Development of innovative thermal efficient steel studs – Part 2

With the growing demand for energy efficient buildings, conventional steel wall studs are no longer an appropriate choice for exterior walls. Conventional steel studs cause an inordinately high degree of thermal bridging which lowers the energy efficiency of the building. To address this concern, Structa Wire Corporation started the development of an innovative steel stud that replaces the solid steel web in the conventional steel stud with welded wires. The newly proposed steel stud shows promising energy efficiency, by demonstrating a significant reduction in thermal bridging. Recent experimental testing also shows this innovation has a high structural performance. In this research, an intern from UBC will work closely with Structa Wire Corporation to develop a computer model which is compared with experimental data. The developed finite element model will be used to optimize the design and conduct certification tests to ensure the developed stud meets the applicable industry standard.

Faculty Supervisor:

Tony Yang

Student:

Lisa Tobber

Partner:

Structa Wire Corp

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Program: