Residence Inn

The Residence Inn project at Gainesville presented an important opportunity for the Florida market to realize the value of load-bearing cold-formed steel framing. The Steel Network worked diligently with the owner and design team on this mid-rise hotel to find a solution to build this hotel lighter due to poor site conditions. During the design process it was discovered that conventional block and plank would be too heavy and could not be used due to sinkhole issues in the foundation.

TSN’s Team presented the construction team with an alternative that significantly lightened the overall weight. A proposal was presented for a load-bearing cold-formed steel wall design combined with a hollow core plank floor system. Through TSN’s design assist efforts this project was able to meet the design requirements, with an added bonus of being able to accelerate the construction schedule.

SigmaStud® was used as the primary load-bearing member, with JamStud® being incorporated to reduce/eliminate built-up members and box headers at the openings. Both products feature unique configurations, that when compared to conventional c-shaped members of the same size and gauge, deliver increased strength and stiffness allowing a more streamlined install with less materials and labor.

The original completion schedule for the Residence Inn was based on a masonry structure; but thanks to SigmaStud the structural completion was fast-tracked. The speed of framing from slab pour to structural completion gained the contractors 30 days on the schedule.