A Guide

to
Building a Steel Frame
Bungalow
Native or Western Style
 Steel frame Bungalows

After living in many parts of the world, and finally settling in the Philippines I looked at building
my self a house, a simple bungalow and can be made to look fairly native styled.

I looked at what materials I should use, I had a choice of basically concrete block, or timber. As
being the norm. I didn’t really like concrete block for many personal reasons and some practical.
The other option seemed to be timber framed, a choice of Bamboo, Coco lumber or general hard
wood.

I decided I didn’t like the idea of Bamboo due to insects etc even though it is very durable if
correctly treated. So timber frame was now the positive answer and this I liked, I now had to
choose, local coco lumber or hard wood, there wasn’t a lot to choose between all as it all had to
be treated against insects etc.

Coco Lumber you need to treat by getting first cut and prepared to the sizes you need, then soak
in the sea for several weeks and then let dry. It then goes extremely hard and very hard to work
you need to drill holes for screws and nails etc.

Hard woods, these can be purchased in prepared sizes and treated or untreated but even if pre-
treated will need to be treated periodically and will still eventually decay as will all timber
construction.

I then remembered when working at a factory in the UAE they made steel buildings cold stores
etc from formed thin sheet steel. And then investigated this avenue, and found it was popular in
Australia and parts of the Americas.

I then looked at material costs and found it was effectively lower than timber with the bonus it
was rot proof, termite proof. Water resistant, etc. this seem a good medium. Plus it was 100%
recyclable.

The frame section could also be used as a fence post material and would be effective. In several
ways, this will be delt with later in this technical sheet.

Sheet galvanized steel 2400mm x 1200mm ( 8 x 4) and approx 1 mm thick is readily available in
most locations of the region, and with the use of a simple shear guillotine and bending machine
can be easily folded into a C section approx 90 x 30 mm which is close to a prepared 100 x 50 (
4 x 2) timber and with this dimension you can 6 from a sheet. Which worked out using local
costs about 30% less than untreated hard wood timber. Now next thing was how to construct this
after some thought, realized it was actually relatively easy. You need to make some specific
measurement sections and do need to be accurate and consistent, and there will be several items.

Almost all of these with the exception of the foundation stands can be made using a shear that
will accommodate 2400mm and a simple bending brake to accommodate the same.

It may be possible to either contract these out to a machine shop, or acquire the equipment
yourself and train a couple of lads to operate and make what you need. Or even do it yourself but
may not be the best use of manpower and time. Your time would be best served keeping a close
eye on all operations and ensuring you get what you need. A manual shear and bender could
actually be on site saving transportation costs, by using 2400 capable equipment you can use
local available sheet GI steel 2400 x 1200mm. Another possible would be to have sheets cut into
200mm wide strips and only have the bender on site, it may be possible to purchase strip on the
roll which would be even better, just remember rolls are heavy.

Items

 C section channel (Used for wall uprights, roof beams, floor beams.)
 U section channel (Used for floor and top wall track.)
 Corner sections ( These are an alternative to using 3 C sections for corners)
 Corner section cover ( Squares off the corners using either C forms or corner section)
 Flooring beams ( These are C channels/Joists )
 Angle plates ( For fixing C channels to track sections etc )
 Splice plates for C Channel ( For extending C channel where additional length is required
such as floor beams, Ceiling/roof beams and vertical joist in excess of 2400mm long)
 Splice plates for U channel. ( Used for extending track when required over 2.4 meters)
 Flat straps for lateral bracing for storm conditions (This is used for corner section so as to
brace against typhoons and storms, Used in conjunction with corner braces below)
 Corner braces for storm bracing. ( Used for storm bracing along with flat straps)
 Floor foundation supports ( These are adjustable like screw jacks from 400 mm to 750
mm height, the top and bottom support plates, are approx 300 square and 10mm thick.
The upright support is a threaded rod in a threaded tube with a lock nut, and the shaft
tread being 20mm dia. These are very adjustable to allow for the ground surface.)

