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From Sweden, a Hybrid Stud Design that Speeds Wall Construction

…and has a lower carbon footprint

By Rain Noe - March 6

in Materials

In construction, load-bearing walls need beefy components in order to provide structure. However, for non-load-bearing walls, corners can be cut, as that wall's only job is to hold itself up. In order to reap economic benefits, builders will frequently use steel studs to build non-load-bearing walls. These are lighter, can be cut with snips rather than a miter saw, and are faster to install.

Swedish manufacturer Gyproc finds just one problem with steel studs: Their carbon footprint. They've thus developed an alternative product called the Hybrid Stud. This consists of two sort of mini-studs connected by a metal bracket.

The units ship flat.

On-site, the builder folds the two pieces of wood towards each other, causing the bracket to bend.

The entire assembly is then essentially a lightweight stud.

The carbon savings of a Hybrid Stud over a steel one are an 81% reduction.

As far as a cost savings, the math isn't straightforward: These cost roughly double what a steel stud does--but install in about half the time and using 33% less fasteners. That's because with steel studs, drywall must be fastened with screws, in order to penetrate the metal. With Hybrid Studs, however, a staplegun can be used. That's far faster than using a driver.

If you want to see them in action:

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Ryan Cee

a month ago

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I don't know what contractor told you you can use staples to put up drywall, but you should probably not let them build anything in your house. And while interior non-loadbearing walls don't need to be as robust they still need to be more sturdy than a room divider.

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Grant Riley

a month ago

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Is cutting down trees really better? mass-timber-wood-construction-climate-change

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Alan Nomoto

a month ago

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Most of the images look like 6" o.c. spacing.>?<...

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