Steel framing and ceiling systems are rarely the most discussed elements of a commercial fit-out. They sit behind the finishes, inside the ceiling void, underneath the plasterboard. But they are also what determines whether a partition reaches its fire rating, whether a ceiling holds under services loads, whether a high wall stays straight over time, and whether the installation goes in without complications on site.
Studco Building Systems is the dominant local manufacturer in this space. Australian-made, with product ranges covering everything from standard stud-and-track framing through to acoustic isolation systems, shaft wall assemblies, cladding supports, and architectural finishing products, the brand offers a genuinely complete portfolio for commercial construction. Their steel framing is manufactured with approximately 60–70% recycled content, supporting Green Star documentation and lifecycle assessment reporting where those are required.
Ceilings by Design stocks an extensive Studco product range across our Queensland and New South Wales locations. We work with builders, contractors, and specifiers at the design stage to confirm product selection, identify the right tested assemblies, and make sure the right components are on order before they are needed on site. If you are working through a Studco specification now or want to get us involved early, that is exactly what we are set up for.
Studco stud and track steel wall framing
The stud-and-track system is the foundation of commercial partition construction. Studco’s steel studs are available in 64mm, 76mm, 92mm, and 150mm depths, with base metal thickness (BMT) options of 0.55mm, 0.75mm, and 1.15mm. The right combination of depth and gauge is determined by wall height, fixing centres, and load requirements.
For standard office partitions up to around 3.0 metres, 64mm studs in 0.55mm BMT are the typical specification. As wall heights increase, moving to 92mm or 150mm studs in 0.75mm or 1.15mm BMT provides the additional stiffness required. The 150mm range at 1.15mm BMT is suited to high-wall commercial applications, warehouse fit outs, and tall corridor walls.
Resilwall Acoustic Stud is a dedicated acoustic framing product engineered to reduce flanking transmission through the stud web. Rather than relying solely on double or staggered configurations to break the acoustic path, the Resilwall stud introduces resilience directly into the stud profile. It is specified in acoustically sensitive wall assemblies, particularly in healthcare, education, and corporate environments where Rw performance must be achieved within a constrained wall footprint.
RapidTrack Slotted Deflection Track simplifies installation of non-load-bearing partitions in multi-storey buildings by allowing vertical movement at the head of the partition without transferring structural load to the framing. The slotted track head allows the stud to move within the track as the slab deflects, protecting the lining from cracking over time. It is available in standard and heavy-duty configurations.
Vortex Segmented Rebate Track is part of the Vortex High Performance Framing System, designed for applications requiring enhanced acoustic and structural performance. The segmented rebate track reduces direct contact between the framing and the substrate, minimising acoustic flanking at the base of the partition.
EzyTrack Curved Wall Track is a pre-segmented track product that eliminates the need for on-site notching when forming curved partition runs. It bends cleanly to a radius and is used in reception areas, curved corridor walls, and any application where the partition follows a non-linear plan.
HEDA Jamb Stud is part of the HEDA Tough Wall System, a heavy-duty framing solution for high-impact environments such as hospitals, aged care facilities, and detention centres. The HEDA jamb stud works with the HEDA connector system to create a robust framing assembly at door openings and partition intersections where standard framing lacks the durability required.
Track accessories, including standard bottom track, deflection head track, noggings, and nogging track, complete the stud-and-track system and are specified alongside the stud profile to form a complete framing assembly.
Studco battened wall systems
Battened walls use furring channels or dedicated wall battens fixed to an existing substrate, rather than freestanding stud framing. Studco’s battened wall range covers standard and acoustic applications.
SlimWall Battened Wall System is a compact battened wall solution designed to minimise the loss of floor area when acoustic treatment or a new finished surface is required against an existing wall. The SlimWall channel and bracket system creates a shallow airspace between the new lining and the existing substrate, which contributes to low-frequency acoustic performance. It is used in apartment refurbishments, hotel rooms, and other settings where wall thickness is critical.
Resilient Channel is a spring-steel section that isolates a lining from the framing behind it, reducing the transmission of impact and airborne sound. It is a standard acoustic specification tool in wall and ceiling assemblies targeting higher Rw ratings. Studco’s resilient channel is available in standard profiles and works within their tested assembly documentation.
Acoustic Mounts for Battened Walls provide rubber-isolated fixing points between the lining and the framing substrate. They are used where resilient channel alone does not achieve the required isolation, or where the acoustic consultant has specified a point-mounted isolation system to achieve a target Rw in a constrained space.
Studco shaftwall system
Shaft wall construction solves a problem standard framing cannot: enclosing a space (e.g., a lift shaft, service riser, or stairwell) where access to the interior face is not possible once construction has started.
