Voestalpine Metsec Plc

Voestalpine Metsec Plc Light Gauge Steel Frame Building System

Durability Assessment: Minimum 60 Years

Voestalpine Metsec plc is a design and manufacturing company offering high quality cold-formed structural steel to the construction industry. The open panel system is manufactured offsite and erected at site. They provide internal and external load bearing walls along with floor and roof panels.

The basic principle of Metframe superstructures is that lightweight galvanised steel sections are used to form the structural elements of a building, based on proven engineering methods. Each storey height of the building frame is tied together and at each floor level with the floor construction which demonstrate adequate robustness as indicated in BS EN 1991 1 – 7 and UK National Annex to BS EN 1991 1 – 7.

Limits on scope

• Maximum 15 storeys for loadbearing frames subject to structural analysis (with the incorporation of hot-rolled steelwork to achieve structural design parameters)
• Bottom members in contact with foundations/sub-structure must be fully isolated from contact with moisture from the ground or external sources
• Where lightweight gauge steel framing is used for ground floor construction, the ground below the floor must be sealed to prevent moisture entering the void, such as a membrane with 50mm oversite concrete, in accordance with the recommendations of Steel Construction Institute publication P262.
• Where a lightweight gauge steel frame ground floor occurs over a void next to the ground, the void must be cross ventilated to a minimum standard of 1500mm2/linear metre, or 500mm2/m2 of floor area.
• Masonry wall cladding cavities should be minimum 50mm and ventilated.
• Conventional cladding, such as timber cladding, should have a minimum 25mm drained back-cavity, or as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Rendered external thermal insulation systems and/or insulated brick slip cladding systems applied to steel-framed structures must have a minimum 25mm drained back-cavity.
• Stainless steel fixings, such as channels for masonry retention systems, must be isolated from the galvanised steel to prevent bi-metallic corrosion where there is a risk of exposure to moisture.
• Metframe must be contracted for the design, manufacture and supply of the structures.
• The structural analysis and design for the structure is undertaken by voestalpine Metsec plc’s in-house Engineers.