Bureau of Standards

DEC 7 1S3B
The program of research on building materials and structures undertaken by the

National Bureau of Standards is planned with the assistance of the following advisory

committee designated by the Subcommittee on Design and Construction of the Central

Housing Committee.

TECHNICAL RESEARCH GROUP

Walter Junge, Federal Housing Administration, Acting Chairman

A. G. Bear,

Veterans' Administration.

Pierre Blouke,

Home Owners' Loan Corporation.

C. W. Chamberlain,

Procurement Division.

Jos. M. DallaValle,

Public Health Service.

Hugh L. Dryden,

National Bureau of Standards.

G. E. Knox,

Bureau of Yards and Docks, Navy

Department.

Charles E. Mayette,

United States Housing Authority.

Vincent B. Phelan,

National Bureau of Standards.

E. A. POYNTON,

Bureau of Indian Affairs.

John H. Schaefbr,

Procurement Division.

A. C. Shire,

United States Housing Authority.

George W. Trayer,

United States Forest Service.

Elsmere J. Walters,

Quartermaster Corps, War Department.

Sterling R. March,

Secretary.

The program is administered and coordinated by the following staff committee of

the Bureau:

Hugh L. Dryden, Chairman

P. H. Bates

H. C. Dickinson

W. E. Emley

G. E. F. Lundell

A. S. McAllister

H . S. Rawdon

The Forest Products Laboratory of the United States Department of Agriculture

is cooperating with the National Bureau of Standards in studies of wood constructions.

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UNITED STATES

NATIONAL

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE • Daniel C. Roper, Secretary

BUREAU OF STANDARDS . Lyman J. Briggs, Director

BUILDING MATERIALS

and STRUCTURES

REPORT BMS9

Structural Properties of the Insulated Steel Construction

Company's "Frameless-Steel" Constructions for

Walls, Partitions, Floors, and Roofs

by HERBERT L. WHITTEMORE, AMBROSE H. STANG

and VINCENT b. phelan

ISSUED OCTOBER 28, 1 93 8

The National Bureau ot Standards is a fact-finding organizatifjn;

it does not "approve" any particular material or method of construction. The technical findings in this series of reports are to be construed accordingly

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE • WASHINGTON • I938

FOR SALE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, WASHINGTON, D. C. • PRICE 10 CENTS
Foreword

This report is one of a series issued by the National Bureau of Standards on the

structural properties of constructions intended for low-cost houses and apartments.

Practically all of these constructions were sponsored by groups within the building

industry which advocate and promote the use of such constructions and which have

built and submitted representative specimens as outlined in report BMS2, Methods of

Determining the Structural Properties of Low-Cost House Constructions. The sponsor

is responsible for the representative character of the specimens and for their detailed

description as given in this report. The Bureau is responsible for the accuracy of the

test data.

This report covers only the load-deformation relations and strength of the structural

elements submitted when subjected to compressive, transverse, concentrated, impact,

and racking loads by standardized methods simulating the loads to which the elements

would be subjected in actual service. It may be feasible to determine later the heat

transmission and fire resistance of these same constructions and perhaps, other properties.

The National Bureau of Standards does not "approve" a construction, nor does it express any opinion as to the merits of a construction for reasons given in reports BMSl

and BMS2. The teclmical facts on this and other constructions provide the basic data

from which architects and engineers can determine whether the construction meets desired

performance requirements.

Lyman J. Briggs, Director.
Structural Properties of the Insulated Steel Construction

Company's "Frameless-Steel" Constructions for

Walls, Partitions, Floors, and Roofs

by HERBERT L. WHITTEMORE, AMBROSE H. STANG, and VINCENT B. PHELAN

CONTENTS

Page

Foreword -

. . ii

I. Introduction 1 II. Sponsor and product 2

III. Specimens and tests 2 IV. Wall AH 2

1. Sponsor's statement .... 2

(a) Materials 2

(b) Description 3

(1) Four - foot wall specimens . . 3

(2) Eight - foot wall specimens . . 5

(c) Comments 5

2. Compressive load 6

3. Transverse load tJ

4. Concentrated load 7

5. Impact load 7

6. Racking load 7

V. Partition Al 8

1. Sponsor's statement .... 8

(a) Materials 8

V. Partition AI—Continued.

1. Sponsor's statement—Con. Page

(b) Description 8

(c) Comments 9

2. Impact load 9

3. Concentrated load 9 VI. Floor y4/ 10

1. Sponsor's statement .... 10

(a) Materials 10

(b) Description 11

(c) Comments 12

2. Transverse load 13

3. Concentrated load 13

4. Impact load 14

VII. Roof.l/C 15

1. Sponsor's statement ..... 15

(a) Materials 15

(b) Description 15

(o) Comments 16

2. Transverse load 17

3. Concentrated load 17 VIII. Additional comments by sponsor . 17 IX. Selected references 18

ABSTRACT

For the program on the determination of the structural properties of low-cost house constructions the

Insulated Steel Construction Co. submitted 30 speci- mens representing their "Frameless-Steel" constructions for walls, partitions, floors, and roofs. The wall specimens were subjected to compressive,

transverse, concentrated, impact, and racking loads;

the partition specimens to impact and concentrated

loads; the floor specimens to transverse, concentrated, and impact loads; and the roof specimens to transverse and concentrated loads. The transverse, concentrated,

and impact loads were applied to both faces of waU

specimens. For each of these loads three similar speci- mens were tested. The deformation under load and the

set after the load was removed were measured for uni- form increments of load up to the maximum load,

except for concentrated loads, for which the set only was determined. The results are presented graphically

and in tables.

