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4 Ways Building Codes and their Referenced Standards Affect Cold-Formed Steel Framing

New model building codes are issued every three years, and the cold-formed steel (CFS) framing standards they reference are updated every four to five years. Change is always something to deal with.

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Photo courtesy of raSmith

Could the changes to the model building codes and the standards they reference be affecting your projects?

New model building codes are issued every three years, and the cold-formed steel (CFS) framing standards they reference are updated every four to five years on average. That’s a lot to take in on a regular basis. Many CFS member capacities can be, and have been, affected by these changes. Do you know in what ways? 

Let’s look at the impact of the changing codes and standards landscape as it relates to CFS framing. Here are 4 ways codes and standards could affect the metal framing on your projects.

1. One Code with Two Standards Can Be Confusing

The 2018 International Building Code references two different American Iron and Steel Institute standards in different parts of the same code. This gets tricky for engineers, architects, building inspectors and contractors. How so?

Pat Ford, SFIA technical director

Pat Ford, SFIA technical director

Patrick W. Ford, P.E., S.E., technical director for the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), senior structural project manager at SFIA member firm raSmith, Inc. and chairman of AISI’s Framing Design Subcommittee for Cold-Formed Steel Framing. Ford says: 

  • The 2018 IBC references the AISI S100-16 specification standard issued in 2016

  • Elsewhere, 2018 IBC also references the AISI S220-15 and S240-15 framing standards issued in 2015, which themselves referred to the 2012 AISI S100-12 specification standard issued in 2016

So, the question arises, which AISI S100 version applies under 2018 IBC — the 2016 or 2012 version? It’s an important question, because the 2018 IBC is currently adopted in 26 states, Ford says. 

“The question certainly affects the framing members the contractors deal with,” says Ford in a recent AWCI’s Construction Dimensions article on codes and standards. 

  • For example, the differences in stud capacities called for the 2012 and 2016 AISI S100 standards could affect a contractor’s bid negatively.

  • The newer AISI S100-16 in some cases could require heavier framing members

  • A contractor following the earlier AISI S100-12 may have planned for less material

  • After the bid has been accepted, he may need to purchase more or heavier members to meet the actual capacity requirements

What’s the Solution?

The SFIA updated its Technical Catalog during the 2018 code cycle.

  • SFIA used the AISI S100–16 specification to develop its Member Property Tables

  • SFIA used the AISI S220-15 and AISI 240-15, referencing AISI S100-12, to calculate the capacity tables for CFS member limiting heights, joist tables, the data on combined bending and axial capacities and more.

  • This was the only reasonable way the SFIA felt they could publish a catalog in compliance with the code

The 2021 IBC puts the AISI S100 specifications and the AISI S240 and AISI S220 framing standards all on the same footing.

 

Standards May Exceed the US Tax Code in Volume

Chapter 35 of the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) lists the standards referenced in the code and is organized by the applicable industry association or standards writing organization. 

According to Patrick W. Ford, P.E., S.E., technical director for the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), senior structural project manager at SFIA member raSmith, Inc. and chairman of AISI’s Framing Design Subcommittee for Cold-Formed Steel Framing, the 2021 IBC has 22 pages of referenced standards.

  • More than 600 individual standards are referenced by the 2021 IBC
  • Some referenced standards contain hundreds of pages on their own
  • The volume of standards referenced by the 2012 IBC is estimated to be over three times the size of the United States Tax Code

Also of interest is the cycle for updating the model building codes versus the standards they reference.  IBC versions are issued every three years. However, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) standards that IBC versions usually reference tend to be updated every four to five years. Other standards organizations have yet other update cycles.

 

2. The G40 “Equivalent” Coatings Standard Calls for Awareness

The AISI S220 standards list the coatings requirement for lightweight galvanized steel framing as “G40 or equivalent,” but the standards give no explicit listing for what is considered equivalent. 

As defined by ASTM A653, the G40 designation is a common coating weight for galvanized steel. But what is an “equivalent” G40 coating?

Ford says that construction teams need to be aware of what constitutes a code compliant galvanized coating on the studs. A contractor, for example, could end up being called out by a building inspector for a coating code violation.

The solution is to be aware of these coating details in the codes and standards. 

What’s the Solution?

The SFIA has set out to determine an “equivalent” G40 galvanized coating on behalf of the steel framing industry.

  • The SFIA selected several testing labs and began salt fog testing, per ASTM B117, to determine a true ‘equivalence’ to G40-coated steel

After the testing is complete and independent analysis done, the SFIA will advise its manufacturer members and provide guidance for coatings that fall within the known equivalents, as well as testing for those that fall outside the known equivalents.

SFIA Guide Specifications steel framing

The SFIA has developed updated Guide Specifications for the main sections of the 2018 IBC, and introduced two essential commentaries applicable to most U.S. jurisdictions.

3. Be sure Your Project Specifications Are Up to Date

Specifications routinely reference the required codes and standards to be followed by the builder. These specifications include Section 054000, which applies to load bearing CFS framing and Section 092216, which applies to non-load-bearing CFS (typically interior drywall) framing.

However:

  • Even the latest versions from the major specification services tend to be out of date relative to the referenced codes and standards

  • An 054000 spec could require framing design per the older AISI framing standards, whereas the code requires the use of the new framing standard ones

  • Even given this, the capacities might be affected differently depending on which version of the S100 spec is referenced, which in turn depends on the IBC code version adopted in the state

What’s the Solution?

The SFIA has developed updated Guide Specifications for the main sections of the 2018 IBC, and introduced two essential commentaries that provide additional guidance on the application of specifications to the codes and standards used in most United States building jurisdictions.

The SFIA 054000 Cold-Formed Metal Framing, the SFIA 092216 Non-Structural Metal Framing and their respective commentaries*,  available for free from the SFIA , are a set of tools for contractors, building owners, architects and structural engineers striving to deliver advanced framing systems and provide quality assurance and quality control on their projects.

4. Inspections Are Happening More and More

Contractors can get flagged during inspections, and in some jurisdictions this may be happening more and more.

“[Contractors] don’t like having to deal with third-party inspections and critical structures inspections,” says Jeff Klaiman, PE, principal at SFIA member firm ADTEK Engineers, Inc. and chairman of the SFIA Technical Committee and chairman of the AISI Standard Practices Subcommittee of the Committee on Framing Standards in the AWCI’s Construction Dimensions article on codes and standards. 

Jeff Klaiman, ADTEK Engineers 

Jeff Klaiman, ADTEK Engineers

“But it is just a fact of life,” Klaiman says. “The code and local jurisdictions are requiring it more and more.”

According to Klaiman, contractors still must make sure their CFS assemblies match the drawings.

What’s the Solution?

Chapter D of AISI S240-15, “North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Framing,” spelled out the provisions for quality assurance, quality control and special inspections of CFS framing installations and helped to narrow the inspection requirements list.

“AISI S240-15, Chapter D, spelled out what should and should not be inspected and created better expectations for the inspectors,” says AWCI’s Construction Dimensions. “It also made clear which parties are responsible for the types of inspections needed at each phase of construction.”

Additional Resources

* A concerted effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the technical data represented in the SFIA 054000 Cold-Formed Metal Framing, SFIA 092216 Non-Structural Metal Framing and their respective commentaries. SFIA makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee in connection with this technical data and expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility for failure resulting from the use or misapplication of the information contained herein. All data, specifications and details contained in these publications are intended as general guides. They should not be used in design or construction without an independent evaluation by a qualified engineer or architect to verify the suitability of a particular framing system for use in a specific application. The SFIA and its member companies reserve the right to publish updates and changes to the above cited documents.