Studco’s shaftwall system uses a CH-Stud (C-H shaped stud) inserted into J-Track at top and bottom, allowing the board to be slid into position from one side and fixed without any access to the internal face of the shaft. Jamb Studs provide the structural framing at door openings. Deflection Track at the head accommodates slab movement without compromising the assembly.
Studco brackets, clips, and structural wall connectors
Studco’s brackets and clips range provides the connection hardware that integrates framing systems into the broader building structure and resolves the connection details that determine long-term performance.
StrongArm Structural Steel Wall Brace is a support brace that improves rigidity and minimises lateral deflection on free-standing walls. Engineered for rapid in-wall strengthening of free-standing steel stud walls, it is suited to commercial applications and fits standard 92mm or 150mm steel stud walls. StrongArm is a convenient alternative to custom structural steel and can be used to support internal and external openings, free-standing walls, half-height walls, framed balustrades, nib walls, smoke baffles, acoustic baffles, and free-hanging bulkheads.
Vortex Isolation Clips are part of the Vortex system and provide acoustic isolation between the framing and the structure. They are used at the base and perimeter of partitions where isolating the framing from the slab or surrounding structure is required to prevent flanking transmission.
HEDA Connectors are the structural connection elements of the HEDA Tough Wall System. They join HEDA jamb studs to tracks and intersecting walls, providing the rigid, heavy-duty connections required in high-impact environments.
Staggered Stud Clips hold staggered studs to a common top and bottom track when building staggered-stud partitions for acoustic performance. The clip maintains stud spacing and alignment while keeping the two stud rows acoustically separate.
Bypass Framing Connector allows partition framing to bypass structural elements like beams, columns, or existing walls without direct connection, maintaining acoustic separation where required.
Studco concealed suspended ceiling systems
Studco’s suspended ceiling range covers the framing systems that carry a plasterboard from a suspended position below the structural slab or roof.
The core system uses Top Cross Rails (TCR) and Furring Channels in a two-layer arrangement: TCR spanning between hangers, furring channels fixed perpendicular to the TCR and carrying the ceiling lining. Hangers connect the TCR to the structure above using Spring Hangers, Rod Suspension Brackets, and Suspension Rods in combinations suited to the plenum depth and load requirements.
Spring Hangers are suspension clips that allow suspended ceiling system heights to be adjusted. They attach via 5mm rod to the underside of the slab or the side of a purlin or truss, and lock onto top cross rails (this is particularly useful where a smaller cavity is needed between the structure and the ceiling).
Acoustic Mounts and Hangers extend the isolation principle to the hanger connection point, providing rubber-isolated fixing between the suspension rod and the TCR. They are used in ceiling assemblies targeting higher acoustic performance than spring hangers alone can achieve.
Locking Keys lock the furring channel to the TCR at the intersection point, preventing movement and maintaining ceiling flatness. They are a standard component in the concealed suspended system and are specified as part of the complete assembly.
Studco concealed direct-fix ceiling systems
Where a suspended ceiling is not required, Studco’s direct-fix range provides the framing components to carry lining off the substrate.
Furring Channels and Ceiling Battens fixed directly to the structure via Direct Fix Clips form the substrate for direct-fix ceilings. Recessed Furring Channels create a stepped profile in the substrate where a recessed joint is required in the finished ceiling. The Back Blocking Batten provides additional support at plasterboard sheet ends to prevent cracking at sheet junctions.
SlimCeil Low Clearance Ceiling System is Studco’s engineered solution for direct-fix ceilings where available floor-to-ceiling height is limited. The SlimCeil channel and bracket system minimises the depth lost to the ceiling substrate, maximising usable ceiling height in constrained floor-to-floor situations. It is used in apartment construction, hotel refurbishments, and commercial fit outs where ceiling height is at a premium.
Acoustic Mounts for Direct Fix Ceilings provide isolation at the clip between the ceiling batten or furring channel and the substrate, reducing the transmission of impact sound from the slab above into the ceiling below.
Studco top hats and battens
Top hat sections and steel battens are used primarily in cladding and external wall applications, providing a framed substrate that stands off from the structural wall and allows a drainage cavity behind the cladding.
Top Hats — Square Leg are the standard Studco top hat profile, available in a range of heights and gauges to suit different cavity depths and wind load requirements. They are fixed to the structural substrate and the cladding is fixed through them, creating a drained and ventilated cavity as required by the NCC for external cladding systems.
Top Hats — Angled Leg A taller, narrower top hat channel designed to create larger air gaps behind cladding. The angled leg profile increases the cavity depth, which improves both acoustic and thermal performance. They also provide more space for installation.