I. INTRODUCTION

In order to provide tecluiical facts on the per- formance of constructions wMch might be used

in low-cost houses, to discover promismg constructions, and ultimately to determine the

properties necessary for acceptable performance, the National Bureau of Standards has

invited the building industry to cooperate in a program of research on buildmg materials and

structures for use in low-cost houses and apartments. The objectives of this program are described in report BMSl, Research on Building

Materials and Structures for Use in Low-Cost

Housing,^ and that part of the program relatmg

to structural properties in report BMS2,

' Price 10 cents. See cover page II.

[J J
Methods of Determining the Structural Properties of Low-Cost House Constructions.^

As a part of the research on structural properties, six masonry wall constructions have been

subjected to a series of standardized laboratory

tests to provide data on the properties of some

constructions for which the behavior in service

is generally known. These data are given in

report BMS5, Structural Properties of Six

Masonry Wall Constructions. Similar tests have been made on wood-frame constructions

by the Forest Products Laboratory - of the

United States Department of Agriculture, the

results of wliich will be given in a subsequent

report in this series. Tliis report describes the structural properties of constructions sponsored by one of the

manufacturers in the building industry. The

specimens were subjected to compressive,

transverse, concentrated, impact, and racldng

loads, simulating loads to wliich the elements

of a house are subjected. In actual service,

compressive loads on a wall are produced by

the weight of the roof, second floor and secondstory walls, if any, furniture, and snow and

wmd load on the roof. Transverse loads on a

wall are produced by the wind, concentrated

and impact loads by fm'niture or accidental

contact with heavy objects, and racking loads

by the action of the wind on adjoining walls. For nonload-bearing partitions, impact loads

may be applied accidentally by furniture or by

persons falling against the partition, and con- centrated loads by furniture or by ladders or other objects leaning against the partition.

Transverse loads are applied to floors by furni- ture and by the occupants; concentrated loads

by furniture, for example, the legs of a piano;

and impact loads by objects falling on the floor or by persons jumping on the floor. Transverse loads are applied to roofs by wind and

snow; concentrated loads, by persons walldng on the roof, and by tools and equipment when

the roof is constructed or repaired.

The deflection and set imder each increment

of load were determined except for concentrated loads. For some of the newer constructions the deflection and set are important when

judging whether the construction will be satis- factory in a house under service conditions.

II. SPONSOR AND PRODUCT

The Specimens were submitted by the Insu-

| lated Steel Construction Co., Middletown, Ohio

and represented constructions sold under the

trade name "Frameless-Steel." These constructions consisted of cellular sheet-steel panels

for walls, partitions, floors, and roofs, designed

to be erected on masonry foundations without

the use of heavy equipment, and with comparatively few and simple operations.

III. SPECIMENS AND TESTS

The Specimens represented four elements of a house which were assigned the following

symbols: wall, AH; partition, AI; floor, AJ;

and roof, AK. The specimens were assigned

designations in accordance with table 1. Table 1.

Specimen designations

Element

Wall.__ DoDoDoDoDo.

Do. DoPartition. Do....

Floor... Do.

DoRoof..-. Do.

Construc- tion symbol

AH

AH

AH

AH

AH

AH

AH

AH

AI

AIAJ

AJ

AJ

AK

AK

Specimen

designation

CI, Ct, CS.

Tl, T2, TS_

Ti, T5, re.

PI, PS, PS ^ Pit, P'n, Pe " 11,12,13... H, 15. 16. .

.

Rl, RS, PS.

11,12, IS... PI, P2, PS

'

Tl, T2, TS. P1,P2,PS'>

11,12,13...

Tl, T2, TS.

P1,P2',PS''

Load

Compressive.

Transverse...

.do. Concentrated

.

do Impact

do. Racking Impact

Concentrated

.

Transverse Concentrated

.

Impact

Transverse Concentrated

Load

applied

Upper end.

Inside face. Outside face. Inside face. Outside face. Inside face. Outside face. Upper end.

Either face. Do. Upper face. Do. Do.

Do.

Do.

" These specimens were undamaged portions of the specimens used

in the transverse or impact tests. The specimens were tested in accordance with

BMS2, Methods of Determining the Structural

Properties of Low-Cost House Constructions,^

wliich gives the requirements for the specimens

and for determining the price.

The tests were begun December 6, 1937, and

completed December 16, 1937. The sponsor's

representative witnessed the tests.

IV. WALL AH

1. Sponsoh's Statement

(a) Alaterials

Steel.—Mild, open-hearth, black sheets, hotrolled, annealed, and piclded. The specifled

2 Price 10 cents. 3 Price 10 cents.

[2.1
chemical composition is given in table 2 and the

average mechanical properties in table 3. American Rolling Mill Co.'s "Armco."

Table 2.

Specified chemical composition of the steel

Element

Content Element

Content

Mini- mum

Maxi- mum

Mini- mum

Maxi- mum

Carbon

Percent

0. 05

.25

Percent

0. 10 .35 Phosphorus

Percent Percent

0. 05 Manganese Sulfur . 05

T.\BLE 3.

Average mechanical properties of the steel

C,a?o number, United

States Standard

Approximate

thick- ness

Direction Yield

point

Tensile

strength

Elongation in 2 inches

18

16

in. 0.049

.0613

fin direction of roIling___

1 Across direction of rolling. _ /In direction of rolling

(.Across direction of rolling.

.

lb/in.'

27, 000

30, 000

28, 000 31,000

Iblin.i

41. 000

45, 000

42, 000

45. 500

Percent

32

2932

29

Welds.—Electric spot welds, K-in. diam,

spaced 4 in. on centers, made with a 50-kva

welding machine ecpiipped with automatic timing. Federal Machine & Welder Co.'s "Alli- gator Type Spot Welder."

