Steel channels are commonly used to construct walls for garages, warehouses, and other metal structures, where it is employed similarly to studs. The studs run vertically from the bottom to the top plate of the wall. The studs bear the building's vertical load. When compared to wood studs, a steel channel can hold significantly more weight and is much stiffer, although the weight difference between wood studs and steel channels is insignificant. On the other hand, steel channels are more difficult to install than nailing.
Steel channel can be used to build the walls of pole barns, where it is run horizontally from pole to pole to give an attachment point for the outside siding, which is often sheet metal. It can also be used to support drywall, or other internal wall finishes on the interior. The distance between the poles can be increased without affecting the wall's stability by employing steel channels instead of wood slats or other items. Wood can readily warp or twist over longer lengths, causing the finished wall to seem wavy or uneven and lowering its rigidity and load-bearing ability.
Steel channels can be used as rafters on light-duty roofs, running from the eaves to the ridge and providing support for the roof deck. Steel channel, rather than wood rafters, allows smaller and lighter rafters to sustain the same weight. Steel channel is stronger, lasts longer than wood, and is resistant to rot, fungal decay, and moisture. I-beams are commonly used as rafters and ridges on heavy-duty roofs, and a steel channel is installed perpendicularly on top of the rafters every few feet from the ridge down to the eave. The steel channel bridges the spaces between the rafters, allowing them to be spaced further apart, and also serves as an attachment point for the steel deck.
