Industry Changing Advancement in Light Gauge Cold-formed Steel Construction
SAN DIEGO, CA – March 28, 2010 – FrameMax a San Diego based company, has revolutionized the construction industry with a new advancement to it’s already well establish light gauge steel building system. Contrary to popular belief that light gauge steel framing is limited to six stories, FrameMax’s Mid-High Rise Building System is capable of building to a ground breaking height of 16 stories.
Now, instead of competing with wood, FrameMax has become the alternative building material to concrete. “Our latest enhancement to the engineering of our light gauge steel system allows us to build above 6 stories, allowing us to compete in markets we’ve not been able to previously,” stated President/CEO of FrameMax, Phil Ellis. “This is possible because we no longer utilize the traditional LGS shear wall system. Instead, our latest system utilizes a centralized core method of lateral shear and thin slab concrete or metal decking floor diaphragm, supported by load bearing light gauge cold-formed steel stud walls and floor joist,” added Ellis.
Light gauge cold-formed steel itself, is not limited to six stories. It is the shear wall system of building that is limited to this maximum height. By eliminating the shear from the walls the sky is the limit for light gauge cold-formed steel. FrameMax’s latest building system incorporates both the traditional concrete method of building and the typical framed building method of construction, offering the best of both worlds. In essence, FrameMax’s latest system now shifts the shear requirement or lateral loads to the central core, as that of a typical concrete high-rise building, while the light gauge cold-formed steel load bearing walls take the gravity loads.
The advantages FrameMax’s Mid-High Rise Building System offers are lighter floors, which ultimately, reduces the overall building weight and also the seismic force since the seismic force is directly proportional to the building weight. The FrameMax system improves construction speed as it eliminates the formwork and cure time needed for concrete. Furthermore, the overall cost would be reduced as it does not require an extensive labor force for a prolong period of time, as compared to constructing a concrete building. Another key benefit of this revolutionary system is the use of 3D modeling prior to getting to the jobsite, allowing all site problems and RFIs to be addressed in advance. Plus, the 3D computer model ensures an accurate building structure is produced.
FrameMax’s patented technology is approved globally and conforms to the International Building Code (IBC) as well as ICC requirement and approvals. Projects that are suitable for this system are: any multi-story building up to 16 stories, affordable mass housing projects, apartments, hotels and assisted living facilities.
About FrameMax
Based in San Diego, California, FrameMax is a global company with establishments in the U.S.A, China and the M.E.N.A. region. A privately owned company, FrameMax is the leading building technology company in the industry to integrate patented technology, CAD design & engineering into an automated manufacturing process for multi-story construction. FrameMax’s innovative building systems has revolutionized the way building structures are assembled and erected in the construction of residential multi-family housing, apartments, condominiums, mixed-used space, extended-stay hotel & motels and assisted living facilities.
For more information, visit www.framemax.com or contact Thad Maynard, FrameMax Business Development Manager at 858-208-9258 or by email at tmaynard@framemax.com.