Residential Steel Framing: Fire and Acoustic
Details (September 2002, 111 p.)
Cold-formed steel has been widely used in commercial buildings,
especially in non-load bearing (partitions) and curtain wall
applications. Cold-formed steel sections are increasingly
being used as primary structural members, such as beams, floor
joists, and load-bearing walls in commercial and residential
construction.
Despite the availability of cold-formed steel framing, there
are still basic barriers that impede its adoption in the residential
market. Probably one of the primary barriers is that the building
industry is generally reluctant to adopt alternative building
methods and materials unless they exhibit clear quality or
performance advantages. The fire and acoustical performance
of cold-formed floor and wall assemblies are important considerations
when designing residential and light commercial structures.
However, there is little information available in the United
States (US) on fire ratings and sound transmission class ratings
of cold-formed steel assemblies and the available information
is dispersed and not readily accessible to end users.
This report investigates regulatory requirements, available
test data, and typical practices relating to acoustics and
fire protection of cold-formed steel framing. The intention
is to give an overview of current regulations, as well as
a "snap shot" of available fire and acoustic cold-formed
steel assemblies.
This document starts by providing an overview of fire and
acoustic requirements of cold-formed steel assemblies and
the characteristics of such assemblies as related to fire
and acoustic performance. A detailed description of current
building codes and building code requirements for the fire
protection and acoustical insulation of cold-formed steel
assemblies follows. A comprehensive list of tested fire- and
sound-rated assemblies is provided. Finally, recommendations
are given to direct future tests and research.
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