Screws.—Self-tapping, Yo-'m., No. 8 (0.164-in.

diam), 15 threads per inch, binding head,

hardened and plated with cadmium about

0.00035 in. thick. Continental Screw Co.'s "Holtite."

Paint.—Priming, rust-resisting, gray; weight,

12.10 lb/gal. The formula for the paint is given in table 4. Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co.'s "Gray Metal Dipping Primer 32914-A."

Table 4.Formula for "Gray Metal Dipping Primer

32.914-A"

Paint Pigment Vehicle »

' Ingredient Content by

weight

Ingredient Content by

weight

Ingredient Content by

weight

Pigment

Volatile.-- -

Percent

53. 30

29. VO

17. 40

Zinc chro- mate ... .

Percent

7. 75

61. 5J

30. 75

Oleum spirits.. China wood oil. Linseed oil Treated rosin.. 100% Bakelit«.. Lead - cobalt - manganese

drier

Percent

62.80

17. 20

7. 95

8. 32

2. 03

1. 70

Nonvol..tile. Titanox "B". Calcium car100. 00 bonate

100. 00

100. 00

Oil length of varnish, 33 gal (33 gal of china wood and linseed oils per 1001b of rosin and Bakelite).

Insulation.—Granular, expanded mica (vermiculite), passed K-in. sieve and retained on

%-m. sieve. F. E. Schundler & Co.'s "Zonolite." Asphalt roofing.—Burlap base, saturated with

asphalt, mineral-surfaced; weight, 90 lb/108

ft^ Philip Carey Co.'s "Flexible Cement

Roofing, Style B."

Calking.—Calking compound, gun-grade,

gray. Tremco Manufacturing Co.

Asphalt.—Blended, high-grade asphalt.

Philip Carey Co.

(b) Description

(1) Four-foot wall specimens.—The 4-ft wall

specimens were 8 ft 0 in. high, 4 ft 0 in. wide,

and 3 in. thick. Each specimen consisted of

two panels with sheet-steel faces, A, as shown

in figures 1 and 2, fastened to sheet-steel studs,

B, and sheet-steel bases, C, by welds. The

bases fitted over a sheet-steel sill, D, to wliich

the panels were fastened by screws. The panels were joined at E and fastened by screws and

the upper ends were enclosed by a sheet-steel

wall plate, F, fastened by screws. The panels,

Figure 1.Four-foot wall specimen AH.

.1, face; B, stud; C, base; D, slD; E, joint; F, wall plate.

[3]
aud also the plate, were completely covered

with one coat of paint applied by dipping.

The cells enclosed by the studs and the faces were filled with granular insulation.

The price of this construction was $0.60/ft^. Faces.—The inside and outside faces, A, were

stretcher-leveled and resquared sheet steel,

No. 18 United States Standard Gage (0.049 in. thick).

Studs.—The studs, B, were channels, 2''%4 by

Ijis in., 7 ft 10%6 in. long, cold-formed from

sheet steel. No. 18 United States Standard

Gage (0.049 in. thick). The webs had slots in three vertical lines, spaced ^Xe in. on centers,

to decrease the heat conductivity through the

studs. The slots were 4 in. by ji in., spaced

4}^ in. on centers, and staggered to overlap

halfway. The edges of the slots projected }i in. to stiffen the webs. The lower ends of the

studs rested on the base, C, and the upper

ends were in contact with the wall plate, F. To determine the relation between the location

of the joint and the structural properties of the

FiGURK 2. —Details of wall specimen AH.

A, face; B, stud; C, base; D, sill; E, joint; F, wall plate.

4-ft. walls, the specimens had different panel

widths and stud spacings. Specimens AH-Cl,

C2, T2, T3, T4, IS, and 16 had three studs,

with webs spaced g^Ke in. in each of the two

2-ft panels, a total of six studs. Specimens

AH-Tl, T5, T6, II, 12, U, and 15 had seven

studs spaced as shown in figure 1. Specimen

AH-C3 consisted of a 3-ft panel having five studs and a 1-ft panel having two studs. The

stud spacing, starting at the outer edge of the

3-ft panel, was 2, 9'%,, 9'%,, 9'%e, 4, 2)^ and

10 in. Bases.—The bases, C, were identical in section

with tiie studs, B. There were two bases in

each specimen, one in each panel, having a

length equal to the width of the panel. The

flanges of the bases fitted over the sill, D.

Sill.—The sill, D, was a channel, 2% by 1 % in., 4 ft 0 in. long, with flanges turned in fu in., and formed from sheet steel, No. 16 United

States Standard Gage (0.0613 in. thick). There

were holes spaced 1 ft 0 in. on centers, along

the center line of the web of the sill, for anchor

[4]
bolts. The holes were shaped lil^e four-leaved

clovers, 1 in. across, to permit adjustment.

The sill was coated with asphalt and the bottom

was covered with a strip of asphalt roofing,

3 in. wide. The panels were fastened to the

sill by screws, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers.

Joint.—At the joint, E, between panels, the

faces of one panel extended over the flanges of

the stud in the adjacent panel and were fastened

by screws, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers. There was %-in. space between the edges of the faces

of adjacent panels, wliich was filled with

calldng compound.

Wall plate.—The wall plate, F, was a channel,

3^8 by 1/4 in., 4 ft 0 in. long, formed from sbeet

steel, No. 18 United States Standard Gage

(0.049 in. thick). The plate capped the upper

end of the panels with a snug fit and was

fastened by screws, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers.

(2) Eight-foot wall specimens.—The 8-ft wall

specimens were 8 ft 0 in. high, 8 ft 0 in. wide,

and 3 in. thick. The panels were duplicates

of those in the 4-ft wall specimens. Specimen

Rl had 4 panels, each 2 ft 0 m. wide, and a

total of 12 studs. Specimen R2 had 1 panel,

1 ft 4 in. wide, 2 panels, 2 ft 0 in. wide, and 1 panel, 2 ft 8 in. wide, and a total of 13 studs.

