TRADITIONAL LIGHTWEIGHT FRAME: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SIMPLICITY
It is a building system which, contrary to what many people think, is not based on prefabrication but on great attention to detail and to the most varied architectural requirements.
The frame is usually made of solid timber, finger-jointed timber, I-joist, OSB or plywood, among other timber materials. Traditional lightweight frame expressions are the Platform frame, Balloon frame, Semi-balloon and Truss-framed.
The simple and fast construction with these systems has allowed this type of structures to spread throughout the Anglo-Saxon world since the time of the Conquest of the West, starting from the mid-nineteenth century, now occupying almost all residential building projects in these markets.
Specifically, the platform framing method is the most widespread, with individual stories being built on top of each other. The Baloon Frame and Semi-Balloon Frame methods instead consist of the construction of two storeys at a time, using nailing and unskilled labour, while the Truss Frame technique involves the construction of a truss with hinged joints.
These are traditional systems, simple, proven in their effectiveness and cost-effective, and as such are still widely used in many areas of the world.