The C channel can also be used for roof and ceiling support beams

Cladding your steel frame inside Hardy flex cement board would be my favorite as it is totally
termite and rot proof and virtually impervious to water, and fire proof, down fall it is breakable
from heavy nocks etc, next favorite would be ply wood as strong durable, but not resistant to rot
and termites unless treated. Another option would be gypsum board but this is like a sponge with
water and when it gets wet it is destroyed and need to be replaced.
Hardy-flex is approx 30% more costly than plywood.

Outside cladding I considered several my favorites are either sheet, corrugated steel sheet, Hardy
flex or ply wood other timber options could be used such as split bamboo and amacan looks very
good. But do need regular maintenance.

My 2 favored outside wall claddings are flat Galvanized sheet with split bamboo fixed or amacan
for ascetics, or plain Corrugated steel sheet mounted so as the corrugations run horizontal.

All internal walls could be clad with either Hardy-flex, plywood ,amacan or gypsum board.

Insulation material I favor the double sided plastic bubble type insulating material about 10mm
thick this fitted along with the outer cladding material, this will act as an insulating barrier for
both thermal and any rain noise, This may be also used on the roof cladding as well and highly
recommended.

Flooring the floor frame will be constructed from the C channel and U channel and placed on a
steel foundation supports which may be concreted into holes in the ground, or placed on the
ground bear in mind that concreting into the ground will provide more uplift resistance to storms,
as stated it would also be possible to use flat pads but not as good as ground is often susceptible
to settling and in storm conditions the concreted piles will hold the building down, by reacting to
uplift possibilities. An option would be to build with the frame foundation supports on the
surface, and when completed additional piles sunk and concreted for storm conditions.

Flooring materials Floor covering materials Particle board specially made and sealed for this
purpose would be favorite, or heavy duty ply 20mm, timber planking could be used. Also it
would be practical to use shuttering sheets and pour concrete, this will add weight and resistance
to uplift in very strong winds.

Roofing this I favor corrugated steel for the most and possibly plastic over the Kitchen and living
room areas as this will encourage daylight and a bright area, but will also be noisy during
rainstorms. So it may be beneficial to use galvanized corrugated sheet with plastic bubble type
insulation as this will reduce the noise from rain storms. The roof could be made from flat
galvanized sheet and fitted with Nippa very nice appearance but not the best practically. The use
of corrugated sheet means rain water harvesting can be done with the minimum of
contamination, and hence saving cost on water. A minimum roof slope of 10 degrees should be
allowed for.

Windows these I prefer to be permanent open slat louver type using sheet galvanized steel
mounted at an angle and with insect wire screens fitted inside and closable shutters for bad
weather, as this encourages a good air flow though out the building. Plus good for security when
the premises is unattended.
Exterior walls I favor corrugated steel sheet as very economic and very practical. My personal
layout is to use horizontally, starting from the bottom and away from the prevailing wind
working to it, with ample overlap, It would be recommended to use some mastic compound on
overlap joints to ensure the wind will not drive rain between. See diagram later in this manual.

The floor base are should include to ample veranda and the roof over hang needs to be approx 1
meter from the outer walls so as to protect from rain and the front porch should be approx 2 to 3
meters so as to permit sitting out on during bad weather.

General sequence of building

1 Need to secure land building plot. There are several ways as follows.

2 You need to draw up plans. And full material specs for each part of construction.

3 Prepare costing budget

4 Have plans approved as required by local regulations.

5 Prepare bill of materials

6 Source all materials

7 Source any local fabricators needed and ensure they have the requirements to meet the specs

8 Source local tradesmen and labor as required.

9 When all this is in place then you may start your construction, but remember do not leave any
thing to some one else, as they will make changes to suite themselves, you must be in 100 %
attendance. And control.

Tooling

Assembly tools are fairly basic.

