Photos courtesy of The Steel Network
The Springhill Suites by Marriott is a seven-story hotel located in Chester, Virginia. The Steel Network (TSN), a member of the SFIA, supplied panelized cold-formed steel (CFS) framing and connectors for the construction of the 122-room hotel. By using lightweight CFS, the contractor was able to frame the project faster – and the owner saved money on the construction of the hotel.
TSN worked with Agent Wall Systems, a Virginia based contractor specializing in commercial construction, to build the hotel. Agent Wall Systems preferred to panelize the wall and floor systems to optimize the construction schedule and lighten the work for their onsite build crew. The two companies worked together to optimize and reduce the steel studs and joist thicknesses in the framing of the walls and floors.
A loadbearing steel joist floor system was used for the construction of the hotel.
To frame the load-bearing structure, Agent Wall Systems used TSN’s SigmaStud® and PrimeJoist®:
- SigmaStud is a breakthrough in metal stud framing, load bearing members, producing significant increases in load capacity when compared with conventional “C” Shaped metal studs. Its unique sigma configuration provides installation and design advantages which create efficiencies no other light steel framing studs can provide for load bearing walls
- PrimeJoist produces significant economies in both design and installation when compared with conventional “C” Shaped joists. PrimeJoist’s unique configuration delivers increased strength and stiffness, minimizing or eliminating the use of built-up joist sections in floor assemblies
This lighter gauge material not only provided cost savings, but made the job easier and faster for installers, says TSN’s website.
The midrise hotel features steel studs and floor joists.
“Working tired is not productive from a financial standpoint, but its also not productive from a social standpoint, said Kurt Henegan, a foreman at Agent Wall Systems. “No body wants to be tired and being to lift 16- or 18-gauge, SigmaStud’s as opposed to a 10- or 12-gauge standard stud is night and day.”
In addition to the optimization of the studs and joists, TSN worked with Agent Wall Systems to develop a custom connector to assist in the installation of the steel joist floor panels.
View additional photos of this project and learn more about TSN’s solutions for all standard light steel framing applications, including load-bearing mid-rise construction systems, curtain wall systems, rigid connectors, vertical deflection connectors, lateral drift connectors and short wall connectors.
Additional Resources
- Holding it All Together: Designing, Specifying, and Installing Connectors
- The Steel Network Added to SFIA EPD
- A Comprehensive Guide to Steel Framing