Specimen R3 had 3 panels, each 2 ft 8 in. wide, and a total of 12 studs.

(c) Comments

The wall panels are fabricated at the factory

in standard widths of 1 ft 4 in., 2 ft 0 in., 2 ft 8 in., and 3 ft 2 in. When the faces, studs,

and bases have been assembled, they are primed with one coat of paint applied by

dipping. The panels are then filled with insulation and vibrated to settle the insulation so that no further settling occurs. Temporary wall

plates are fastened to the upper ends of the

panels to retain the insulation during shipment.

When erecting the building, the sill is placed on a

strip of asphalt roofing and bolted to the foundation by %-in. anchor bolts, spaced 5 ft 0 in. on

centers. The inside of the sill is coated with

hot asphalt applied with a brush. The panels

are placed over the sUl and fastened to the sill and to each other by screws. The temporary

wall plates are removed and the cells between

-Studs at the joints are filled with insulation.

Permanent wall plates, 12 ft long, are placed

over the upper ends of the panels and fastened

by screws. The permanent plates align the

panels. The spaces between the edges of the

faces at the joints are filled with calking compoimd. The lower end of the outside face is sealed with calking compound and the lower

end of the inside face is sealed with hot asphalt

applied with a brush.

At each corner of the building a corner panel

is fastened to the wall panels by screws. Openings for standard door and window frames are cased in the field with sheet-steel channels.

The joints are sealed with calking compound.

Panels for second-story walls rest on a flat bearing plate which covers the top of the fii-stFiGURE 3. —Wall specimen AH-Cl mider compressive

load.

[5]
story panels. The faces of the second-story

panels extend down 1 K in. over the lower panels

and are fastened by screws, spaced 8 in. on

centers. The outside of walls is usually finished with oil paint or portland-cement paint ; however, other

finishes, such as stucco, asbestos-cement shingles, or brick veneer may be used. The inside is usually finished with oil paint, casein paint, or wallpaper; however, other finishes, such as plywood or wood veneer, may be used.

Wall panels without inside faces or insulation are used for unheated buildings, such as garages

and farm buildings. Instead of the continuous

inside faces, these panels have sheet-steel strips,

BYs in. wide, at the upper and lower ends for fastening the bases and wall plates.

2. Compressive Load

Wall specimen AH-Cl, under compressive

load, is shown in figure 3.

12

\

ICo

I

8

Z

0^.

• o

• o. •

1 op

•

1

1 /

\T

Tf

if AH 0 0.02 CM 0.06

Figure 4.Compressive load on wall AH.

Load-shortening and load-set results for specimens AH-Cl, C2, and C3. Load applied at one-third the thiclcness of the specimen from the inside

face. The loads are in kips per foot of actual width of specimen. The

shortenings and sets are for a height of 8 feet. They were computed

from the values obtained from the compressometer readings. The gage

length of the compressometers was 7 feet.

The results for wall specimens AH-Cl, C2,

and C3 are shown in table 5 and in figures 4

and 5.

Table 5.

Structural -properties of wall AH

[Weight, 7.47 lb/ft2]

Load

Compressive . -

Transverse

-

TransverseConcentratedConcentratedImpact

-

Impact.

Racking.

Load applied

One-third thickness

of specimen from

inside face.

.Vverage.

Inside face; span, 7

ft 6 in.

Outside face; span, 7

ft (> in.

Averag

Inside face

AverageOutside face.

Inside face; span, 7

ft 6 in.

Average.

Outside face; span, 7

ft 6 in.

Average.

Upper end

Average.

\ CS

\P1

{ P2

{ P3

RlR$

2.0

2.0

2.5

7.0 2.0

3.5

4.2

o +^

8.0

7.0

5. 5

7.0

4.5 7.0

§2

8.0

7.0

5.5

6.8

7.0 7.0

7.0

7.0

" Specimen did not fail. Each of the specimens failed by buckling of

the inside face at the lower end of the specimen.

3. Transverse Load

The results are shown in table 5 and in figure

6 for wall specimens AH-Tl, T2, and T3,

loaded on the inside face, and in figure 7 for

[6]
12

AH 0 0.2 0.4 0.6

/a-/-era/ cfef/ecf/on in. Figure 5.

Compressive load on wall All.

Load-lateral deflection and load-lateral set results for specimens AH-Cl,

C2, and CS. Load applied at one-third the thickness of the specimen

from the inside face. The loads are in kips per foot of actual width of specimen. The deflections and sets are for a gage length of 7 feet 6

inches, the gage length of the deflectometers.

wall specimens AH-T4, T5, and T6, loaded on

the outside face. Each of the specimens Tl, T2, and T3 failed

by ruptm'e of welds in the inside (loaded) face

foDowed by buckling of the inside face and buckling of the studs under one of the loading rollers. Specimens T4 and T6 failed by rupture of

welds in the outside (loaded) face followed by

buckUng of the outside face and buckling of the

studs under one of the loading rollers. Specimen T5 faUed by buckling of the studs rnider one of the loading rollers.

4. Concentrated Load

The results are shown in table 5 and in figure

8 for wall specimens AH-Pl, P2, and PS,

loaded on the inside face, and in figure 9 for wall

specimens AH-P4, P5, and P6, loaded on the

outside face. The indentations after a load of 1,000 lb had

been apphed were about 0.2 in. and no other

effect was observed.

5. Impact Load

The results are sliown in table 5 and in figure

10 for wall specimens AH-Il, 12, and IS,

loaded on the inside face, and in figure 11 for

wall specimens AH-I4, 15, and 16, loaded on

the outside face. For each of the specimens the screws at the

panel joint sheared near the middle of the face

struck, followed by opening of the panel joint.

