Framing the construction market

Framing the Construction M a r k e t New opportunities in the commerical and private-residence segments are inside the walls. By Steve Bjerklie

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n the children's fable, the "smart" pig is the one who ly flexible and budget-satisfying material for the combuilds his house from bricks. The straw- and sticksplex framing system, which had to accommodate building pigs, well, they became juicy pork dinners other structural systems that were out of tolerance, for the big bad wol£. But the smartest pig of all would and be able to accommodate shifting weights as the be the one who built his house out of metal. No result of wind impact on the building. amount of huffing and puffing, no amount of fire and brimstone, and just about no amount of earth-quakOPPORTUNITIES IN A SHRINKING MARKET ing and shaking, could bring his house down. The rapid acceptance of steel framing in commercial When it comes to the construction market, new construction is good news for finishers, because the opportunities abound for finishers--for those, that market for traditional finishing applications in priis, prepared to adapt to market shifts and trends. vate-residence construction is become increasingly The traditional metal finishing niches within the difficult to compete in or going away altogether. Not construction market--plumbing and appliance fixonly is the finishing market for bathroom and tures, door hinges and hardware, kitchen fixtures, cupboard hardwindow framing, etc.--are shrinkware, and major appliances moving ing due to the usual pressures, to Asia, observers say, but the overnotably offshore competition. But all private-home m a r k e t itself is construction itself--steel framing-slowing down after its rapid growth holds real promise, experts say. in the 1990s. Coated or finished steel framing Yet there's reason for optimism has already gained significant mareven in private-home construction ket share in commercial construcfor metal finishers--at least those tion. The reasons are obvious: steel with a share of the galvanizing framing is lighter, stronger, and more business. Zinc-galvanized steel flexible than traditional wood framframing is gaining more than a ing, not to mention the fact that commere foothold in private-home conmercial buildings have long been struction. In California, where seisexterior-framed in steel. But the The rapid acceptance of steel framing in mic (earthquake) codes apply in the action now is inside the building. commercial construction is good news state's two most populated metroAccording to the Steel Framing for finishers. politan areas, Los Angeles and San Alliance (SFA), 47% of exterior walls, Francisco, 8% of homes are framed 81% of interior walls, 13% of floors, and 4% of roofs in steel. In Hawaii, where the Formosa termite conwere framed in steel in 2002, the most recent year for tinues to be a major pest since its introduction in the which data are available. More than half of all office islands in the mid-19th century, 40% of homes--72% buildings (including banks)--53%--are now framed in on Oahu-- are steel-framed. Other states with sigsteel. The same percentage applies to hospitals and nificant numbers of homes framed in steel include health clinics as well as to public buildings. Florida and Texas. Brian Kutchma, director of marSteel interior framing can accomplish what tradiketing for Dietrich Metal Framing, a division of tional framing cannot. The $70-million, arena-size Worthington Industries, says he hopes the regulaWoodstock Baptist Church in Georgia, completed in tors of Louisiana learned a lesson or two from 2002, features a dome over the main sanctuary spanHurricane Katrina and accommodate steel-framing ning 300 feet and topped by a cupola, and a 30-foot in the state's nascent private-home building codes. cross weighing 50 tons hangs over the altar. Cold(Before the storm, the state had little in the way of formed light-gauge steel provided a durable yet highcodes covering private homes; nationwide, several 16

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states still do not include steel framing in privatehome building codes.) Overall, just 1.5% of the total residential market features steel framing, but the rate is increasing. According to SFA, 15,000 to 20,000 new private residences are framed in steel every year in the United States. "If you want to build a home out of steel, you have to engineer it," Kutchma says. "It adds about $1 to $2 per square foot just in engineering costs, or about four to six percent of the total cost of a home. But I think we're going to see rapid growth in the near-term future. There are just too many advantages to steel." These advantages include strength, flexibility, durability, fire protection, sound diffusion, and, for interior walls, ease of dry-wall attachment.

