Advantages of Cold Form Steel Framing
Cold-formed steel features superior chemical and physical qualities that give it a broad range of advantages over other framing materials.
Strength
Steel has the highest strength to weight ratio of any building material. Moreover, the strength of cold-formed steel also provides builders and architects with greater flexibility, allowing designs that incorporate longer spans and other architectural features.
Durability
Steel is inorganic, and thus impervious to termites, rot and mould. A protective layer of ZINCALUME® and or COLORBOND® coating steel provides long-term durability that research demonstrates can last hundreds of years without any deterioration.
Stability
Due to its consistent chemistry, steel behaves in a highly predicable manner when subjected to the structural loads and stresses imposed by high wind and seismic forces. Because steel cannot absorb moisture, its use also eliminates most of the expansion and contraction of construction materials that produces cracks, warps, and other defects in both internal and external finishes.
Non-combustibility
Steel does not burn and will not contribute to the spread or intensity of a fire. Because of this, cold-formed steel projects can easily be designed to meet code fire rating requirements. Non-combustible structures, like those built with cold-formed steel framing, have a better loss history than combustible wood framing. This often translates into lower costs and broader coverages for many types of construction insurance.
Sustainability
Steel is the only building material that is infinitely 100% recyclable.
Cost-effectiveness
Cold-formed steel offers cost savings on a number of fronts. By helping to minimize fire risk, the use of cold-formed steel results in lower insurance costs for builders and owners. Additionally, panelized cold-formed steel construction methods produce shorter construction cycles, allowing builders to complete steel-framed projects months faster than with other framing materials. Finally, framing with cold-formed steel generates far less material waste than traditional wood framing