As the height of drop was increased, the deflec- tion and set increased, and failure resulted by

increasing local deformation of first the loaded

face, and then the opposite face.

6. Racking Load

Wall specimen /iH-R2, under racking load,

is shown in figure 12. The results for wall specunens AH-Rl, R2,

and R3 are shown in table 5 and in figure 13. Each of the specimens failed by deformation

of the faces at the screws in the panel joints.

In addition, for specimen R2, welds in the inside

240

200

^160

o\

• o

• 4

' — o

1

/•

1w

1•

1•

1 . •

\

1 /

1/

7

0 0.2 0.4

^ef/ecfion in.

0.6

Figure 6.—Transverse load on wall AH, load applied to inside face.

Load deflection and load-set results for specimens AIl-Tl, T2, and T3

on the span 7 feet 6 inches.
240

200

/20\

80\

g

40i.

0

—o- -o

(

-J.

• o—

f

-o

—

•

5

•—

<

1

If

AH-4 0 0.2 0.4

c/ef/ecf/on in.

0.6

Figure 7. —Transverse load on wall AH, load applied to outside face.

Load-deflection and load-set results for specimens AH-T4, T5, and T6

on the span 7 feet 6 inches.

face sheared near the lower end of the specimen

at the edge opposite the edge to wliich the load was applied, and the wall plate at the upper end

of the specimen buckled. For specimen R3,

both faces buckled at the stop, and the waU

plate at the upper end of the specimen also buckled.

V. PARTITION AI

1. Sponsor's Statement

(a) Alaterials Gypsum hoard.—Fireproof waUboard, 8 ft 0

in., by 4 ft 0 in., by % in. National Gypsum

Co.'s "Gold Bond."

Steel. —MUd, open-hearth, black sheets, hotrolled, annealed, and pickled. The specified

chemical composition is given in table 2 and the

average mechanical properties in table 3. American Rolling Mill Co.'s "Armco."

Screws.—Self-tapping, Yo-in., No. 8 (0.164-in.

diam), 15 threads per inch, flat countersunk

head, hardened and plated with cadmium about

0.00035 in. tliick. Continental Screw Co.'s "Holtite."

Paint.—Priming, rust-resisting, gray; weight,

12.10 lb/gal. The formula for the paint is given in table 4. Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co.'s "Gray Metal Dipping Primer 32914-A."

(5) Description

The partition specimens were 8 ft ji in. high,

4 ft 0 in. wide, and 3 in. tliick. Each specimen

consisted of two gypsum-board faces. A, as shown in figure 14, fastened by screws to sheetsteel studs, B. The lower end of each specimen

had a sheet-steel soleplate, C, and the upper end

a sheet-steel top plate, D. The sheet-steel

members were covered with one coat of paint

applied by dipping. The price of this construction was '$0.33/ft.2 Faces.—The faces. A, were gypsum boards

fastened to the studs, B, by screws, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers. Studs.—The studs, B, were channels, 2% by

V/s in., 8 ft 0 in. long, cold-formed from sheet

/m

800

^600

-^400

1 200

8 <

•

/ • — T

J»

—'

/

1 •

/•

1 AH-I 0 a I 0.2 0.0

inc/en/a/ion in. Figure 8.

Concentrated load on wall AH, load applied

to inside face.

Load-indentation results for specimens AH-Pl, Pi, and PS.

[8]
Table 6.

Struclurul properiian iif parlilion A

I

1000

800

\

^600

-^400

I

^200

/

/

i

/

/

J.

I

01 0.2

indenfaf/on

0.5

in.

Figure 9.

Concentrated load on wall AH, load applied

to outside face.

Load-indentation results for specimens AII-PJ,, P5, and P6.

steel, No. 18 United States Standard Gage

(0.049 in. thick).

Soleplate and top plate.—Both plates, C and

D, were channels, 2% by l}^ in., 4 ft 0 in. long,

cold-formed from sheet steel, No. 18 United

States Standard Gage (0.049 in. thick). The

flanges of the plates enclosed the ends of the

studs, B, with a snug fit, and the webs were in contact with the ends of the studs. The plates were fastened to the studs by the screws which

fastened the faces.

(c) Comments

When erecting the building, the plates for the

partitions are fastened to the floor and ceiling

by screws. The studs are placed in position

and the gypsum-board faces are then fastened

to the studs.

2. Impact Load

The results for partition specimens AI-Il , 12,

and 13 are shown in table 6 and in figure 15.

(W eiglit, 4.04 Ib/n^]

Load

Impact.

Concentrated..

Load api)Iied

One face; span, 7 ft 6 in.

Average..

One face

Average.

a.2 OA

ft

1. 5

1. 5 1.0

1.3

ft

1. 5 2.0

1. 5

1. 7

ft 1.5

2.0

1. 5

1.7

122

124

109

Each of the specimens faded by cracking of both the loaded face and the opposite face.

3. Concentrated Load

The results for partition specimens AI-Pl,

P2, and P3 are shown in table 6 and in figure 16.

10

&

^ 4

•

0

• 0 •••

•o

or

o

O

o —

<

c: )

a

0

0

A 9

» a •p AH-I 0/15

defledion in. Figure 10.

Impact load on ivall AH, load applied io inside face.

Height of drop-deflection and heiglit of drop-set results for specimens AH-Il , 12, and IS on the span 7 feet 6 inches.

[9]
10

s

4

0

D

—

<

/ > T

/IH-4- 0 I 1

def/eciior?

5

in. Figure 11.

Impact load on wall AH, load applied to outside face.

Height of drop-deflection and height of drop-set results for specimens

AH-IJ,, 15, and 16 on the span 7 feet 6 inches. Each of the specimens failed by punching of

the disk through the loaded face of the speci- men.