 Electric drill with good steel bits

 Pop riveting tool ( hand or electric or air )
 Electric screwdriver for tech screws and countersunk screws
 Cutoff saw
 Good metal shears
 Mallet
 Hammer
 Centre pop
 Scribe for marking
 Large Square
  Tape Measure
 Spirit level.
 Locking C Clamps
 Hand seamer

Tooling required for the manufacture of the C-channels, U sections, corners etc

A bending roller machine for all the bends. This can be built to plans, simply and either electric
or hand operated. A regular folding machine wont handle the small turns.

A slicing machine this is basically a saw bench with a special fiber blade to suit the material just
like a cut off saw.

Do not unless essential vary from original finalized drawings and material specs. The following
illustrations show general construction methods.

 C section joist
 U section Track
 Corner section
 Corner section cover
 C section splice plate
 U section splice plate
 Angle plate
 Storm corner plate
 Storm brace
 Floor base support
 Joist/track assembly
 Corner assembly

Bill of quantities for the steel frame floor plan below. Does not include wall sheets, internal
fittings and furnishings, fastenings etc, only walls base and roof the base is approx 1.2 meter
wider either side and at rear and 2.4 meter at the front. The roof is to cover this area. And the
roof is single slope pitch, with a canopy over the verandah.

This so as to simply compare the difference in steel frame versus 4 x 2 timber.

1 wall 2.4 x 1.2 meter section comprises of 3 vertical joists + equal to 1 section track
The bungalow shown has 46 wall sections
There for 46 x 3 joists = 138 joists + 46 track sections at Peso 250 each = 138+46x250= P46,000
Comparing in timber
Treated P770 per 2400mm = Peso 141,680.00
Untreated P380 per 2400mm = Peso 69,920.00

Coco Lumber is very cheap but when we compared a 2400 mm long piece of 100 x 50 it was
approx 180 Peso and that was untreated, it still needed to be treated.
Note these costing could be bettered as this was based on local hardware store prices and not
bulk purchase. If the steel sheet could be purchased in 200mm wide rolls it would be a saving.

Recommended minimum slope is approx 10 degrees. Using corrugated steel sheet the corrugate
over lap should be 2 corrugations, and the length should be one full purling so that the overlap
has 2 fastenings, also some sealant needs to be used just to ensure that high winds will not push
the water up in very bad weather. See the section on roofing.
 14.4 Meters x 6 meters (86.4 SQM) floor plan.

But built on a foundation measuring 16.8 Meter X 8.4 meter giving a total square meter of 141.12
square meters plus any car portage required.

The roof area is designed to cover the overall foundation area.

Typical Floor system

 C section joists, Thee are the main item, used for wall joists, floor joists, roof purling, fences etc.

U section for top and bottom track, and also for the side tracks for the flooring frame.
Corner build-up, This shows the make up using C joists, top and bottom track, plus the internal cladding.

This shows the top bottom tracks and the C channel joists as well as the internal cladding.

This shows the C channel joist set into the track.

 Base frame support with adjusting screw jacking system.

This fits below the base frame forming the foundation support. These are adjustable, with a treaded
section fitted with a nut and the lower part is plain, so the top section may be adjusted to level the base
frame. The size needs to me tailored to suit the site level conditions, but a recommendation is 300 mm
square by 10mm thick plates top and bottom, the treaded section should be at least 25mm dia with a
HD tread, and a nut to suit. It is recommended that the height be made to ensure that at least when
adjusted there is a minimum of 30% still inside the lower tube for strength.

Shows lateral brace and window layout

Roofing

This part deals with the roofing, it is very general, and is based on using corrugated sheet steel

The roof should have at least a 10 Deg slope, there should be substantial over lap of adjacent
sheets and also subsequent rows. There should be substantial over hang at roof edges so as to
ensure run off clears the wall and into guttering. The sheet overlaps are important and the
prevailing wind direction should be taken into account.

The illustrations below are very self explanatory.

