SPEEDFLOOR® Steel Floor Joists Meet 7.2m Spans
The lightweight and wide-spanning capabilities of the SPEEDFLOOR® Steel Joist Flooring System proved ideal for the addition of an extra storey to a commercial building in Auckland.
The renovation of this commercial building in Blake Street, Ponsonby turned into a much larger project when the addition of an extra storey was suggested. The piles for the building’s superstructure had a span of 7.2-metres, creating an extra challenge for the construction team. With timber joists not generally meeting those spans and weight issues ruling out concrete, Lyle Peterson, Director of Logik Construction, turned to SPEEDFLOOR® for a lightweight steel flooring solution.
The SPEEDFLOOR® standard Steel Joist Flooring System meets a 6.9-metre span — just shy of the 7.2-metres required for this project, so SPEEDFLOOR® contacted their engineer to see if they could adapt the system to meet a wider span. “They came up with a back to back system of a 290-floor joist that exceeded the length of my span, so we pursued it,” explains Lyle.
Just over 20 tonnes of SPEEDFLOOR® lightweight steel joists were specified for the additional level of the building — a combination of FJ150, FJ240 and FJ290 joists. SPEEDFLOOR® completed detailing of midfloor requirements and production of materials off site, helping to reduce build time. The steel joists were pre-cut to size to suit the building’s various spans and delivered in labelled bundles for ease of installation.
Lyle has been impressed by the fast turnaround of SPEEDFLOOR's joists, which has helped to keep the project on track. “I ordered another 180 square metres of joist flooring cassette area on Friday last week. SPEEDFLOOR® worked Friday afternoon and Monday and it’s being delivered this morning (Tuesday). That’s less than a week turnaround for 180 metres of floor joists, so the efficiency is incredible.”
Logik Construction’s qualified builders were new to steel joist construction but took to the SPEEDFLOOR® System quickly. “It has been amazing,” says Peterson. “My chippies had never worked with lightweight steel before. They say it’s much easier than doing big timber joists for the same size.”
The 630 square metre floor deck is nearing completion and Lyle is pleased with the results. “I’ve taken the owner up there and it’s exceeded his expectations for the flooring,” he explains. Pleased with the performance and efficiency of SPEEDFLOOR®, Lyle has already specified the joists for another project — a seven house development in Howick. “I’m using SPEEDFLOOR® for all 14-floors in the terraced houses because it’s so efficient and affordable.”
This project is also featured as an EBOSS article