Engineering and Construction

Light steel framing uses galvanized cold-formed steel sections as the main structural components.These sections are widely used in the building industry and are part of a proven technology. Light steel framing extends the range of steel framed options into residential construction, which has traditionally been in timber and masonry.

The Egan Task Force report called for improved quality, increased use of off-site manufacture, and reduced waste in construction, and the Egan principles have  been adopted by The Housing Corporation and other major clients in the residential sector. Light steel framing satisfies these Egan principles and it combines the benefits of a reliable quality controlled product with speed of construction on site and the ability to create existing structural solutions.

Light steel framing is generally based on the use of standard C or Z shaped  steel sections produced by cold rolling from strip steel. Cold formed sections are generically different from hot rolled steel sections, such as Universal Beams, which are used in fabricated steelwork.The steel used in cold formed sections is relatively thin, typically 0.9–3.2mm, and is galvanized for corrosion protection.

Cold formed steel sections are widely used in many sectors of construction, including mezzanine floors, industrial buildings, commercial buildings and hotels, and are gaining greater acceptance in the residential sector. Light steel framing is already well established in residential construction in North America,Australia and Japan.