VI. FLOOR AJ

1. Sponsor's Statement

(a) Materials

Steel.—Mild, open-hearth, black sheets, hotrolled, annealed, and pickled. The specified

chemical composition is given in table 2 and the

average mechanical properties in table 3. American Rolling Mill Co.'s "Armco."

Welds.—Electric spot welds, }^-in. diam,

spaced 4 in. on centers, made with a 50-kva

welding machine equipped with automatic

timing. Federal Machine & Welder Co.'s "Alligator Type Spot Welder."

Screws.—Self-tapping, % in., No. 8 (0.164-in.

diam), 15 threads per inch, binding head,

hardened and plated with cadmium about

0.00035 hi. thick. Self-tapping, 1% in.. No. 8

(0.164-in. diam), 15 threads per inch, flat countersunk head, hardened and plated with

cadmium about 0.00035 in. thick. Continental

Screw Co.'s "Holtite."

Paint.—Priming, rust-resisting, gray; weight,

12.10 lb/gal. The formula for the paint is given in table 4. Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co.'s "Gray Metal Dipping Primer 32914-A."

Wo(xl.—Pine, shortleaf, yellow. No. 2 common. Oak, red, clear, plain, tongue-andgrooved, side-matched, and end-matched.

Figure 12.Wall specimen

AH-R2 under racking load.

[10]
12

1.0

ko.d

0.6

0.4

^ 02

0^.

-o

—

• o

• • O (

a < )

1 —h

1 ••4

-ietc

1 -h

ijr

7t

it AM

0.4 0.8 12

deformation in. Figure 13.

Racking load on wall AH.

Load-deformation and load-set results for specimens AH-Rl , R2, and RS. The loads are in kips per foot of actual width of specimen. The de- formations and sets are for a hei|?ht of 8 feet. They were computed

from th3 values obtained from the measuring-device readings. The

gage length of the measuring device was 6 feet.

Screw nails. —1% in. long, 0.099-in. diam

(No. 13 wire gage, No. 3 screw gage), 7 threads

per inch, countersunk head, diamond point,

made from high-grade manganese steel containing about 0.19 percent of carbon and 1.40 percent of manganese, water-quenched from

1,700° F. Hillwood Manufacturing Co.'s "Helyx Floor Screws."

(6) Description

The floor specimens were 12 ft 6 in. long,

4 ft y% in. wide, and Ifu in. thick. Each

specimen consisted of two panels fabricated

from sheet-steel zees, A, as shown m figures 17 and 18, and sheet-steel angles, B, fastened by

welds. The two panels were joined at C and

fastened by screws and the ends were enclosed

by sheet-steel end members, D, fastened by

screws. The panels, and also the end members,

were completely covered with one coat of paint

applied by dipping. Wood sleepers, E, were

fastened by screws to the upper faces of tlie panels, and a wood finish floor, F, was fastened

by screw nails to the sleepers.

The price of this construction was $0.66/ft ^. Zees.—The zees. A, were 8^ by 5)^ by 8}^ in., 12 ft 6 in. long, formed from sheet steel, No. 18

United States Standard Gage (0.049 in. thick).

The flanges overlapped the adjacent sections

in. and were fastened by welds.

Angles.—The angles, B, were 8)2 by 5K in., No. 18

tliick),

12 ft 6 in. long, formed from sheet steel United States Standard Gage ''0.049 in. with a K-in. lip.

Joints.—The flanges of adjacent panels over- lapped Y-i in. at C, and were fastened by K-in. screws, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers. There was

)^-in. clearance between the webs of adjacent

panels at the joint.

End members.—The end members, D, were

channels, 5 23/32 by VA in., 4 ft % in. long,

formed from sheet steel. No. 18 United States

Standard Gage (0.049 in. thick). The webs of

the end members were in contact with the ends

of the panels and the flanges were fastened to the

Figure 14.Partition specimen AI.

A, face; B, stud; C, soleplate; D, top plate.

[11]
5

5:

^ 3

0'

•

AI

120

0 0.4 0.8 1.2 def/ecfion in. Figure 15.

Impact load on partition AI.

Height of drop-deflection and height of drop-set results for specimens

AI-Il, 12, and IS on the span 7 feet 6 inches.

faces of the panels by K-in. screws, spaced 8 in. on centers.

Sleepers.—The sleepers, E, were pine, 25/32

by 2% in. (nominal 1 by 3 in.), 4 ft 0 in. long,

spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers, and fastened to the

panels by iK-in. screws, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on

centers.

so

I

o

60

40

20

0\

4 —

^

1 •

<

/

i

—

1 ^

AI 0 0.02 0.04 0.06

indenhfion in. Figure 16.

Concentrated load on -partition AI.

Load-indentation results for specimens AI-Pl, P2, and PS.

Finish floor.—The finish floor was oak, 25/32

by 2}i in. (nominal 13/16 by 2}{ in.), fastened

to the sleepers by blind nailing with screw nails.

(c) Comments

The floor panels used for the first floor of a building are supported on the foundation wall.

Figure 17.Floor

.specimen AJ.

A, zee; B, angle; C, joint; D, end member; E, sleeper; J", finish floor.

[12]
Figure 18.

Details of

the ends and the joint

for floor specimen AJ.

.1, zee; B, angle; C. joint; J). end member.

For the second floor, the floor panels are con- nected to the wafl panels by 1%-hy 1^4-by }^-m.

shelf angles, one at the bottom and one at the

top of the floor, and fastened to the floor panels

and to the inside faces of the wall panels by

screws, spaced 8 in. on centers. The lower faces of the floor panels form the

ceiling of the room below and are usually

finished with oil paint or casein paint; however,

other finishes such as waUboard, acoustical tile, etc., may be used. If the appearance of the

overlapping joints in the lower face is objectionable, the joints may be pointed with filler before painting. Inside faces may be stippled

or textured with heavy-bodied paints to conceal

surface irregularities.

