The Endless Possibilities of

Cold Formed Steel

Applications.

1

The secret of happiness is variety, but
the secret of variety, like the secret of all
spices, is knowing when to use it.
Daniel Gilbert,
Professor of Psychology, Harvard University.

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 Introduction.
Whether you build in the residential or non-
residential sector, when you need a reliable
construction method that delivers projects
on time and within budget, you cant go
past cold formed steel (CFS) construction.
In this eBook, we explain how CFS
construction is used successfully and
efficiently in a wide range of applications,
using a variety of innovative methodologies.
CFS can be used to meet your
construction objectives, whatever
your business model or predominant
applications.
Read on to learn how CFS can be applied
in both the residential and non-residential
sectors, with practical examples of how
its diverse applications and methodologies
are revolutionising the construction world.

The possibilities of CFS construction

are endless and can satisfy all building
applications, whether the build solely uses
CFS, or deploys a combination of materials.

Cold Formed Steel or CFS is also known as Light Gauge Steel or LGS.
CFS buildings are designed using specialist computer aided design and
engineering software and manufactured by rolling or pressing steel into semifinished
or finished goods at an ambient temperature.

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 SECTION 1
The Applications of Cold Formed Steel
CHAPTER 1 Residential buildings
CHAPTER 2 Non-residential buildings

SECTION 2
CFS Construction Methodologies
CHAPTER 3 Offsite Construction
Methodologies
CHAPTER 4 Onsite Construction
Methodologies

SECTION 3
Case Studies

Summary

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SECTION 1
CFS construction and processes are
increasingly used by building companies all

The Applications of around the world, in a widely diversified

range of building applications.

Cold Formed Steel CFS can be used for the construction of entire
buildings, or for specific parts such as roof
trusses, web joist floors, wall panels, internal
partitionings, bathroom or bedroom pods and
room modules (mods).

Whether for residential single dwellings, or

multi-family residential buildings, or non-
residential buildings such as schools, hospitals,
aged care facilities, offices or hotels, CFS is
the ideal building material and system choice
for all the applications reviewed through this
eBook.

This section covers an overview of the

most widely used applications in both the
residential and non-residential sectors.

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 The benefits and
advantages of using CFS
Here, we outline some of the key benefits and advantages of CFS construction that
should be kept in mind when learning about the applications and methodologies of this
versatile and durable building product.
Advanced CFS construction methods can result in faster build times, less waste,
lower overall costs, more versatile and scalable design solutions, and better building
performance.
Combine these with the distinctive characteristics of steel - non-combustibility, termite
and mould resistance and dimensional stability - and you have a practical solution to
many of the challenges faced globally in the building sector.
Construction speed
When manufacturing and constructing buildings, CFS construction is
faster than traditional methods. Its a design-led process, meaning that
the need for skills to construct the building is more in the design stage
and less so onsite.
As the CFS frames and components are produced and fabricated from
structural-quality steel coils and are shaped at ambient temperatures by
roll-forming machines, they can be formed at high speed and in large
quantities with consistent quality and precision.
The erection process is fast and simple requiring less labour time onsite
or heavy lifting equipment.
Reduced need for highly skilled labour
The ease of CFS construction is an attractive advantage. Lightweight
designs, pre-fabricated frames, uniform quality, and quick and simple
erection onsite using basic tools all these factors reduce the need for
highly skilled labour.
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CFS construction creates less waste & is environmentally,
a better building choice
With CFS structures, waste is minimal due to accurate design and
manufacture, reducing the environmental impact from waste going to
landfill. Steel is 100% recyclable, reducing the overall environmental
impact of any waste created.
Design versatility
The strength and ductility of CFS makes it an ideal building material for
all building types and forms. CFS offers larger span lengths due to less
structure weight and increased space utilisation, making it possible to
produce some architectural designs that are not possible with traditional
methods, including the creation of innovative building shapes and
nonconventional roof lines.
It has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of all construction
materials, so CFS delivers excellent spanning capability and is perfect for
creating wide, open spaces.
Lends itself to offsite construction
Traditional building methods are typically vulnerable to bad weather or
site limitations. But with CFS offsite modular construction, the majority
of the construction process can occur in a controlled environment thats
not subject to environmental or weather conditions. This ensures greater
efficiency and quality as a part of an industrialised process.
Faster return of investment
Return on investment (ROI) is a critical factor in the financial analysis of
any property development opportunity. When a property can be attained
and developed in a short period of time, the ROI is realised faster and
the response to meet immediate market demand is greater. Designing
and building with CFS can lower both construction delays and long-term
building ownership costs, leading to both immediate and long-term ROI
on building ownership.
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 CHAPTER 1

