🔹 Introduction
After understanding purlins (roof) and bracing (stability), the next key element is:
👉 Girts = horizontal wall members that support wall cladding and transfer loads to columns
They are the wall equivalent of purlins, playing a crucial role in both structural stability and exterior finish.
🔹 What Are Girts?
Girts are horizontal structural members fixed between columns along the wall height.
They:
- Support wall panels / cladding
- Transfer wind loads to columns
- Provide lateral support to columns
🔹 Types of Girts Used in German Hangars
1. 🔶 Z-Girts (Most Efficient)
Technical Features:
- Z-shaped cold-formed section
- Can overlap at supports
Advantages:
✔ Better load distribution
✔ Continuous span capability
✔ Material-efficient
2. 🟦 C-Girts
Technical Features:
- C-shaped section
- Simple and easy to fabricate
Trade-off:
- Less efficient than Z-girts
- Used in smaller or low-load structures
3. 📦 Angle / Built-Up Girts
Technical Features:
- Made from angles or fabricated sections
- Used in heavy-duty or custom designs
🔹 Load Transfer Mechanism
Designed according to
Eurocode EN 1991
Load Flow:
Wall Cladding → Girts → Columns → Foundation
🔹 Structural Role of Girts
1. Wind Load Resistance 🌬️
- Main function
- Transfers lateral wind pressure to columns
2. Column Stability
- Prevents column buckling
- Acts as lateral support
3. Cladding Support
- Holds wall panels firmly
- Maintains alignment
🔹 Spacing & Layout
Typical Spacing:
- 1.5m – 3m (depends on panel type & wind load)
Installation:
- Fixed horizontally between columns
- Connected using bolts or clips
🔹 Connection Details
🔩 Girt-to-Column Connection
- Cleat angles or brackets
- Bolted connections
- Designed for shear + wind uplift
🔹 Additional Components
🧵 Sag Rods / Bridging
- Connect girts
- Prevent bending/twisting
🧱 Wall Cladding Types
- Sandwich panels
- Metal sheets
- Insulated panels
🔹 Design Considerations
1. Wind Pressure (Critical)
- Especially important in open/industrial zones
- Pune outskirts may experience high wind exposure
2. Deflection Control
- Excess deflection → panel damage
- Proper spacing & section selection required
3. Corrosion Protection
- Galvanized steel
- Coatings for durability
🔹 Common Failures (If Poorly Designed)
- Wall panel deformation
- Girt bending or buckling
- Connection failure
- Corrosion damage
🔹 Why German Girt Systems Are Superior
✔ Optimized cold-formed sections
✔ Efficient overlapping systems
✔ Precision installation
✔ Designed under Eurocode EN 1991
🔹 Final Insight
Girts may seem like simple wall members, but they are:
👉 Essential for transferring wind loads and maintaining wall integrity
In German hangars:
- Walls are not just coverings
- They are part of a fully engineered system
Book Event Infrastructure with Siraj Decorators
Siraj Decorators supplies German hanger on rent in Mumbai and across Maharashtra and Gujarat, along with pagoda tents, wooden flooring and stage platforms. Contact us for a free quotation.
Related reading: What is a German hanger? · German hanger technical specifications · German hanger installation process · German hanger rental cost in Mumbai.