FAQ

Cold-formed steel is much lighter than concrete. It weighs approximately 5 PSF (0.24kPa) while concrete ranges from 30 to 70 PSF (1.45 to 3.35 kPa). In most cases, using cold-formed steel means that amount of concrete used in the foundations can be reduced. Your structure or foundation engineer should be made aware of loads acting on the concrete so that the foundations can be designed accordingly.

The Design-Led process reduces costs, including engineering, skilled labor, and increases productivity efficiencies giving an overall greater return on investment.

No, because of steel’s properties you can design your home with larger open spaces. Steel frame walls will remain straight and true and can be finished with any materials that are traditionally used.

Yes – multi-storied buildings can be built much faster and more efficiently than traditional structural methods.

Steel’s strength and non-combustible properties offer greater protection for your home and family. Choosing steel-framing can eliminate high wind, fire, and lightning damage to your home.

Steel framed walls are unaffected by temperature or humidity changes, more of the heating and air-conditioning cost remain inside the house, saving money spent on utility bills.

Yes, galvanized steel provides better rust protection. The reason is that zinc, through its sacrificial galvanic action, can “heal” cuts, scratches, and abrasions in the steel. With the rough handling that construction products receive, as well as the cutting, drilling, shearing, and fastening of members, the coating gets cut and scraped away. The galvanized coating works better than the enamel at covering areas that are cut or scratched.

Any kind of finish is possible, from paint to stone cladding.

One of the biggest advantages of cold-formed steel is its high strength to weight ratio. This allows manufacturers and framers to fabricate long trusses with clear spans up to 26 meters. Steel trusses can be easily designed with clear spans up to 14 meters. Beyond that, a thicker material or boxed profile would be required along with specially designed connections. (Note: In many areas, there are transportation limitations when truss span exceeds 15 meters). For long trusses, intermediate bearing supports can also be used to reduce the size and thickness of the truss members.