For heavy loads and long spans, floor panels

are furnished with 6-in. web spacing, or with

sections made of No. 16 United States Standard

Gage steel, while for light loads and short spans.

No. 20 United States Standard Gage steel is used.

2. Transverse Load

Table 7.

Structural properties of floor AJ

[Weight, 9.52 lb/tt2]

Load

Transverse.

Concentrated.

ImpactLoad applied

Upper face; span, 12 ft 0 in.

Average

Upper face

Average.

Upper face; span, 12 ft 0 in.

Average.

Speci- men

desig- nation

TlT2

T3

PIP2

PS

II 12

IS

Maxi- mum

lieiglit of drop

' 10.0 '10.0

' 10.0

Maxi- mum

load

279

269

260

269

lb 329

• 1, 000

800

" Specimen did not fail. Each of the specimens failed by budding of

the webs of the zees and angles, near one of the

loading roUers, and rupture of welds in the

upper faces of the panels. No failure of the

wood finish floor was observed.

3. Concentrated Load

The results for floor specimens AJ-Tl, T2,

and T3 are shown in table 7 and in flgure 19.

Floor specimen AJ-P3, imder concentrated

load, is shown in figure 20.

[13]
240'

200

^120

\

80

I

\

I

0\

•

•

1

1

1

If AJ

0 0.2 0.4 0.6

c/ef/ecf/on /n. Figure 19. —Transverse load on floor AJ.

Load-deflection and load-set results for specimens AJ-Tl, T2, and T3

on the span 12 teet 0 incli.

The results for floor specimens AJ-Pl, P2,

and PS are shown in table 7 and in figure 21. Specimens PI and PS, loaded at end-matched

joints between sleepers, failed by splitting of the

800

^600

^ 200

\ r •

« ' —•-

Q

ilk Eh

w

IP

9

/

/ •

•

FiGUKE 20. —Floor specimen AJ-PS under

concentrated load.

'0 0.02 0.04. 0.06

inc/enfafion in.

Figure 21.Concentrated load on floor AJ.

Load-indentation results for specimens AJ-Pl, P2, and PS.

wood at the joints. For specimen P2, which was loaded on a wood strip continuous between

sleepers, the indentation after a load of 1,000

lb had been applied was 0.01 in. and no other

effect was observed.

4. Impact Load

Floor specimen AJ 12, under impact test, is shown in figme 22. The results for floor specimens AJ-Il, 12,

and IS are shown in table 7 and in figure 23. For specimen II, the set after a drop of 10

ft was about 0.06 in. and no other effect was

observed. For specimen 12, the set after a drop of 10 ft was 0.015 in. and there was a

longitudinal crack near an end-matched joint

in the wood finish floor at the middle of the

specimen. For specimen IS, the wood finish

floor was split at an end-matched joint near the

middle of the specimen, after a drop of 7 ft, and the set after a drop of 10 ft was about

0.05 in.

[14]
Figure 22.

Floor specimen AJ-I2 during the impact test.

VII. ROOF AK

1. Sponsor's Statement

(a) Materials

Steel.—Mild, open-hearth, black sheets, hotrolled, annealed, and piclded. The specified

chemical composition is given in table 2 and

the average mechanical properties in table 3. American Rolling Mill Co.'s "Armco."

Welds.—Electric spot welds, Yi-in. diam,

spaced 4 in. on centers, made with a 50-kva

welding machine equipped with automatic timing. Federal Machine & Welder Co.'s "Alli- gator Type Spot Welder."

Screws.—Self-tapping, K-in., No. 8 (0.164-in.

diam), 15 threads per inch, binding head, hardened and plated with cadmium about 0.00035

in. thick. Continental Screw Co.'s "Holtite."

Paint.—Priming, rust-resisting, gray; weight,

12.10 lb/gal. The formula for the paint is given in table 4. Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co.'s "Gray Metal Dipping Primer 32914-A."

Insulating board.—Vegetable-fiber insulating

board, K in. tliick. Celotex Corporation's

"Celotex."

Roofing felt.—Rag base, saturated with as- phalt; weight, 15 lb/100 ft-. Philip Carey Co.'s "Feltex."

Asphalt.—Blended, high-grade asphalt. PhiHp

Carey Co.

(6) Description

The roof specimens were 14 ft 6 in. long, 4

ft % in. wide, and 7}^ in. thick. Each specimen

consisted of two panels fabricated from sheetsteel zees, A, as shown in figure 24, and sheetsteel angles, B, fastened by welds. The two

panels were joined at C and fastened by screws and the ends were enclosed by sheet-steel end

members, D, fastened by screws. The panels,

and also the end members, were completely

covered with one coat of paint applied by

dipping. The upper faces of the panels were covered with insulation, E, and built-up

roofing, F. The price of tliis construction was $0.67/ft^

Zees.—The zees. A, were 8% by d'A by 8'/^ in.,

14 ft 6 in. long, formed from sheet steel. No. 18

United States Standard Gage (0.049 in. thick).

The flanges overlapped the adjacent sections

/2 in. and were fastened by welds.

Angles.—The angles, B, were 8K by 5% in., 14 ft 6 in. long, formed from sheet steel, No.

18 United States Standard Gage (0.049 in. thick), with a K-in. lip.

Joint.—The flanges of adjacent panels over- lapped % in. at C, and were fastened by screws, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers. There was }8-iii.

s

2^

T

r

1

Jo—

1

1 ®*

1

1

AJ

% 0.2 0.4 0.6

def/ecfion in.

