS. This report establishes appropriate design values for CFS horizontal 211u001ediaphragms in support of safe and affordable housing design. This analysis is 211u001eimportant especially for buildings located in areas of the United States that are 211u001eprone to hurricanes and earthquakes.