1. Field of the Invention

THIS INVENTION relates to a building oonstruαtiσn system.

The invention is particularly suitable for, but not limited to, a steel-framed building system suitable for brick veneer or cladding external wall finishes-- and wbere the main structural component* are formed from oold-rolled steel section*.

2. prior Art

Conventional house frames for brick veneer or cladding-finish houses are of timber. Environmental oonαβrns, and the diminishing supplies of suitable timber, have resulted in consideration of other framing materials.

In the lόw-ασst housing and transportable housing areas, there has been a moye towards steel- framed panels, which are pre-fabricated in the factory and are baited together on site, but these have strength and aesthetic limitations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a building construction system which has a high strength/weight factor.

It is a preferred object to provide a system where the major components can be easily formed from cold-rolled steel sections.

It is a further preferred object to provide a system where components to be joined together can be nested together at their junctions.

It is a still further preferred object to provide a system where the strength can be easily increased,, eg. to suit cyclonic building codes by modification of the components.

Other preferred objects will become apparent from the following description.

In a broad aspect, the present invention resides in a building σonstruction system having a frame incorporating a group of structural members including: a bottom plate fixa le or anehαrable to a floor structure; a top plate finable to an upper floor structure or a roof structure; a plurality of spaaed, substantially vertiαal studs interconnecting the bottom plate and the top plate; and substantially horizontal noggings, each nogging interconnecting an a jaαent pair of studs; whereini each structural member is formed of a respective channel-like steel seαtion having substantially parallel side flanges; and one structural member is nestable within a second structural member at a junction between the one and second structural members enabling their respective side flanges to be fixed or secured together.

Preferably, the bottom plate, studs and naggings, and optionally the top plate _# are formed from cold-rolled steel seαtions of modified channel section, the section having a web interconnecting the side flanges, the web optionally having a central web portion inwardly spaaed from, but connected to, outer wob portions connected to the side flanges. Optionally, the top plate is of modified "top- hat" σold-rolled steel section where the web has a central web portion outwardly spaaed from, but connected to, outer web portions conneated to the side flanges.

While the noggings may be nested in the studs, they may be butted and fixed to the webs of the studs.

Preferably _/ the side flanges of the one and second structural members at a joint are fixed or aeoured together by welding or self-drilling fasteners (eg. Tek-sσrβwβ). Preferably, diagonal bracing is provided within the frame to increase tnβ strength of the frame.

Two or more etude nay be fixed together (eg. by welding) to increase the vertical strength of the frame and/or at the junction of two or more frames. Preferably, the bottom plate is fixed or secured to the floor structure by a plurality of spaaed bolts or anchors and may be reinforced by anchor plates.

B iET DESCRIPTION OP THE DRλWINqg

To enable the invention to be fully understood, preferred embodiments will now ba described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whicht

FIO 1 is a perspective view of a two level house in accordance with the present invention;

FIG 2 is a schematic plan view of the stud arrangement at an external αorner for brick veneer construction!

FIO 3 is a similar view for an internal αorner;

FIGS 4 and 5 are schematic plan views of the stud arrangements for internal walls at corners;

FIGS 6 and 7 are schematic plan views of the stud arrangements for internal walls at openings;

FIGS 8 and 9 are end elevational and side views of a stud assembly; FIG 10 is a seotional side view of the stu assembly on line 10-10 on FIG 8;

FIGS 11 to 14 are perspective views of alternative stud assemblies)

FIGS 15 to 18 are perspective views of the fixing methods for the structural members;

FIGS 19 to 31 are views of the alternative bracing methods for the frame; and

FIG 32 is a front view of a portion o£ a roof truss. 5 l?ri' ^{p τ} T<KP DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

. FIG 1 shows the system of the present Invention employed in the construction of a two-storey (or two-level) house 1000, with a ground floor 1001, an upper floor 1002 and a roof structure 1003

10 interconnected by framing to be hereinafter described.

Baαh frame 10 incorporates & bottom plate 11, top plate 12, studs 13, noggings 14 and diagonal btaβea

15 to be desαribed in more detail. The joists 1004 of the upper loor 1003 interconnect and transfer the loads

IS between the top plate 12 of the lower level frame 10, and the bottom plate 11 of the upper level frame 10.