Top Hat Brackets — Square Leg are used where the top hat cannot be fixed directly to the substrate and must be supported on a standoff bracket, increasing the cavity depth or accommodating substrate irregularities.
Steel Roof Battens sit between the roofing structure and the external finish, providing a surface for cladding to attach directly to.
Backing Strip attaches to the recessed fixing face of a top hat to secure façade panelling to external wall systems and create weather-tight seals between lining boards. Compatible with Studco’s 120mm and 35mm wide top hats.
Studco angles and cladding supports
Façade Angles: Corner junctions in external cladding applications need a reliable fixing point, and that’s exactly what Façade Angles are built for. They attach façade materials like plasterboard cleanly at the corner and work just as well across a range of internal applications.
Utility Angles are general-purpose structural angles used for bracing, restraint, and connection across a range of framing and cladding applications.
Studco plasterboard sections: metal trims and angles
Studco’s plasterboard sections range covers the metal and PVC trim products used at terminations, junctions, corners, and movement interfaces in plasterboard lining systems.
External Corner Beads (metal and PVC) reinforce and protect exposed external corners in plasterboard linings. Metal beads are the standard specification for commercial applications; PVC beads offer greater impact resistance in high-traffic areas.
Internal Corner Beads provide a clean, reinforced internal corner in plasterboard linings where a hard internal angle is required rather than a taped joint.
Stopping Beads provide a clean, recessed termination edge where plasterboard ends against a different material or at a doorway reveal. They define the stopping edge and prevent the lining from being damaged at the termination.
Shadowline Stopping Angles create a recessed shadow line at wall-to-ceiling junctions and at partition terminations, providing a clean architectural reveal without a bulky cornice or separate trim element. They are standard in commercial fit outs where a contemporary, reveal-style junction is required.
Expansion Joints allow controlled movement in long plasterboard runs, preventing cracking where thermal or structural movement would otherwise force an uncontrolled crack through the lining. Required at specified intervals in commercial lining systems, particularly in external or semi-external applications.
Internal Backing Angles provide a structural backing angle behind plasterboard linings at internal corners where additional fixing support is required, particularly in heavy-duty or impact-rated applications.
Studco architectural finishing: EZconcept Range
EZconcept is Studco’s architectural finishing brand, covering door and window systems that integrate cleanly with plasterboard lining and eliminate the traditional timber jamb and architrave detail.
EzyReveal Window Reveal Angles are steel extrusions that create a clean, flush reveal at window and door openings in plasterboard linings. They eliminate the need for a timber lining set, provide a hard, impact-resistant edge at the reveal face, and deliver a contemporary flush finish at window and door frames. Available in standard and custom depths to suit different frame and lining configurations.
EzyCap Wall End Caps provide a finished, capped termination at exposed plasterboard wall ends at door openings, glazing frames, and partition ends where the plasterboard edge would otherwise be unfinished. They are specified wherever a plasterboard wall terminates without a perpendicular return.
AluBase Aluminium Skirting is a flush, concealed-fix aluminium skirting system that integrates with the plasterboard lining for a joint-free, contemporary skirting profile. It suits commercial and high-end residential applications where a timber or standard PVC skirting would undermine the finish quality.
FastCap Custom Rebates are steel rebate extrusions used to create custom reveals, returns, and recessed details in plasterboard linings. They are used where a specific shadow line depth or reveal geometry is required that standard stopping angles cannot achieve.
EZconcept door systems
EzyJamb Door Jambsreplace the traditional timber door frame with a steel jamb system that integrates flush with the plasterboard lining. EzyJamb eliminates the gap between frame and lining that timber frames typically produce, delivering a clean, monolithic wall-and-door finish.
SlideSet Cavity Sliders are a pocket door system that integrates with Studco stud framing. The cavity slider frame is built into the stud wall during construction and carries a sliding door panel that disappears completely into the wall cavity when open. SlideSet is used in commercial and residential applications where a hinged door is impractical due to space constraints.
Working with Ceilings by Design
Knowing the product range is the starting point. Having a supplier who understands it well enough to help you specify it accurately is invaluable and it’s what actually saves time and avoids problems.
At Ceilings by Design, we stock an extensive Studco range across our Queensland and New South Wales locations for fit outs nationwide and work with project teams from early design stages through to delivery. We can help with identifying the right assembly for a given FRL, confirming stud selection against span table requirements, checking lead times before they become a programme issue, and coordinating delivery staging for active construction sites.
If you are in the design stage of a project with Studco framing, ceiling, or finishing requirements, get in touch early. Contact your closest branch today.