Residential
CFS is used in a large number of residential
building applications, from single level homes to
mid-rise multi-storey apartment developments.

buildings CFS construction offers highly versatile design,

fast, accurate and cost-efficient production,
and ease of assembly. With its flexible, strong
and durable properties, CFSs lightweight
construction system (which minimises loads on
foundations and saves on sub-structure costs)
is the ideal building system for all forms of
residential construction.

Overall residential building project costs can

be significantly reduced when using modern
design-led construction techniques like CFS.
Not only are total build costs lower, speed of
construction can be significantly improved by up
to 75%!

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 Affordable (social) housing

Affordable housing refers to housing units that are affordable for

people with an income below the median household income.

In both developing and advanced economies, governments are

challenged to provide accessible housing for their low and middle
income citizens.

Effective, affordable housing is vital to the health and security of a

country and for the wellbeing of its population. Those challenged
with providing social housing always seek methods to reduce the
cost of construction without compromising on quality and housing
security. Methods such as CFS can enable this.

CFS framing allows for quick and accurate construction

at minimised cost and demand can be met faster
than traditional methods with the additional benefit of
providing employment opportunities for low skilled labour.

Cold formed steel construction provides quality social

housing to developing areas (see more in our blog). By
using a design and production process that allows for
repeatable design, CFS construction methods are faster,
more efficient and produce less waste than traditional
methods. The resulting buildings have less environmental
impact and are very durable.

The ease of assembly that CFS construction provides means

that local labour can be trained in CFS methodologies,
enabling employment for less skilled labour, and positively
impacting local economies.

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 Apartments

Traditionally, CFS construction is widely
used for non-loadbearing partitions and
curtain walls due to its light weight, high
strength, non-combustible nature, and ease
of installation.
But, CFS is also an ideal and cost-
competitive choice in structural applications
for apartment buildings of up to six levels.
With the use of CFS, cost savings can
be substantial. CFS can help lower the
overall cost of a project and makes
commercial projects more affordable. CFS
is fundamentally a stable, engineered
material with consistent properties and
attributes ensuring quality of finish.

Its best practice to integrate CFS with

other materials when building higher than
six levels or when building extremely wide

Multi-family dwellings structures. CFS can be effectively combined

with materials such as hot-rolled steel or
concrete to achieve the needed results.

Multi-family housing is designed to house Fixed budgets, tight project schedules,

several different families in separate housing
units and include accommodations from
affordable apartment complexes to luxury
condominiums. The most common types of
multi-family housing are apartment buildings,
duplexes, quadruplexes, and townhouses,
and the global popularity and demand for
these multi-family dwellings is growing and
expected to continue.
limited onsite access and restricted
storage are significant constraints for
multi-family builders. When constructing
multi-family projects, CFS methods
provide project owners with safe and
efficient structural solutions enabling a
superior return on investment in a shorter
time frame than most other construction
methods.

The repetitive nature of this type of
application is ideally suited to CFS
construction - floors of more or less the same
layouts, common framing assemblies and use
of wall panelisations.
Using CFS technologies, project owners
can control expenses and ensure
profitability, while offering affordable
multi-family units to residents at all price
points of the market.

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 Single dwellings

Single dwelling residential housing takes many architectural forms.

The versatility of CFS makes it ideal for construction of single
dwellings of both simple and challenging designs.

CFS framing allows for narrower walls than typically achieved with
traditional materials, providing more internal space for the same
total footprint, which is highly advantageous when meeting urban
density demands. And because CFS is also lightweight and easily
handled, its a perfect solution for sloping or difficult sites which
might otherwise require significant foundation works or onsite
logistics.