Referring to FIGS 2 and 3, these show the disposition of the frames 10 (and interior wall lining 16) relative to the brickwork 1100 at an external corner

Z0 (FIO 2) and an Internal corner (FIG 3) in a brick veneer construction. FIGε 4 and 5 show the disposition of the frames 10 at a corner (FIG 4) and a T-junction (FIG 5) for inner walls, while FIGS 6 and 7 show the disposition of the frames 10 at openings for a door or window, with

25 the door or window jambs 17 shown in dashed lines.

Referring now to FIGS 8 to 10, the bottom plate 11, stud 13 and nogging 14 are formed of colt- rolled steel sections of substantially channel sections Whioh are dimensioned to enable the etude 13 to nest ..a 0 the bottom plates 11, and the noggings 14 to nest in the studs 13. (The top plate 12 may have the same profile as the bottom plate 11 but inverted. )

Each channel section 20 has a pair of parallel side flanges 21, 22 interconnected by a web 26 having a 5 oentral web portion 23 inwardly spaced from, connected

and parallel to, outer web portions 24, 25. The strength of the section 20 can be varied by varying, inter alia, the thiclςness of the metal eootion, the height of the side flanges 21, 22 and the vertical spacing between the oentral web portion 23 and the outer web portions 24, 25.

The top plate 12 is preferably of a "modified top-hat" section 30 with parallel tide flanges 31, 32 on the outer web portions 34, 35 of the saαtiαn, and the central web portion 32 epaoed outwardly from the outer web portions 34, 35. λa shown in r∑αs 8 and 10 _r the bottom plate 11 may be anchored or fixed to the lower floor 1001 or the joists 1004 of the upper floor 1002 by anchor bolts 1005 and anchor plates or washers 1006. The anchor plates 100,5 may have downturned side flanges to bear on the outer web portions 24, 2$ of the bottom platea 11 for improved load transfer. in FIGS 8 to 10, a single stud 13 interconnects the bottom plate 11 and top plate 12. λs shown in FIGS 11 to 14, multiple studs may be used to inαreaae the vertiαal load αapaαity of the frames 10. In FIG 11, two studs are welded at 40 with their weba 26 ^' baαk-to-back. In FIG 13, two studs 13 are welded along their side flanges 21, 22 to form a box-like structure. In FIG 12, three studs 13 are welded at 40, the studs 13 being laid in the same direction to form a ααmposite structure. FIG 14 shows a modified embodiment of FIG 11 where stitch plates 41 on one stud are welded or fixed with sel -piercing screws to the side flanges 21, 22 of a Becσnd stud 13.

Referring now to FIG 18, the top plate 12 may have sections connected by a splice plate 42 welded at 40 to the side flanges 21, 22 of the studs 13 are welded to the side flanges 31, 32 of the top plate 12.

FIGS 19 to 28 Show rigid diagonal bracing fcr the rra βs 10, while FIGS 29 to 31 show strap-type bracing. FIGS 20 and 23 illustrate the connection of the braces 50 at or adjacent the upper cornera of the frames 10 (ic. at 1 in FIG 19); at the junction of the studs 13 and noggings 14 in the frame (FIG 22, ie. at 2 in PIG 19); end the lover corners of the frames 10 (FIGS

23 to 26, ie. at FIG 19); and at the junction of a stud

13 and nogging 14 at an opening (FZO 28, ie. 4 at FIG 27). In each case, the bracing 50 is nested in and welded to the relevant structural member. Strap bracing

51, fixed witb two screws 52 at the. raise corners an one screw at intermediate studs 13, may be used aβ an alternative (eg. in non-oyolonio areas) and tenaioned by a screw tenaioner 53 (see FIGS 29 to 31).

FIG 32 shows a roof truss 60 which can cantilever over the frames 10 over the variation indicated. The roof truss 60 has a bottom chord 61 of "top-hat" section, top chorda 62 of channel section and braces 63 also of channel section and is fixed to the top plates 12 of the supporting frames 10.

Aβ will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee, the relatively low ooβt of the cold-rolled metal seαtions, and tha simple interconnections between the various structural memberβ formed from the sections (to the nesting of the sections) form a strong, relatively light weight, stable construction system. The frames 10 may be manu actured in a factory to a high degree of accuracy and easily erected and connected together on site.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated withour departing from the preaent invention.