Heritage character preserved using LiteSteel^® beam

When it comes to installing hot rolled structural steel beams into an existing building structure, many renovators face the issues of costly crane hire, tight schedules and a lack of control over off-site fabrication process.

For Rangeview Building Pty Ltd, maintaining the character of this inner-city Melbourne heritage home was of utmost importance when they converted it into apartments in May 2005.

The project required the installation of new roof beams and lintels into the home’s existing structure. The builders originally planned to remove the roof tiles and hire a crane for an extended period to provide access and placement for the building’s new structural members.

However, the builders were introduced to the LiteSteel beam (LSB^®) product, and chose a solution which allowed beams to be simply and safely carried up the existing stairwell, keeping the roof intact and saving construction time and thousands of dollars in crane hire.

With its reduced weight, LSB was ideally suited to this project and resulted in less stress on workers having to handle and manoeuvre beams into position on-site.

The one-hundred year old staircase proved no problem for literally walking the LSB into place.

LSB offered the builders single spans of up to 10 m with less deflection over long spans than timber or Hot Rolled Steel. Approximately 300 m of LSB was used in the conversion project, including ten metre lengths of 300 × 75 × 3.0 LSB roof beams bolted back to back (14 kg/m each).

All connections were bolted on-site, avoiding offsite fabrication which saved time and money and allowed more control over the project schedule.

LSB products can replace existing materials within a building/renovation site with relative ease compared to heavy Hot Rolled Steel structural beams, and require less depth than alternative timber options.

With its high strength to weight ratio and capacity to span longer distances than alternative products, LSB is ideal for replacing load-bearing walls.

Often it is easier to position LSB into awkward and tight locations common to renovations because of its reduced weight – usually around 40% lighter than Hot Rolled Steel beams of similar capacity.

LSB offers the possibility of replacing Hot Rolled Steel UBs and PFCs up to and including the 200 UB 25.4 on a one for one basis.

To replace larger Hot Rolled Steel sections, two LSB beams lifted separately into position can be combined back to back, offering heavy structural performance with fewer handling complications and this literally doubles the structural performance.

With the ability to be cut, nailed, screwed and drilled on-site using professional power tools, LSB offered on-site flexibility – which is important in an environment where time literally is money.

A standard professional hand-held circular saw fitted with a ferrous metal cutting blade makes cutting LSB on-site as easy as cutting timber.

Similarly, using a professional hand-held power drill, site workers can easily drill through structural steel beams, making it easy to attach brackets, bolts and other components.

Cutting service holes into LSB on-site is simple using a standard power pack drill fitted with a carbide tipped hole cutter. This can be done after the beams have been installed so services can be passed through exactly where they need to be – an advantage not available with Hot Rolled Steel structural beams.

Using a pneumatic nail gun, workers are able to nail flooring (up to 22 mm thick) directly to LSB.

Previously, connecting steel sections to other parts of a building structure was only possible through welding.

However, connecting LSB is convenient and efficient – readily available galvanised steel brackets, such as ‘Pryda’ brackets for structural timber, can be used.

Alternatively, if required, LSB is easy to weld using Manual Metal, Gas Metal or Flux Cored Arc Welding.

The LSB sections arrived on-site pre-primed and ready for painting once installed. The environmentally-friendly EnviroKote™ water-based primer paint protective coating system applied to LSB during manufacturing provides more durability, scratch resistance and up to twice the level of corrosion protection of traditional steel tube primers.