DETAILS, DETAILS Steel framing is made from rolled steel that is coated with galvanized zinc in a hot-dip process. Virtually all non-exposed steel for framing is galvanized, and uniformity can be an issue. According to Gary Dallin, director of the GalvInfo Center, which is sponsored by the International Lead]Zinc Research Organization, "hot-dip galvanize can vary

in appearance, and therefore usability, as a function of spangle size, mechanical treatment and chemical or oiling treatments. Marketplace problems can develop because the customer finds the appearance is different than expected, or changes due to darkening, water-staining or field-handling marks." The continuous hot-dip coating process involves the application of a molten coating onto the surface of a steel s h e e t being rolled non-stop. The sheet passes through a bath of molten metal in a continuous ribbon at speeds of up to 600 feet per minute, and in the bath the steel alloys with the molten metal to bond the coating onto the steel's surface. As the strip emerges from the bath it is wiped down to control the thickness of the galvanize. According to the GalvInfo Center, "hot-dip galvanized coatings can be applied at levels ranging from as low as 0.30 ounces per foot squared to greater than 2 ounces per foot squared. The amount of coating depends on the application. Thin galvanized coatings provide sufficient corrosion protection for applications where the corrosion rate is low (interior electrical equipment, interior wall panels, computer equipment, etc.). Thick coatings are intended for

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applications where the corrosion rate is high and long service life is needed (marine environments and underground applications)." Some hot-dippers in the U.S. use the flux-coating process, annealing the steel ahead of the coating line in a separate operation, either in batches or in a con-

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tinuous through-pull. The steel is cleaned, then "pickled" to remove the steel's naturally present thin oxide coating. After rinsing, the steel passes through an aqueous flux solution to apply the coating. Hot-dipping is used on sheet steel to produce seven different types of coatings, according to the GalvInfo Center: Coated or finished steel framing has already gained galvanization with zinc, significant market share in commercial construction. galvanneal (zinc with 8 26 of its rolled-steel plants to to 10% iron alloy), alloys of zinc UltraSTEEL production. and aluminum (55/45 aluA length of UltraSTEEL carries minum/zinc alloy, and 95/5 zinc/aluminum alloy), two aluthe same width-and-height measminum-based alloys (pure aluurements as a standard 2 x 4-ft. minum and aluminum with 5 to wood framing piece, and can be used as a direct replacement. 11% silicon alloy), and "terne" What distinguishes UltraSTEEL coating, which is lead with a 3 to from other kinds of galvanized 15% tin alloy. As of 2005, approxsteel framing, explains Kutchma, imately 85 hot-dip lines operated in the U.S. metal-finishing indusis the product's dimpling, which is try, according to the Center. pressed into the already-galvanized steel as it is rolled between Dallin says the flake-like two mating drums. According to a "spangle" that has been the idenproduct spec sheet, during the tifier of zinc-galvanized steel for dimpling process, "the effective many years, dating back to when thickness of the material is coatings contained lead, is increased to that of the original undergoing a change. Now, he thickness, plus the depth of the points out, "the demand for a ribbing." The dimpling, says very smooth product has necessiKutchma, improves tated that spangle size be UltraSTEEL's functionality in reduced until it is barely visible several ways: it makes the conto the unaided eye." nection of one length of framing AN ULTRA ULTIMATE? to another surer (sometimes screws aren't even needed); it Dietrich Metal Framing's improves fire resistance; and it UltraSTEEL product is one of diffuses sound, deadening surthose necessitating a smooth-asface-to-surface sound transfer possible galvanized surface. and thus offering improved Developed and patented by a acoustics in interior spaces. British company, Hadley Industries PLC, a few years ago, Dietrich obtained the U.S. manuSteve Bjerklie is a freelance journalist based in northern facturing and distribution rights California. He also writes for The just last October, and is so excited Economist and other publicaabout the product that the tions. He can be reached at (eWorthington Industries division mf mail) [email protected], is in the process of converting all www.metalfinishing.com