APRIL 04, 2007 -- ALGERIA -- FrameMax, a San Diego-based turnkey steel framing company, has been awarded one of the world's largest light gauge steel contracts for a project totaling four million square feet and requiring 13,000 tons of material. The project, commissioned by the Algerian Ministry of Defense, includes 150 multi-family units as well as administration buildings.

Construction is slated to begin in mid April, and the project is expected to be completed within 18 months. The Algerian government is rebuilding its infrastructure, following a 2003 earthquake that killed more than 2,000 of its people, injured 8,500, and left more than 150,000 homeless.

FrameMax will use its automated steel framing process, which, as reported by MHN in February, works like this: When building codes and seismic conditions are entered into the FrameMax application, the software analyzes the building and creates a 3D model for its walls, floor joints and roof trusses. FrameMax's prefabricated frames, roll-formed from raw material steel coils, are delivered to the job site ready to assemble with layout plans. Construction time is reduced, and according to Phil Ellis, president and CEO of FrameMax, any developer can master installation, even those who aren't trained in steel framing. The consistent modular panels are riveted or screwed together using pre-punched holes, eliminating waste that is often produced during the construction process.

In order to meet the building deadlines and ovoid overseas shipping, FrameMax will oversee fabrication being completed in Algeria throughout the project. During the first phase of construction, the company will supply framing for 150 five-story housing buildings, each building totaling 16,000 square feet. In addition, 45 two-story, 14,000-sq.-ft. administration buildings will be built on 88 sites throughout the country.

Ellis said that this project represents a significant step in Algeria’s approach to the structural engineering of mid-rise buildings. “Algeria is leading a worldwide trend, switching from other materials such as concrete and wood, for better performance under extreme seismic conditions,” he said. “FrameMax is able to provide a cost-effective solution that provides safer housing throughout the country.”

FrameMax’s engineering meets the country’s new building codes that resemble the UBC 9 Code used in the U.S., but with stricter limitations. Bullet- and blast-resistant exterior wall proofing are also required for the project. In addition to this undertaking, FrameMax has also been contracted to supply an additional 12 million square feet of light-gauge steel framing to the country for other construction efforts.