Residential single dwelling construction can be impacted by time

constraints and is subject to code compliance requirements.
Traditional construction methods are typically slow and require
highly skilled onsite labour to ensure compliance. CFS construction
is being turned to as a solution to these issues, as it has been
proven to be at least twice as fast as traditional construction with
engineering compliance ensured in the design process.

CFS construction gives builders design flexibility of low-rise

residential building options that can be rapidly built, are stylish,
and comfortable to live in, for customers in both developed and
developing economies.

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 CHAPTER 2

Non-residential
This chapter addresses how CFS construction
is applied to a wide range of non-residential
buildings.

buildings Rapid, modern, design-led CFS construction

helps local and central governments construct
high-quality, economical, institutional buildings
for their communities.

CFSs commercial applications meet commercial

construction and industrial building needs,
providing high quality worker accommodation,
hotels, offices, retail buildings and more.

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 Schools, kindergartens, and
educational centres
Educational buildings, from individual
classrooms to whole schools, can be easily
and affordably constructed using CFS
construction methods.
An entire school could be built offsite,
installed, and ready for use in a fraction
of the time of traditional building
methods.

When CFS is combined with modular CFS construction works in developed

construction methodologies, it offers a and developing countries to produce
high degree of flexibility with classroom comfortable, warm and insulated
design. CFS enables the same classroom schools that create excellent learning
to be scaled and replicated multiple times, environments.
additions to be linked to an existing school,
or an entirely new campus built at rapid
speed.

Hospitals / healthcare facilities

The dynamic and progressive nature of the
healthcare industry creates demand for
facilities that can be easily reconfigured over
time.
Therefore, flexibility and adaptabilityare
essential characteristics that need to be
considered when constructing hospitals or
healthcare facilities.
And for existing hospitals, any additional
construction needs to be fast and (ideally)
offsite, minimising noise and vibration,
especially for sensitive areas such as
operating theatres. Constructing in CFS
enables scalability and its application to
offsite building answers these challenges
in an efficient and cost-effective way.

FRAMECAD offers CFS framing systems to deliver cost- and time-

efficient hospital construction anywhere in the world, including those
areas affected by conflict or disaster. FRAMECAD has extensive experience
in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and the Middle East, producing facilities
from single room clinics to large hospital complexes.
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 Aged-care buildings
CFS offers an extensive range of benefits for
the building of aged-care facilities.
The high strength-to-weight ratio of CFS
provides the possibility for large spans and
open spaces in rooms designed for dining
and gathering.
From a construction point of view, CFS
offers ease of handling and transportation,
ease of fabrication and mass production,
speed of erection, and flexibility in design.
These are all features which contribute to
improved return on investment.
Hotels
CFS construction allows developers to
meet tight timelines without compromising
on quality and allows hotels to open and
accommodate customers up to 75% faster
than with traditional building methods.
Its light-weight, high-strength, non-
combustible nature, and ease of installation
make CFS an ideal and cost competitive
choice for hotel applications.
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Specific construction benefits that CFS
provide to aged-care buildings include its
use in structure ramps, larger windows
and extra-wide doors, hallways, and the
possibility of wider hall support structures
for fixing handrails and shower grab bars.
Whether you build in the residential or non-residential sector, when
you need a reliable construction partner that assists you to deliver your
projects on time and within budget, look no further than FRAMECAD.
Learn more about
the FRAMECAD
When using CFS systems to build hotels,
Advantage
vital design and build components can be Working with the right CFS provider is essential to your building
supplied panelised to site for fast, cost-
projects bottom line.
effective construction.
Find out more
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 Office buildings

Presently at least 50% of the working population in America, northern

Europe and Japan work in office environments. Compare this to the 5%
of this population that worked in offices at the beginning of the 20th
century, and the vast growth is clear.

There is a growing demand world-wide for office settings and these

office buildings must benefit from an integrated design approach that
meets the objectives of the people working in them.

Using integrated design and construction methods such as CFS, a new

generation of high-performance office buildings is emerging, offering
increased worker satisfaction andoutput, betterhealth, flexibility, and
improvedenergy and environmental performance.

