Replacement of carpentry
Introduction
Balloon Frame is a lightweight wooden structural system characteristic of the United States. It is a system composed of a combination of light structure (structural skeleton) and surface elements (plates) that make up the building envelope. The system consists of replacing the traditional wooden beams and columns of considerable section with a structural skeleton of a greater number of elements of smaller section. A system of Panels is used to assemble the skeleton of the building, which reduces construction times considerably. This construction system stands out for the use of braces and 2x5-inch wooden boards joined by nails. The exterior panels have the total height of the building, so the difficulty arises in finding pieces with lengths of approximately 6 m. Given this problem, the Platform Frame" system arises, which modifies the assembly sequence since it is executed level by level, allowing the use of shorter elements (2.60 m to 3 m) and a smaller section by using 2x4 inch braces.
With this construction system and its current evolution - the Platform Frame" - the vast majority of homes are built in the United States of America and Canada.
Origin
This construction typology emerged in the United States during the 19th century, as an adaptation of European wooden homes to the means available at that time, characterized by the abundance of wood and the scarcity of carpenters and qualified labor.[1].
By lightening the pieces of the structure (2x5 inch slats), it was possible to replace the carpentry joints, which were excessively complicated to make for unqualified personnel, and instead use simple nails.
The system emerged at this time and in North America due to the growing demand for homes and buildings that are built quickly. Given this, European immigrants implemented their constructive logic and making use of the advances of the Industrial Revolution with the contribution of the nail "Nail (object)") as an industrialized element, they managed to create the lightweight framework system Balloon Frame.
Although the transition between the traditional European structure and the Balloon Frame concept occurred gradually over more than a century,[2] its development is attributed to the city of Chicago, and specifically to Augustine Taylor") and George Washington Snow"), around 1832.[1].