ASTM for cold formed metal framing

Archive of Older Topics Archive - Product Discussions
1

What is the correct ASTM standard for Cold Formed Metal Framing?

2

We use the following:

  1. AISI- American Institute of Steel Construction, “Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members”
  2. ASTM C 645-00, “Standard Specification for Non-Load Bearing Steel Studs, Runners and Rigid Furring Channels for Screw Application of Gypsum Board”.
  3. ASTM A 653A/A 653M, “standard Specification for Steel Sheet, Zinc-Coated [Galvanized] or Zinc-Iron Alloy Coated [Galvannealed] by the Hot-Dip Process”.
  4. ASTM C 754-99a, “Specification for Installation of Steel Framing Members to Receive Screw-Attached Gypsum Wallboard, Backing Board, or Water-Resistant Backing Board”.
  5. AWS: American Welding Society.
  6. USG: United States Gypsum Company, Gypsum Construction Handbook".
  7. GA: Gypsum Association, Documents GA-219.

Hope they help.

3

The ASTM product standard for steel sheet used in the manufacture of cold-formed metal framing members is now ASTM A 1003/A 1003M “Specification for Steel Sheet, Carbon, Metallic- and Nonmetallic-Coated for Cold-Formed Framing Members.” This standard covers cold-formed metal framing members such as studs, joists, purlins, girts, and track.

A task group of industry experts led by AISI recommended this product standard to ARCOM during a recent review of MASTERSPEC Section 05400 “Cold-Formed Metal Framing.”

As is usual when a product standard evolves, many manufacturers lag behind in updating their product information. They should be able to cross reference their products to ASTM A1003/A 1003M.

ASTM A 1003/A 1003M is incorporated directly or by reference into a number of recent AISI standards including “Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Framing - General Provisions,” “Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Framing - Header Design,” “Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Framing - Truss Design,” and “Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Framing - Prescriptive Method for One and Two Family Dwellings.”

Other product standards for steel sheet will be replaced with ASTM A 1003/A 1003M in the August 2003 update of MASTERSPEC Section 05400 “Cold-Formed Metal Framing.”

Changes wrought by this standard include new grade designations for steel sheet and a consolidation of metallic coating designations. Several types of metallic coatings with a single coating weight for each have been included in ASTM A 1003/A 1003M.

4

Paul,

Are you saying that ASTM A 1003 replaces ASTM A 653?

Thanks

5

Dave,

Yes.

6

Thanks, Paul, for the heads up on the ASTM 1003. I didn’t know either. I still have to argue with structural engineers to get 20 year obsolete standards off their drawings. This will be a blast!

7

By the way, I realize these are non-loadbearing studs, but some of our engineers get carried away.

8

The ASTM website has a convenient search function that is so helpful that I added a link to it in my links toolbar. It’s a bit long, but you can navigate to it once you get to the site and create your own link.

www.astm.org/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/STORE/standardsearch.shtml?L+mystore+hzzt2534+1046311610

If you enter an ASTM number it will return a list of active standards with that number, and a list of withdrawn or historical standards. For example, entering A525 will tell you that A525 was withdrawn in 1994. A little more digging reveals that A525 was replaced by A653 - Standard Specification for Steel Sheet, Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) or Zinc-Iron Alloy-Coated (Galvannealed) by the Hot-Dip Process, a current standard that also replaced A816, A642, A527, and A526.

The ASTM website does not indicate that A1003 has replaced any other standards; perhaps a little more investigation is in order.

9

Sheldon, you are right. ASTM A 653/A 653M has not been withdrawn. It is being replaced by ASTM A 1003/A 1003M for coated steel sheet used in the manufacture of cold-formed metal framing components.

ASTM A 1003/A 1003M incorporates by reference one small part of ASTM A 653/A 653M. A default metallic-coating designation, G60, is referenced.

When this standard will be adopted by all sectors of the cold-formed metal framing industry is anybody’s guess. Since AISI has embraced ASTM A 1003/A 1003M, it is only a matter of time.

This seems to be logical step to rationalize the specification of cold-formed metal framing and move it further towards a commodity product.