Worker accommodations

CFS construction is the ideal solution to rapidly produce accommodation on any scale for
commercial or industrial workers.

Durable and comfortable accommodation buildings can be built easily and rapidly
anywhere, meeting government standards and local codes. CFS construction remains
economical, durable, and finished buildings are comfortable for occupants.

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 Quick response buildings

With natural disasters affecting some of the most vulnerable

communities across the world, Build Back Better and Safer
principles are becoming increasingly important for rebuilding
or strengthening buildings in affected areas and protecting the
community from future disasters.

CFS is a great choice for quick response applications as CFS

structures are resilient and can withstand extreme environmental
conditions.

CFS weighs 1/3 of the weight of timber and typically doesnt

require cranes or other equipment for manoeuvability or erection.

CFS can also be constructed by relatively inexperienced local

labourers and rebuilding can often be achieved in a matter of days.

FRAMECAD is revolutionising disaster relief and quick

response construction through the development and
supply of rapid solutions such as the FRAMECAD
Mobile Factory a CFS mobile solution that offers a
faster and more resilient method of construction than
what has been traditionally used.

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SECTION 2
CFS construction methodologies are commonly
grouped into two main categories onsite

CFS Construction and offsite construction methods. Each are

applicable to both residential and non-
residential applications.

Methodologies In this section, these methodologies and the

different approaches used in each of them are
explained.

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 CHAPTER 3
Offsite Construction
Methodologies
The use of CFS in the residential and non-residential building sectors has increased in
recent years. One factor contributing to this is the growing appreciation of performance
benefits that result from the offsite application of CFS construction methods.

There are clear benefits to applying CFS in

offsite methods of construction:
Shorter and predictable build times Improved quality and standard of
not impacted by the weather or build by building in a controlled
by the availability of other trades. factory environment.

Fewer materials and deliveries to Safer working conditions

site delivering modular units factories provide far more
and panels to site requires far predictable health and safety
fewer journeys than traditional environments than building sites.
methods, meaning a reduction in
transport cost, logistical complexity
and general disruption to areas
surrounding the building site.

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 Here we look at some of the most common
offsite methods of CFS construction.

Panelisation
The ability to assemble wall, floor, and roof sections offsite in a
controlled environment, is frequently used in CFS framing projects
and provides many advantages, from minimising costly weather
delays to ensuring greater quality control. Panelisation can shave as
much as 75% off a construction projects field time.

Internal partitions

In multi-storey framed construction, its common to use internal

partitions (or light steel infill walls) to create a rapid dry envelope
to support the external cladding. They can also be used as
separating or compartment walls between different parts of the
building. The use of CFS internal partitions may be applied to steel
or concrete framed construction. Their popularity comes from their
light-weight, speed and ease of installation.

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 Facades
Faade systems comprise the structural elements that deliver lateral
and vertical resistance to wind, and also the building envelope
elements that provide weather resistance and thermal, acoustic and
fire resisting properties.

A wide variety of facade treatments and shapes may be created

using CFS, including large ribbon windows, curved and inclined
walls, solar shading and balconies.

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 Modular construction

Modular construction refers to taking factory-produced pre-engineered building

units and delivering them to site. Theyre then assembled as large elements of a
building, forming complete rooms, parts of rooms, or separate highly serviced units
like bathrooms or lifts. The collection of all the modular units together usually forms
a self-supporting structure in its own right or, for taller buildings, might rely on an
independent structural framework.

Pods
Pods are a classic example of modular construction, capitalising on the ability to move a
completed pod in controlled manufacturing conditions, and on tight inventory control
and project schedules.

CFS is a waste-conscious construction methodology and can have minimum site impact
if delivered carefully and strategically with respect to site constraints.

Bathrooms and rooms in schools, hotels and hospitals are the types of pods that are
most frequently installed and prior to integration into the rest of the building each pod
is fully furnished, including all the interior design elements.

