Eave Struts and Base Angles for Metal Buildings

Eave struts and base angles are small members with important jobs at the top and bottom of the wall. The eave strut runs along the building at the junction of roof and sidewall. It supports the last edge of the roof sheeting, the top of the wall sheeting and often the gutter, and it acts as a longitudinal strut that carries bracing forces between frames.

Eave struts are usually cold-formed sections with flanges angled to match the roof slope, so that both roof and wall sheeting can be fastened to them cleanly. Their size and thickness are selected by the project engineer for the span between frames and the forces they carry.

Base angles, or base members, are fixed along the top of the slab or foundation wall. They provide a straight, level line for fastening the bottom of the wall sheeting and help keep water and pests out at the base. They are commonly fixed with expansion or chemical anchors, set out to suit the wall line and openings.

Both members influence weathertightness and appearance. A straight eave strut gives a clean eave line and good gutter alignment, while an accurately set base angle keeps wall sheeting plumb and allows closures and sealants to work properly.

World Steel supplies eave struts and base angles with the secondary framing package, pre-punched and marked to match the drawings. Coatings are chosen to suit the wall and roof systems and the site environment.

When specifying these items, confirm the roof slope, wall and roof systems, gutter type, bracing arrangement and slab edge details. These inputs allow the eave strut and base member profiles to be selected correctly and shown on the drawings for the erection crew.