These picture refer to nailing but with steel construction, screws are the subject fasteners, it is
important to ensure you have the correct screws and are fitted with seals.
LAYING PROCEDURE
The spacing of the purling will depend on the thickness of the sheets used. As a guide,
maximum spacing of purling for 0.5mm thickness sheets is 1200mm. The purling should be
a minimum of 50mm in width in order to be easily nailed or screwed.
The laying of the sheets should commence from the eave and towards the prevailing wind.
The side laps will then be away from the wind preventing water from being forced into the
lap.

It is very important that the first sheet be laid at right angles to the eave and the ridge for
by so doing, all the rest will also be perpendicular with the ridge. The first row of sheets is
laid with a 50mm overhang beyond the facer board.

FIXING PROCEDURE
Apart from just attaching the sheets to the frame work and supporting their self weight, the
fixings have to withstand considerable wind pressures and be weather-proof and durable. In
profiled metal roofing and cladding applications, self drilling screw fixings shall be fitted
through the lower trough/pan section of the profile, or if fixing corrugated sheets or using
nail fixings, through the crest of the profile. Due to the larger expansion and contraction
rates of fiber-glass GRP and plastic sheeting, oversized fixing holes must be pre drilled in
these sheets, otherwise install screws into fiber-glass in the same manner as metal. Under
average conditions, the fixings should be placed at every second corrugation or trough on
the purling. A stretched string along the purling makes it easier to fix the sheets. Extra
fixings are needed along the verge (gable end overhang). Roofs in exposed positions require
closer fixing.
It is important not to over tighten the screw putting undue pressure onto the sheet.
SIDE LAP FASTENERS
It is generally considered good building practice to include side lap fasteners at the
overlapping joint between sheeting. In these cases the fasteners will bond the adjacent
sheeting together. Stitching screws are recommended in these instances to maintain a
weather resistant joint, however when roof and wall sheeting is installed within the
spanning guidelines, side lap fasteners are not always required.

In general, roof sheets are laid with spacing’s left available for the skylights. Each individual
fiberglass sheet is manufactured to overlap and be supported by adjacent roof or wall
cladding.

END LAPS
At all end laps a minimum of 300mm overlap shall be provided and such lap shall be
supported with a purling. All sheets, when fastened, shall have full bearing on purlins and
their ends shall extend not less than 150mm beyond the point of fastening.

At all end laps between sheeting, strip of flexible lapping tape sealant shall be placed across
the full width of the lap approximately 25mm from the end sheeting.

SEALING AT FLASHINGS ON ROOFS

Roof sheeting is not easily reshaped after manufacture and will require special weather seals
to be provided at all flashing and capping points. Typically a foam filler/closure strip
matching the profile of the sheeting should be provided to seal the corrugations or pans of
the profile under each flashing and at the eaves.

The foam closure should be bonded to the pans or valleys of the plastic sheeting with a
flexible waterproof sealant and should be continuous over the entire width of the sheeting.

Ridging and side flashings are normally available in pieces of 3m length. They should be
fitted with a 150mm overlap. Other accessories such as eaves-filler, ridge-filler pieces and
lapping tape are available
Fencing

This method can also be used for fencing etc and lot barriers etc. by planting the c section joists
in the ground at a maximum of 2.4 meters outside edge to outside edge. The joist can be cut to
desired lengths and then corrugated sheet can be used horizontal or a horizontal joists fixed and
then bamboo slices to give a pleasing fence finish.
Cladding and finishing etc

A very good but much more costly cladding method

Instead of putting the finished surface cladding on the steel frame directly. Use both inside and
out flat GI sheeting. Then fit top hat section on both the inside and outside sheets. This creates
two air gaps for added insulation this will improve thermal and sound insulation qualities. Plus
the finishing materials can be replaced easily if damaged or just plain want a change. As well as
adding to the overall strength of the building. The inner wall cavity could also be filled with
rock wool prior to fitting the second sheet of GI sheet.

This shows the general idea,

the top hat section should be
approx 10 mm flange then 30
mm deep and approx 20 wide.