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 CHAPTER 4
Onsite Construction
Methodologies
Onsite CFS profile manufacturing is uncommon but has particular benefits in two specific FRAMECADs Mobile
Factory is a revolutionary
scenarios:

CE
N ARI
O
Building onsite in an existing building
advancement for building
projects that are time critical
S

1 or infrastructure when there is little

staging space surrounding your and challenging.
building site
The Mobile Factory can house various FRAMECAD CFS
manufacturing systems, can be placed anywhere it is needed and
When building onsite with CFS, the frame production machine is
able to be placed in or on the building itself, and a manufacture as
become operational, manufacturing CFS frames within hours.
you build approach can be taken allowing for adjustments and
customisation to be made on location, while manufacturing panels
and trusses and other CFS construction elements onsite.
Find out more about the
Building onsite is ideal for construction scenarios characterised by FRAMECAD Mobile Factory solution
tight urban locations where storage space for staging of completed
panels is not possible.

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 N ARI
CE O
S

Building onsite with no existing

2 infrastructure or difficult access

Rapidly deploying the construction of buildings in remote, hard to

access areas or in situations where there is no access to infrastructure,
such as disaster zones, is notoriously difficult to undertake. But with a
CFS mobile factory solution, governments, builders and communities
around the world are now able to solve this problem, faster than ever FRAMEAD offers a self-sufficient mobile factory solution - a
before. secure, self-contained CFS frame production facility housed
in a modified shipping container, complete with its own
Disaster relief response is one powerful application of a CFS mobile diesel generator and fabricating machine. The factorys
factory. From constructing in remote locations, hard to access onsite, compact nature, means it can be immediately
sites and sites with limited infrastructure - to commercial projects
shipped, trucked or airlifted into any location and made
where the ability to construct rapidly from a controlled environment
operational within 24-hours of delivery. As its fully self-
onsite is advantageous, CFS mobile factories solve big problems for
governments, builders and communities.
contained, there are no additional framing materials or
moving vehicles to be transported to site, reducing overall
construction lead times and costs.

The container is reinforced to ensure it can sustain the

weights and loads required to manufacture CFS frames and
store steel coils. A key feature of the FRAMECAD Mobile
Factory is that it is fully-insulated to protect machinery
from external elements and is equipped with an air-
conditioning unit to ensure that people and equipment can
operate in optimal temperatures.

And an innovative gantry unit makes the process of loading

steel coils into the container and also onto the decoiler
easy, eliminating the need for a forklift.

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SECTION 3
To see just how versatile and effective CFS
construction is, its always best to see practical

Case Studies case studies.

These case studies highlight FRAMECADs

extensive experience with CFS applications in
the residential and non-residential fields.

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 CFS single storey The building included a complex veranda
roof design complete with overhangs,
All the frames were produced offsite and
assembled onsite.The detailed design

residential building differing roof heights and a roof that

didnt line up with the main roof structure.
function offered byFRAMECAD software
ensured that the builders received high
Accommodating this was the main challenge quality and precise shop drawings allowing
of construction. for smooth and rapid assembly of the CFS
frames.
FRAMECAD Structure, computer aided
engineering software, enabled the detailer
to complete the design and perform all the
necessary engineering calculations so that
it would meet the local design code. The
software then produced the design plans
which overcame the design complexities.

After only48 hours of detailing, the project was fully designed, engineered and compliant
with the local design code.

The358m 2 single-storeyhouse is located ona

3037m 2 piece of land and offers:
This video demonstrates all the steps that were followed to successfully complete this
Four bedrooms A veranda A double garage A study residential building.

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 Mariposa VII, a
7-storey multi-family
building
This project is located in Denver, Colorado, USA, and included five levels of steel on
top of two levels of podium. FRAMECAD manufacturer, Douglass Colony supplied the
pre-panelised metal stud wall framing and offered a turn-key solution with Diversified
Builders as the contracted drywaller.

All 422 load-bearing wall panels for levels
three through seven of this 7-story (five
levels on two levels of podium) project
were fabricated at Douglass Colonys
headquarters in Commerce City, Denver.
Each level took only seven days to
complete - two days to assemble and erect
the wall panels and five days dedicated to
finalise the floor system, the detailing on
the floor deck, and the concrete.

