Steel building frame system

Abstract

A frame assembly for a wide span steel building is disclosed. The assembly employs columns and rafters formed from two pieces of webbed channel stock that are joined together at their webs. A pre-drilled haunch plate connects the column and rafter. A brace formed from two lengths of channel stock joined together at their webs extends at an angle between the columns and rafters and each respective end of the brace is connected to the respective column and rafter via a brace plate. The brace provides increased strength in the frame assembly and enables the construction of wide span steel building from channel stock.

1 . A steel frame building, comprising:
 a plurality of generally vertical C-channel columns;   at least one roof peak element comprising C-channel rafter elements joined at a first end of each rafter element to form an oblique angle;   a haunch plate joining a second end of each of the rafter elements to the upper portion of a respective one of said plurality of columns;   a C-channel brace connected between an upper half of each of said vertical columns and a portion of each of the rafter elements that is proximate to the haunch plate;   two end wall frames located at opposite ends of said building and on opposite sides of said columns;   a roof comprising steel roof panels connecting the roof peak element and the end wall frames;   side walls comprising steel wall panels connecting each column and the end wall frames; and   front and rear end walls at opposite ends of said building comprising steel wall panels provided on the two end wall frames.   
   
   
       2 . The steel frame building according to  claim 1 , wherein the oblique angle is between 143 and 175 degrees. 
   
   
       3 . The steel frame building according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a brace plate joining each end of each brace to each column and rafter element, respectively.   
   
   
       4 . The steel frame building according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a peak plate connecting the first ends of the two rafter elements that comprise the roof peak element.   
   
   
       5 . The steel frame building according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of girts extending between each column and the two end wall frames and joining each column and the steel wall panels; and   a plurality of purlins extending between the roof peak element and the end wall frames and joining the steel roof panels and the roof peak element.   
   
   
       6 . The steel frame building according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a plurality of flange stabilizers extending between the columns and girts, and the rafters elements and purlins.   
   
   
       7 . The steel frame building according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the columns, rafter elements, and brace comprise two C-channel members each having a web and the webs of the two C-channel members are joined together. 
   
   
       8 . The steel frame building according to  claim 7 , wherein the haunch plate is disposed between the webs of the two C-channel members of each column and the two C-channel members of each rafter element. 
   
   
       9 . The steel frame building according to  claim 8 , wherein the haunch plate includes a first portion that is narrower than the width of the column, and a flange extending from the first portion, the flange being disposed along a side of the column when the first portion of the haunch plate is disposed between the webs of the two C-channel members of each column. 
   
   
       10 . The steel frame building according to  claim 9 , wherein the building has a span of between twenty-five and fifty feet. 
   
   
       11 . The steel building according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 brace plates joining each end of each brace to each column and rafter, respectively;   one of the brace plates being disposed between the webs of the two C-channel members of the column and the webs of the two C-channel members of the brace, and another one of the brace plates being disposed between the webs of the two C-channel members of the rafter element and the webs of the two C-channel members of the brace; and   a peak plate joining together the first end of each rafter element, and located between the webs of the two C-channel members of each rafter element.   
   
   
       12 . The steel frame building according to  claim 11 , wherein the haunch plate is predrilled with a pre-determined hole pattern. 
   
   
       13 . The steel frame building according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 reinforcing column nesting elements, each reinforcing column nesting element being joined to the web of one of the two C-channel members of each column such that the webs of the two C-channel members of each column are disposed between the reinforcing column nesting elements; and   reinforcing rafter nesting elements, each reinforcing rafter nesting element being joined to the web of one of the two C-channel members of each rafter such that the webs of the two C-channel members of each rafter are disposed between the reinforcing rafter nesting elements.   
   
   
       14 . A metal construction frame for a wide span metal building, comprising:
 a first generally vertical C-channel column connected at one end to a first haunch plate;   a first C-channel rafter element connected at one end to the first haunch plate at an oblique angle to the horizontal;   a first C-channel brace connected between an upper half of the first column and a portion of the first rafter element that is proximate to the first haunch plate;   a second generally vertical C-channel column connected at one end to a second haunch plate;   a second C-channel rafter element connected at one end to the second haunch plate at the same oblique angle to the horizontal as the first rafter element;   a second C-channel brace connected between an upper half of the second column and a position on the second rafter element that is proximate to the second haunch plate;   a peak plate connecting, at an obtuse angle, the first and second rafter elements at an end of each rafter element that is opposite the end connected to the haunch plates.   
   
   
       15 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 14 , wherein the obtuse angle is between 143 and 175 degrees. 
   
   
       16 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 14 , wherein the first and second braces are connected to the first and second columns at an acute angle. 
   
   
       17 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 16 , wherein the acute angle is equal to ½(90°−arctan(the oblique angle to the horizontal)). 
   
   
       18 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a first brace plate at an end of each of the first and second braces connecting the end of each of the braces to the column; and   a second brace plate at an opposite end of each of the first and second braces connecting the opposite end of each of the braces to the rafter element.   
   
   
       19 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 18 , wherein the first and second columns, first and second rafter elements, and first and second braces each comprise two C-channel members each having a web, wherein the webs of the two C-channel members are joined. 
   
   
       20 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 19 , wherein each haunch plate is disposed between the webs of the two C-channel members of the column and rafter element joined together by such haunch plate, each first brace plate is disposed between the webs of the two C-channel members of the column and brace joined together by such first brace plate, each second brace plate is disposed between the webs of the two C-channel members of the rafter element and brace joined together by such second brace plate, and the peak plate is disposed between the webs of the two C-channel members of the rafter elements joined together by such peak plate. 
   
   
       21 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 19 , wherein the columns and rafter elements are formed of 16 to 10 gauge steel. 
   
   
       22 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 19 , wherein each haunch plate contains two patterns of pre-drilled holes that pass through the haunch plate, one of said hole patterns arrayed at an acute angle to the other of said hole patterns. 
   
   
       23 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 19  comprising A653 steel. 
   
   
       24 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 19 , comprising 10 gauge steel. 
   
   
       25 . The metal construction frame according to  claim 19 , wherein the first and second columns each comprise two reinforcing column nesting elements, each reinforcing column nesting element being joined to the web of one of the two C-channel members of each column such that the webs of the two C-channel members of each column are disposed between the reinforcing column nesting elements, and
 wherein the first and second rafters elements each comprise two reinforcing rafter nesting elements, each reinforcing rafter nesting element being joined to the web of one of the two C-channel members of each rafter such that the webs of the two C-channel members of each rafter are disposed between the reinforcing rafter nesting elements.   
   
   
       26 . A brace plate for connecting a structural member and a brace that extends at an angle with respect to the structural member, wherein the structural member and the brace each comprise a length of formed metal C-channel stock having a web and two flanges and the structural member is a member selected from the group consisting of a column and a rafter, the brace plate comprising:
 a plate element having first and second portions;   the first portion of the plate element having a first set of mounting holes and being adapted to be attached to the web of the structural member;   the second portion of the plate element having a second set of mounting holes and being adapted to be attached to the web of the brace, the second portion having an angled edge that extends at an angle complimentary to the angle at which the brace extends; and   a flange that extends at a angle from the angled edge of the second portion of the plate element, wherein the flange of the plate element is adapted to align with a flange of the brace.   
   
   
       27 . The brace plate according to  claim 26 , wherein the angle at which the flange of the plate element extends is a right angle.