The fixing Tech screws will

pass through the side flanges,
or blind rivets could be used,
but need to be sealed after.

The finishing material is then

fixed to the raised top hat
section, the depth of which
should
Similar could also be done with the roof making the complete roof from flat sheet and sealing it
totally, then attach top hat section going with the slope from ridge to gutter. This can be fitted
with corrugated sheet steel, or fancy finish. And if these sheet are not completely sealed top and
bottom will serve as a solar canopy keeping the inside cooler by natural air circulation. Plus
making the inner roof sheets easier to totally seal and coat with sealants after fully installed with
top hat sections. With double roll over’s on the ridge and folded down and fixed and sealed at the
gutter ends a much more water tight and stronger construction.

Using corrugated roof sheet will enable effective rain water harvesting. And plastic pipes can be
installed under the top sheets for solar water heating.

Or should a native style be required split

and overlapping bamboo could be used,
this also will aid rain water harvesting.

Where the sheets meet at the apex of the

ridge there should be a short fall so as to
leave space for good air flow. This
should be covered by a raised ridge cover to minimize the ingress of rain.

Inside wiring can be placed in the air gap created by the top hat section, so hiding wiring and
small water piping etc.

Interior finish could be almost any thing from plywood, cement board, to amacan panels.

Exterior finish could well be corrugated sheet fixed horizontal, to fancy patterned sheet. Or split
bamboo, Nipa panels hung on.

Nipa panel these are hung similar to tiles

starting at the bottom and working up. So
overlapping. General use would be on roof
or exterior walls.
This is woven bamboo or amacan panels Or sheets
and generally used for interior walls and ceilings

Gutters

This is something that is not given enough thought. Often when fitted are totally in adequate.

Generally are to small to physically handle the amount of potential rain fall. The outlets need to
be of such a size they cannot easily be blocked with leaves and debris. And in adequate runs
without thought of low and high spots.

It would be recommended to make gutters about 300 mm wide and deep. Hang these of the walls
and blow the roof levels. So as should they over flow there is no chance of it getting inside the
roof or building. Outlet down pipes should be about 150 mm dia allowing most leaves and debris
to pass easily, ensure that the gutters have a run to the outlets causing positive flows.

Also it would be a good precaution to cover the top of the gutter with a removable mesh screen
about 20 square welded mesh so as to hold back any large debris.

Bamboo gutter.

There is a disadvantage with bamboo gutter and that is size and the fact they are not perfectly flat
and will need regular attention in cleaning etc.
Regular GI Steel gutter could well be hidden from view by hanging nipa on the outer top lip.
GI corrugated steel and split bamboo for roof are very rain water harvesting as the water is
relatively clean and will only need minimal treatment, where as using nipa or straw/cogon will
over time get very dirty and pollute the water collected hence needing a lot more treatment. And
will need to be replaced often every 2 to 5 years. But treated bamboo could last up to 20 years.

Protection

It must be born in mind that the use of any timber or vegetable materials need to be suitably
treated before use so as to get rid of any unwanted insects bugs etc and also to preserve the
material from decay, so increasing useful life.

Such as soaking bamboo and coco lumber in the sea for a few weeks, drying then soaking with
insecticide and then varnishing overall.

Nipa and cogon need to treated with insecticides and then varnished.

Typical cogon grass roof

There is an alternative using this mode of construction, and that would be to use a high density
Expanded Polystyrene sheet in fill between all vertical C channel joists and to use a U channel
instead. And then totally clad the exterior with flat GI sheet as protection from rodents and
insects.

This would increase costs but make for exceptionally strong structure with top insulation
properties both thermal and noise.

Both walls inside, outside and roof could done this way.
Modern materials are self extinguishing and if constructed correctly pose no additional fire risk

Top hat section can still be put on the exterior walls to hang native materials for aesthetic
purposes and also on the roof to fit corrugated materials for rain water harvest, and also to
protect pipes under for solar hot water generation.