Cees and Zees – Red Iron Framing

Metal roofing materials aren’t all that we do here at Pioneer Metals. Did you know we also provide red iron framing and other metal building products? Named for their shape, our red iron secondary framing comes in both cees and zees. They are shaped on a bending press to create a web with two flanges. Cees and zees come in various sizes, sometimes up to 30 plus feet, and are the perfect support for both frame structures and walls. 

Why Cees and Zees Matter for Your Structure

Red iron or “structure steel” is on the most used steel type of framing for buildings around the globe. Red iron provides incredible strength and durability, making it ideal for longevity. This metal is also rust, fire and termite resistant. Our structural cees and zees are the “secondary structurals”, and are a critical component of many metal buildings, creating a structure within a structure, much like cross-beams in a wooden building. The purpose of purlins, or cees and zees, is to distribute loads from the metal building’s surfaces to the main framing and the foundation. Secondary framing can add longitudinal support that assists in resisting strong winds and earthquakes. Additionally, it can provide lateral bracing for compression flanges that are part of the primary framing, which increases overall frame capacity.

Cees and Zees: How Do They Work

 Cees and zees, provide additional support for the roof. These components create a horizontal “diaphragm” that supports the weight of your metal building’s roof deck.Cees and zees, or more commonly known as purlins, also help make your entire roof structure more firm. They add mid-span support which allows for longer spans, enabling you to create a wider building. Another type of secondary framing is “eave struts”. Also called eave girts or eave purlins, these are essentially a combination of the two. These components are used where sidewalls intersect with the roof, using a top flange that helps support the roof and a “web” that assists in supporting the walls. Purlins and eave struts are typically made of cold-formed steel. 

While it is more affordable and easier to work with, it also presents some structural stability problems that must be considered as part of your building framing options and overall design. Local, distortional buckling, or lateral displacement, in particular, can occur in portions of the compression flange, web or connectors can buckle or shift from their initial position.

Red iron is pressed at over 1700 degrees fahrenheit, which makes this metal a lot easier to work with when it’s hot, because it is more pliable, since hot rolled steel is cooled after processing, there is less control over its final shaping, making it less suitable for precision applications. Hot rolled steel is often used in applications when minutely specific dimensions are not crucial. Perfect examples of hot rolled steel – railroads and construction projects.

Contact Pioneer Metals Today To Learn More About Our Cees and Zees

Exactly how many and what size secondary elements your metal building may require will ultimately depend on your building’s dimensions, primary framing system and how you plan to utilize the building as well as other factors. Contact us today to learn more how we can make your building more structurally sound from top to bottom with our cees and zees red iron frame options. Our  turnaround time makes us not only one of the fastest, but also one of the most precise metal fabricators in the Southeast. Our knowledgeable staff is available to answer any questions you may have and we can provide our clients with the contractor or subcontractor that is perfect for the job! Contact us online or by phone (770-504-8688) to get started today.