LSTK designs today are quite widespread, the scope of their use is quite diverse. The abbreviation stands for lightweight steel thin-walled structures.
Application area
The mentioned structures are actively used in the construction of public buildings, cottages, shops, as well as garages. Such steel systems quite often today can be found at the base of hotels, sports facilities, medical centers. Private builders adapted such structures for the construction of attics, roofs, the last of which have wide spans. In Europe, LSTC has been distributed for half a century.
Characteristics of LSTC
LSTK structures are built using a material whose thickness does not exceed 4 mm. The works use galvanized sheet, which is produced by cold rolling, and is sold in rolls. The designs are based on profiles that were formed by the cold method during the manufacturing process. Their cross section may be open or closed. The peculiarity of LSTK allows you to use them in the construction of building envelopes, among which you can distinguish walls and ceilings, but this is not a complete list.
LSTK constructions can include thin-walled profiles, which were previously perforated in the wall area, they are also called "thermo-profiles". Their main purpose is to increase the thermal characteristics of the thermal circuit of the building and ventilation in the heat insulator.
The described components are mated by means of screws, which are of excellent quality and suggest a self-drilling installation, and they are made of stainless steel. Alternatively, carbon steel can be used for such products, which is coated in the production with a cadmium or zinc composition. You can familiarize yourself with the assortment of profiles, for example, manufactured by Astekhome LLC at .
LSTC construction technology
LSTK constructions are being constructed using materials that do not contain metal, such as drywall, gypsum board, cement-bonded particleboard, OSB , etc. These coatings are installed on profiles, or, in other words, racks. This is done both outside and inside the buildings. The technology involves the rejection of wet work, which is very common today due to the convenience and speed of work.
Such a technology is also chosen because of the fact that as a result the building is lightweight, so its weight is 30 kg / m 2 . As for the two-story building, the weight increases to 38 kg / m 2 . But this does not prevent the buildings from being stable and durable. That is why LSTC are being built in seismically hazardous zones, to the phenomena of which they are especially resistant. All this is combined with ease of assembly, which increases labor productivity by 2 times.
Consumer Reviews
LSTK-constructions are quite actively used in private construction. Consumers, choosing such a technology, note that with its help it is quite simple to build attic floors, which do not have a significant load on the foundation. Many residents of seismically hazardous areas say that this has become an indispensable decision for them to build houses that are particularly resistant during earthquakes. But when arranging a ventilated facade, you can’t do without steel structures at all. Their consumers choose much more often than wooden. Buyers note that the steel elements serve for a longer period of time, do not require repair, and after getting wet do not deform. Buyers prefer metal structures if they are faced with the task of replacing a flat roof with a pitched roof.
Reviews about efficiency
Today, perhaps, there is not a single person who would not seek to save money on repairs and construction. If we replace concrete with steel structures, as the owners of private houses and apartments say, then it turns out to save at the time of transportation of the material, in the process of laying and subsequent operation, because concrete needs repair when the building shrinks, but steel elements do not. In addition, private craftsmen and professional builders claim that they choose steel more often than brick and mortar, since the installation of the first material takes less time and does not require the use of expensive construction equipment.
Features of the calculation of LSTC
LSTC designs are calculated before design. The data on the loads that will affect the supporting structures are primarily taken into account. Why are the efforts that will occur in the columns, coating runs, coating farms, and crane beams determined , but this is not the whole list. At the next stage, the cross section is calculated. It is important to determine which profiles are supposed to be used, and then you can begin the construction of elements.
Light steel thin-walled structures (LSTK) should be assembled using the simplest and most durable joints. In this case, bolts can be used, but the welding method is not held in high esteem, since there is a possibility of lack of penetration, which will weaken the profile section. In the calculation, specialists will take into account the external environmental impact. This will reduce the influence of wind, precipitation, soil vibrations. In order to establish an easy construction, a shallow base will be sufficient for it, while it should be taken into account that seismic phenomena must be minimal in the construction area.
Protecting LSTK
LSTK-constructions, reviews of which, as a rule, are only positive, can also be used as fences. LSTK can be used in tandem with insulation according to the ecowool type, which only improves the quality of the system. If we compare a wall that is 100 mm thinner than that built of lightweight cellular concrete, then it loses heat less than 1.5 times. This suggests that the savings on heating in cold weather will be impressive. In addition, it is possible to win free space in the premises of the home. After all, the thickness of the walls will be less.
Advantages of LSTK over constructions from other materials
LSTK-designs, photos of which can be seen in the article, win the battle against a brick wall that is so traditional today and many years ago . They are often used in high-rise construction, since such enclosing systems significantly accelerate the work, they have a much lower load, and for the installation you will not have to resort to the expensive help of professional builders. But the private master, in addition, will be able to avoid the need for wet work associated with the solution: mixing it and laying it. Construction equipment may be needed only in order to have the opportunity to raise steel elements to the desired floor, which is completely irrelevant when conducting private construction. But if you are building a two- or three-story house, then you can exclude the rental of heavy equipment for lifting structures using the winch method.
If you use LSTK at the base of the building, the enclosing structures, as well as the main walls, can be built from them, and it becomes possible to build a house with up to four floors. If you are just going to build your house, then a lot of concrete work can be replaced by technology, which is based on LSTK. This will save on materials, speed up the process and eliminate the need to do wet work, which require the master to have certain skills that are not required when assembling a house from light steel elements. But the design calculation LSTK is preferable to entrust to professionals.