FiGTTKE 23.Impact load on floor AJ.

Heiglit of (Irop-dellection and height of drop-set results for specimens

A.J-Il, 12, and IS on the span 12 feet 0 inch.

[15]
clearance between the webs of adjacent panels

at the joint.

End members.—The end members, D, were

channels, 5^%2 by in., 4 ft Yi in. long, formed

from sheet steel. No. 18 United States Standard

Gage (0.049 in. thick). The webs of the end

members were in contact with the ends of the

panels and the flanges were fastened to the

faces of the panels by screws, spaced 8 in. on

centers. Insulation.—The upper faces of the assembled panels were covered by a layer of roofing

felt laid in asphalt. Tliree layers of insulating board, E, were laid in asphalt over the

felt. The joints of the insulating board were

staggered.

Built-up roofing. —The insulation was cov- ered by three layers of roofing felt, F, laid in asphalt.

(c) Comments

For flat roofs, the roof panels are supported

by 1%-by 1%-by )i-m.. shelf angles fastened to the inside faces of the wall panels and to the

lower faces of the roof panels by screws, spaced

8 in. on centers. The wall panels extend above

the roof to form a parapet. The insulation and

built-up roofing cover the inside of the parapet

and the roofing extends over the top, forming

a through flashing. A sheet-steel coping covers

the top of the parapet and extends 4 in. down

the sides. The lower faces of the roof panels

form the ceiling of the room below, and are

usually finished with oil paint or casein paint; | however, other finishes such as wallboard,

accoustical tile, etc., may be used.

For sloping roofs, the roof panels are con- nected to the wall panels by a sheet-steel cornice i which takes the place of the wall plate and are i connected at the ridge by a sheet-steel ridge : roll. For roof panels not exceeding 14 ft 0 in. in length, the roof panels are identical with wall

panels. Sloping roofs are covered with comFiGURE 25.

Roof specimen AK~T2 under tranwerse

load.

f 1^']
2dO

200

160

Si

0

o—

<

»

\

1 • —

1•

1 •

1•

T7

0 0.2 0.4 0.6

def/ecHon in.

Figure 26.—Transverse load on roof AK.

Load-deflection and load-set results for specimens AK-Tl, TS, and T3

on the span 14 feet 0 inch.

position shingles laid in asphalt directly on the

panels.

For sloping roofs, the ceiling joists are identical in section with the partition studs, B, figure

14, and are spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers. The

joists are supported at the ends by sheet-steel

channels fastened to the inside faces of the wall

panels by screws. Hangers are fastened to the

roof panels and to the joists at frequent intervals. The face of the ceiling is gypsum board

fastened to the joists by screws.

2. Transverse IvOad

Roof specimen AK-T'2, under transverse

load, is shown in figure 25. The results for roof specimens AK-Tl, T2,

and T3 are shown in table 8 and in figure 26. Each of the specimens failed by buckling of

the webs of the zees and angles between the

loading rollers. A few welds in the upper faces

of the panels failed.

Table 8.

Slructural properties of roof AK

[Weiglit, 10.7:! Ib/ft^.]

Load Load applied

SjiecimiTi designation

Maximiini

load

Transverse

Concentrated.-- -.-

Upper facej span, 14 ft 0 in.

Average--- .

Upper face.- --

Average

1

TlT2

T3

18S

199 179

189

1

PIPi

P3

lb 700

700 460

620

3. Concentrated Load

The results for roof specimens AK-Pl, P2,

and PS are shown in table 8 and in figure 27. For each of the specimens, the disk punched

through the built-up roofing into the insulation.

VIII. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

BY SPONSOR

Approximately 170 houses were completed

or under construction on May 1, 1938 using

these constructions.

1000

800

600

^400

^^200 oo 0

• •

—

<

»

•

•

•

—

/

/ /Iff 0 0.2 0.4 0.6

indenfah'on in. Figure 27.

Concentrated load on roof AK.

IjOad -indentation results for specimens AK-PI. PS, and PS.

[171
The foundations for these houses were either concrete walls or concrete slabs. The chimneys

were 4-in. brick walls with clay-tile flue linings,

supported on the masonry foundations.

IX. SELECTED REFERENCES

Anierican Architect, 149, No. 2649, 39 (1936). Architectural Record, 81, No. 3, 34BT (1937). Home Information, Better Homes in America,

Purdue University, 1, Nos. 10 and 11 (1936).

The sponsor supphed the information contained in the sponsor's statement. The description and drawings of the specimens were pre- pared by E. J. Schell and G. W. Shaw of the

Building Practice and Specifications Section, | imder the supervision of V. B. Phelan, from | this information and from the specimens themselves. That Section also cooperated in the

preparation of the report.

j The experimental data were obtained from | tests made by the Engineering Mechanics i Section under the supervision of H. L. ^-Miitj temore and A. H. Stang, with the assistance ; of the following members of the professional

staff: F. CardHe, R. C. Carter, H. DoUar, M. ; Dubin, A. H. Easton, A. S. Endler, C. D. i Johnson, A. J. Sussman, and L. R. Sweetman. |

Washington, June 30, 1938. I

I

1

118]
The National Bureau 0/ Standards was established by act of Congress, approved

March 3, 1901, continuing the duties of the old Ofl&ce of Standard Weights and Measures

of the United States Coast and Geodetic Suirvey. In addition, new scientific functions were assigned to the new Bureau. Originally under the Treasury Department, the

Bureau was transferred in 1903 to the Department of Commerce and Labor (now the

United States Department of Commerce). It is charged with the development, construction, custody, and maintenance of reference and working standards, and their intercomparison, improvement, and application in science, engineering, industry, and commerce. SUBJECTS OF BUREAU ACTIVITIES

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