metal u track and c stud products

Metal stud framing uses two primary components: C-shaped studs and U-shaped track. The stud is the vertical member that runs between floor and ceiling. The track is the channel fixed to the floor and ceiling into which the studs locate. Everything else in a metal stud partition – noggins, resilient bars, board, fixings – builds on top of this basic two-component frame. For contractors new to drylining, or for those ordering materials for the first time without a drylining background, understanding what each part does and how they connect is the starting point for getting an order right.

The C Stud

The C stud gets its name from its cross-sectional shape. Looking at the end of a stud, you see a back web – the flat face – with two flanges folded forward at 90 degrees, and short return lips at the end of each flange folding back inward. This profile gives the stud its structural rigidity while keeping the steel section light and the overall weight of the partition low.

The web width is what determines the stud size designation. A 70mm stud has a 70mm web. The flanges on a standard stud are typically 50mm deep, and the return lips are around 10mm. These flange and lip dimensions are consistent across most standard UK stud products, which means studs from different manufacturers in the same web width are generally interchangeable for standard partition applications.

Studs are manufactured from cold-rolled steel, typically at 0.5mm or 0.6mm gauge for standard partitions. Heavier gauge options – 0.7mm, 0.9mm, and above – are available where additional stiffness is needed for tall partitions or where the partition will carry significant imposed loads such as wall-mounted cabinetry or heavy sanitary ware.

The open face of the C section faces into the partition cavity. Plasterboard is fixed to the flanges on each side, and services – electrical conduit, pipe runs – are threaded through the open cavity between stud faces. Knockout holes are pre-punched in the stud web at regular intervals on most standard products to allow services to pass through the frame horizontally without cutting.

The U Track

U track is the perimeter channel that forms the floor and ceiling plates of the partition frame. Its cross-section is a simple U shape – a flat base with two upstanding flanges – sized to accept the C stud with a small amount of clearance. A 70mm stud locates into 70mm track, with the stud flanges sitting just inside the track flanges.

Track is fixed to the structural floor and ceiling using the appropriate fixing for the substrate – powder-actuated pins into concrete, masonry screws into blockwork, or wood screws into timber. Fixing centres are typically 600mm, with fixings no more than 50mm from each end of a track length to prevent the ends lifting or deflecting.

Unlike the stud, the track flanges are not lipped. The open top of the U shape allows the stud to locate in and, where a deflection head detail is used, to slide vertically within the track channel. This is the key functional difference between floor track and ceiling track in most commercial applications – the floor track stud connection is fixed, while the ceiling track connection is left free to allow structural movement.

Track is typically available in the same length increments as stud – 3000mm and 3600mm are the most common stock lengths. For floor and ceiling runs, calculate the total linear metres required and order accordingly, adding lengths for any internal corners or junctions where track needs to be cut and mitre-fitted.

How They Fit Together

The assembly sequence for a standard metal stud partition is consistent across most applications. Floor track goes down first, fixed to the structural floor at the partition line. Ceiling track goes up, fixed to the soffit directly above. The two tracks need to be plumb to each other – a laser level or plumb bob is the standard way to transfer the floor line up to the ceiling.

Studs are then cut to length – the clear height between floor and ceiling track, minus the combined depth of the two track bases – and located into the floor track first, then tilted upright into the ceiling track. The stud is not fixed into the ceiling track on most commercial applications (deflection head detail). At the floor, the stud is fixed through the track flange into the stud flange using a wafer head screw or a crimping tool that locks the two components together mechanically.

End studs at the partition terminations – where the partition meets a wall or return – are fixed back to the adjacent structure using the appropriate fixing. This provides lateral restraint at the ends of the partition and stabilises the frame before boarding begins.

Studs at door openings require additional treatment. The opening needs a doubled stud at each jamb to carry the door lining, and a horizontal head member above the opening formed from track or stud material cut to width. The stud above the opening head runs from the head member up to the ceiling track in the normal way.

Noggins: The Third Component

Noggins are not always listed as a primary component but they’re part of most real partition frames. A noggin is simply a short horizontal piece cut from stud material and fixed between two vertical studs to provide lateral bracing or a fixing point for wall-mounted items.

On standard height domestic partitions, noggins are positioned at specific heights where fixings are anticipated – typically 900-1000mm for worktops, 1200mm for mid-height sanitary ware, and at whatever height a TV bracket or shelving system needs. On taller commercial partitions, a continuous noggin row at mid-height is often added to improve lateral stiffness across the full run of the partition.

Noggins are cut from the same stud section as the vertical members and are either friction-fitted into the cavity between studs or fixed through the stud flanges using drywall screws from each side. The friction-fit method is faster but less reliable on taller partitions where the noggin needs to provide genuine structural restraint.

What to Order for a Standard Partition

For a contractor ordering materials for a straightforward metal stud partition for the first time, the component list is:

Floor track and ceiling track in the appropriate stud width, ordered by linear metre run. Studs in the appropriate width and length, ordered by count based on 600mm centres plus end studs and door jamb doubles. Stud material for noggins, which can usually be cut from surplus stud lengths rather than ordered separately. Wafer head screws or a crimping tool for stud-to-track connections. Drywall screws in the correct length for the board thickness being used.

Beyond the frame itself, a standard acoustic partition also needs mineral wool for the cavity, acoustic sealant for perimeter joints, and plasterboard for both faces. None of these are part of the metal frame order but all need to be on the materials list before work starts.

The full metal stud and track range is available at Online Insulation across all standard stud widths and track sizes. For projects requiring acoustic decoupling beyond what standard stud framing provides, the resilient bars range covers the additional components. The MF ceiling system range covers suspended ceiling work, and the wall lining system range is available for metal frame lining applications against masonry. For a full overview of the drylining range, visit Online Insulation.