steel frame single family home?

[runcyclexcski]

I would like to learn more about using steel to build a single family home. Can anyone recommend a reading on the subject?

I am extremely allergic to mold and dust, and I get sick in standard wood frame houses with basements, especially in old buildings. I am not an architect, but my common sense tells me that using organic materials, like wood, supports mold growth and captures moisture. I do not like the idea of concrete either, due to degassing, particulates, and earthquake safety (I live in CA). My idea is to make a structure of steel beams and bolt panels and walls on it, and have no basement where moisture could be trapped.

[per.corell]

In this group it is true that there are a core of profesional , craftsmen who know their craft and , -- well sorry to say ; is very unlikely to allow new things just like that. So it is not in a negative sense , when I talk about conservatism, this is just a fact, and strangely enough this groupe also has to promote architecture that is different. Quite a difficult task I can tell you, as the build in conservatism work that way, that any new thing will be seen as an attack towerds "How we build a house". Sad in a way, as if what architecture need, it is newthinking and new innovative way's , so a lot of nice new houses can be build. Now what you ask, need more than "how we build a house", so you need to be prepared to pay the extra price, have the gutts , and realy you need to trust your own judgement . I will try to help you there --- you see I guess when anyone answer you here, they will emagine "steel" as the trivial "U" or "H" "L" beams , most in this groupe will emagine a tradisional house with a pole of steel each corner, and a row of steel beams down each wall , carrying the tradisional members of a house construction, just made in steel.

------- In fact this is also how you will see most buildings structured with tradisional steel beams , as "This is how we build a house" ; the wooden pieces replaced with steel members. Now most builders in this group is not used to that and proberly resist you in this wish, and I fully understand them, as that is not realy what will make you a nice new house, instead try open your mind for new idears, you see there are other way's to use steel, than with the tradisional steel beams just replacing the tradisional wooden parts, try have a look ;

Now there are no tradisional profiles, everything is just sheet steel

--- the house are a tradisional manzard roof part of a house and any form can be generated. Also this give a clue about what is possible, with a CAD program but it show better, how things like walls and floor foundations, are here made in a complete new way, no one lay the floor it's foundations just grow while the building frames are assembled ;

--------- Now please note that this example are over-framedm it could easily survive with just a third the frames.

There are many more examples --- but please remember, that steel sheets are not the only choice with this method, you proberly will think about some sheet material suited, it could even be plywood, but let's say each third frame in the next animation are steel and the rest plywood, it still would offer enough structural strenght ;

What you ask seem impossible from the responses you gathered so far, I am not surprised but what you ask , is not the typo house, the prefabricate ones, as these will newer deliver what you ask, so my advise are to look into new way's to put things together, the 3dh method I explained above, is nothing but that ; just a new way to put things together, and gain from the computer calculating the building parts.

[3D Peruna]

First, all of CA isn't in the same climate zone. It's hard to know what's the proper construction technology for your locality without knowing your locality.

Second, as mentioned in other posts, mold is a function of moisture and food. There are a number of methods of keeping a home dry, most of them start with good construction practices and proper detailing. And, each of them are climate specific. Steel frame is only part of your structure. What are you doing for flooring? Interior walls? etc? A house is more than the studs between the walls.

Third, Properly designed and constructed basements are really no different than the rest of your house. However, omitting it can save construction costs... but getting the details right is key either way.

Fourth, Cured concrete doesn't off-gas. Neither does drywall. Concrete is great in earthquake zones, as long as it's properly reinforced. Steel won't necessarily fair better...but it might.

Fifth, dust is a function of your air cleaning systems. As mentioned in other posts, it's easy enough to do, provided you really want to and are willing to live with the systems. There are trade-offs in everything and for the positives there will be negatives.

Best bet is to go hire a designer and let them find the systems that are most appropriate for your climate, your desires and (most important) your budget. Money well spent.

[Kris Krieger]

"Don" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

There is a local (Houston-area) company that builds steel-beamm-frame houses that look the same, when done, as the typical residential styles. Problem is you have ot have your own land (IOW not a lot in a development).

Nothing like that in CA...?

Also, can't a residential structure be built on isolators, as are some commercial structures...?