Using FRAMECAD CFS technology, frames
were shipped directly to the jobsite where
the building was erected in a total of 40
working days, including all wall panels,
flooring systems, and detailing, with
concrete poured and cured.
The first panel was set on June 21st,
2016 and consecutive panels were then
delivered in two-week intervals after that
(as concrete dried on each level).

The benefits of using CFS technology for the

Mariposa VII building, included:
Total design flexibility Complete turn-key solution
1 - 2 hour UL assemblies Rapid construction

Simplified field erection

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 A school hit hard Cyclone Winston hit Fiji in February 2016,
destroying 55,000 homes, killing 44 people
re-roofing the school and its associated
accommodation buildings.

Fiji in the wake of

and directly impacting a further 350,000
people. 260 schools were also partially or FRAMECAD sponsored a site visit by one
completely damaged, including Vunikaikaloa of its expert technicians to understand the

Cyclone Winston Arya School. This left many children in Fiji

without books or resources to learn, and
left them studying in tents. It also left them
Fiji, an island nation in the the Pacific Ocean, is made up of a mix of tourist areas and without homes and living in temporary
local communities, many of them with substandard housing and infrastructure. accommodation.
FRAMECAD and Red Cross partnered upand
used Build Back Better and Safer principles
to get Fijian schools back up and running
as quickly as possible. The first project was
the Vunikaikaloa Arya School, which meant
requirements. FRAMECAD also carried out
significant engineering work to design the
robust roof structures, to be merged with
what was already there. Following that,
a FRAMECAD Mobile Factory and all the
materials needed were shipped to site.
Two FRAMECAD experts went to site to
train locals in how to use the FRAMECAD
manufacturing system to quickly re-roof
the school.

By using lightweight CFS framing, it was easy to manoeuvre and with

relatively inexperienced local labourers the roof was put in place only
with man power, resulting in a rebuild time of less than 10 days.

Quantities involved
The roof reconstruction needed the manufacture of 58 trusses and the use of 118
fasteners per truss. Each truss used 43kg of steel.

The associated buildings needed the construction of 22 trusses of 42kg each with
118 fasteners per truss.

A total of 9 MT of steel wasused onsite to complete all trusses, rafters, trestles,

and walls.

To give a comparison of the efficiency and still waiting for their rebuilding project to
effectiveness of this rebuild, more than start. The FRAMECAD solution enabled a
15 months after the cyclone, the majority complete roof rebuild in less than 10 days.
of other schools and buildings in Fiji were

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 Summary
The endless possibilities of
Cold Formed Steel applications

We trust this eBook has explained the multiple building applications and
construction methodologies that can be deployed with Cold Formed Steel.

Its inherent properties make CFS a flexible yet permanent building solution that
can be used for every type of construction project.

One of CFSs most advantageous attributes is that if called for (in the case of very
tall or wide buildings), it can be combined with other forms of material such as

Learn more about

hot-rolled steel or concrete to achieve the most efficient and effective solution. Its
incredible versatility combined with reliability and rapid erection speed, is why its
applied by construction companies all around the world.

At FRAMECAD were dedicated to providing a complete CFS design and build

system that is innovative, cost-effective, suitable for residential and non-
the FRAMECAD
Advantage
residential construction, and fast to construct with in developed and developing
markets worldwide.

For construction companies wanting to keep up with evolving technology,

have confidence to meet deadlines and manage delays, and maximise their Working with the right Cold Formed Steel technology provider is
ROI on projects, regardless of the application you are interested in using CFS
methodologies for, we are the ones to speak to.
essential to your building projects bottom line.

Find out more

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 We trust this eBook has helped you understand how Cold
Formed Steel construction is used extremely successfully
and efficiently in a wide range of applications, using an
innovative and varied range of methodologies.

If youre considering constructing your next project in CFS or are

interested in establishing a CFS business, wed be happy to offer
you a consultation with one of our CFS experts.

Share with a colleague

Please note that the information provided in this guide is of a general nature and should
not be construed, or relied on as suitable for your specific situation.
2017 FRAMECAD Ltd.

www.framecad.com

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