How to Connect a Metal Building to a Concrete Slab

Homeowners often install metal structures as sheds, garages or other nonresidential structures around their property. Such a building’s walls often consist of flat or corrugated metal panels that attach to a foundation using metal studs rather than traditional wood studs. Since most metal buildings require a concrete slab foundation for durability, the studs attach directly to the concrete. Securing the studs to the slab requires that you insert special heavy-duty concrete anchors into it. This tutorial assumes the concrete slab is already in place.

Tape measure
Chalk line
Steel track
Marker
Work gloves
Aviation metal snips
Silicone caulk
Caulk gun
Hammer drill
Carbide-tipped masonry bit
Safety glasses
Ear protection
1.25-incginch hex-head concrete screws
Power drill
C-clamp
1/2-inch drill bit
1/2-inch No. 8 pan-head screw

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the floor area where you will install the first wall using a tape measure. Take careful measurements for only the length of the wall itself. Stretch a chalk line over the location and snap it against the floor to draw the installation line.
- 2
  Lay a metal track on a work table and measure the same length as the wall measurement. Mark the track using a black marker. Since the track has a U shape, ensure that you mark all three sides to ensure even cutting.
- 3
  Don a pair of work gloves and cut through the marker line using aviation metal snips, which work just like bolt cutters.
- 4
  Insert a tube of silicone caulk into a caulk gun. Cut off 1/4 inch of the tip using the snips, and pierce the inner foil with a sharp object. Squeeze a 1/4-inch layer of caulk along the entire strip of the wall location of the slab. Lay the metal track on the caulk with the cupped portion facing up, and press it down firmly.
- 5
  Insert a carbide-tipped masonry bit into a hammer drill, and don safety glasses and ear protection. Create 1.25-inch-deep holes along the inside of the track, spacing them 3 feet apart.
- 6
  Insert 1.25-inch hex-head concrete screws into each hole using a power drill.
- 7
  Install tracks on the concrete slab for each of the three remaining walls, overlapping the corners so they form a perfect square. To overlap the track corners, lay the top track on the bottom track and snip away the raised portion of the bottom track using the aviation snips until the top portion falls into it.
- 8
  Place the metal building on top of the concrete slab, aligning the bottom edges inside the steel track on the floor. Walk around the interior of the building and locate the vertical metal studs. Open a C-clamp and place the jaws around the outside of the metal track and one of the vertical studs. Close the clamp to hold them tightly together.
- 9
  Drill a 1/2-inch-diameter hole through the outside of the track using the drill. Then insert a 1/2-inch No. 8 pan-head screw into the screw hole until it's tight. Remove the clamp from the stud and track.
- 10
  Repeat the process to install additional screws at the location of each remaining wall stud, which is approximately every 16 to 24 inches.

The Best Resurfacing on a Flat Roof That Pools

How to Install & Finish Wooden Stair Treads With Exposed Ends

Building Materials & Supplies