Light steel frame buyer guides
Light steel frame glossary: 25 terms
Twenty-five terms for buyers of light steel framing, from G550 and AZ150 to purlins, shop drawings and mill certificates.
Twenty-five terms you will meet when buying light steel framing, with short definitions. Standards references describe what the standard covers; confirm requirements for your project with your engineer.
- Cold-formed steel
- Steel sheet rolled or pressed into a profile at room temperature.
- G550
- Steel grade designation indicating 550 MPa minimum yield under AS 1397.
- AS 1397
- Australian standard for continuous hot-dip metallic-coated steel sheet and strip. The catalog cites it for the frame steel.
- ASTM A792
- American specification for aluminum-zinc alloy-coated steel sheet.
- AZ150
- Zinc-aluminum coating class with 150 g/m2 coating mass.
- Galvanic behavior
- Sacrificial protection in which zinc corrodes in preference to the steel at cut edges and scratches.
- Gauge / BMT
- Base metal thickness, the steel thickness without coating. The catalog lists 0.75 and 0.95 mm.
- Stud
- Vertical member in a wall frame.
- Track
- Horizontal channel that studs fit into at the top and bottom of a wall.
- Noggin / blocking
- Short horizontal member between studs, used to stiffen or to fix lining.
- Joist
- Horizontal member supporting a floor or ceiling.
- Bearer
- Larger horizontal member that supports joists, such as an RHS bearer on stumps.
- Stump
- Short vertical support from the ground to the floor structure, such as an SHS stump.
- SHS
- Square hollow section: a closed square steel tube.
- RHS
- Rectangular hollow section: a closed rectangular steel tube.
- Sub-floor / chassis
- The floor structure beneath the walls.
- Truss
- Triangulated roof frame spanning between supports.
- Purlin
- Horizontal roof member spanning trusses and carrying roof sheeting or batten.
- Roof batten
- Light horizontal member that sheeting or tiles fix to. The catalog lists 35 mm steel batten.
- Shop drawings
- Detailed fabrication drawings showing every member and connection.
- Connection schedule
- List of fasteners and connection details for the frame.
- Mill certificate
- Document from the steel producer stating grade, thickness and coating of a coil.
- Self-drilling screw
- Screw that drills its own hole, used to fix thin steel members.
- Thermal bridge
- Path through a wall where heat passes more easily, such as through steel studs.
- Cavity closer
- Strip that seals the cavity edge where cladding meets a frame.
Site and structure terms are in the general construction glossary.
Where Digital Oro fits
Digital Oro International's material catalog lists a light steel frame built from AS1397 G550 AZ150 steel in 0.75 or 0.95 mm, zinc-aluminum coated at more than 150 g/m2, and says it can supply frames in Australian and American standards. The catalog lists wall frames, floor joists, roof trusses and sub-floor systems. It gives no prices, stock levels or lead times; those come from a quotation. See the light steel frame catalog page or browse all ten categories.
Questions people ask
What is the most important term to check?
The steel grade and coating class, confirmed by a mill certificate.
Are SHS and RHS part of the frame?
They are tube sections used in the sub-floor system, such as stumps and bearers.
Sources and further reading
Have a project outline or drawings?
Organize your scope, then contact Digital Oro through its official channel. Availability, engineering, pricing and delivery terms need project-specific confirmation.
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Digital Oro International advertises on The Company Chronicle. This guide was written by our editorial team from public sources and general professional practice; it does not describe a guarantee, quote or offer from Digital Oro International. Confirm current terms, prices and availability with the operator before you decide.