10 Ways to Lower Your Total Construction Costs with Cold-Formed Steel Framing

steel framing walls

If you’re a building owner with an upcoming project, how would you like to reduce construction costs while increasing work quality and output?

One way is through material selection. Cold-formed steel (CFS) framing has a proven track record of providing cost-effective and sustainable benefits. Cold-formed steel framing was chosen for an office renovation at a Chart Industries, Inc. manufacturing plant in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It was selected because of the cost benefits and flexibility to integrate with other systems. Compared to masonry wall construction, cold-formed steel saved about $2.50 per square foot on exterior walls.

Steel is resilient, adaptable, and durable – reducing life cycle costs.

Steel framing systems can be adapted to avoid functional obsolescence, changing requirements of occupants, and the associated costs and disruption of redevelopment, refurbishment, or demolition.

Cold-formed steel (CFS) is made by rolling or pressing steel at relatively low temperatures. Cold-formed steel products are created by working steel sheets, billets, or bars using rolling, roll forming, stamping, or presses.

photo of cold rolled steel supplies

Steel building systems have substantial cost benefits over competitive building materials when the total construction cost is considered.

Here are 10 ways to lower your total construction costs using cold-formed steel:

1

High Strength-To-Weight Ratio

Steel framing has a strength-to-weight ratio that significantly exceeds wood and concrete. Strong and relatively lightweight, cold-formed steel reduces a building’s total load, so costs are realized starting at the foundation.
2

Panelization

Panelizing cold-formed steel wall panels off-site reduces construction waste and on-site labor costs. They improve quality control and cut the total project cycle time since cold-formed steel components are made to exact specifications.
3

Shorter Project Cycles

Steel components speed up the construction. They also allow follow-on trades to get to work sooner because of their predictability and accuracy. A shorter construction timeframe reduces interim financing costs for projects, narrows the window of construction-related liability, and provides for earlier building occupancy. This was the case with the use of cold-formed steel for a student housing project at California Polytechnic State University. Completed six months earlier than projected for a concrete structural form, the university saved time and money.
4

Better Results During Wintertime

Concrete requires artificial heat to cure during cold temperatures, and ready-mixed CIP concrete can add cost to a project. Steel framing has neither of these costs.
5

Earlier Project Completion & Budget Savings

Equipment moves on and off the job site faster because of cold-formed steel’s shorter construction cycle. For example, a shorter cycle lowers crane costs and scaffold rental times.
6

Lower Insurance Rates

Builder’s risk insurance premiums are typically higher for wood than steel. Built over 24 months, a four-story, 400-unit hotel in Ohio cost $360,000 in builder’s risk insurance because cold-formed steel framing was used. Had it been built with wood, it would have cost $1.6 million – a savings of about $1.3 million.
7

Lower Fire-Related Legal Costs

Wood-framed, mid-rise buildings can be the target of lawsuits due to a construction or building fire resulting in damage to adjacent properties, especially with mid-rise buildings.

In 2015, there was a fire at apartments under construction in Edgewater, NJ. The fire displaced hundreds of tenants from nearby buildings. Citing the known risk of fire associated with wood construction, lawsuits were filed against the building owner.

Steel, in contrast, is non-combustible. Cold-formed steel framing reduces the risk of fire spreading to adjacent buildings, putting less burden on firefighters and building owners, and decreasing the possibility of subsequent legal action.

8

No Mandated Site Security

Several Canadian jurisdictions require builders to post 24-hour security guards at wood-framed construction sites. One builder paid up to $10,000 per month for security. Another builder said the security needed for an $8 million wood-framed project cost $20,000. There are no such hidden or extraordinary site construction costs with steel-framed projects.
9

No Costs Related To Site Safety Compliance

Wood-framed buildings can be highly susceptible to fire during construction. Many British Columbia, Canada municipalities require developers to present detailed fire-safety plans with their building permits. Some cities mandate that sprinklers and standpipes be placed on floors where work is underway. They also require additional safety supervision, like fire watches during hot work. These site safety practices, which can be costly, are not required for noncombustible cold-formed steel buildings.
10

Product Durability

Steel is dimensionally stable. It does not expand or contract with changes in moisture content. When exposed to the elements, it will not warp, split, crack or creep. When materials like wood or brick are exposed to moisture, they swell. When dried, wood will warp, crack, chip, split, and spall. Concrete and concrete blocks will shrink and form shrinkage cracks. Dimensional stability concerns increase in taller mid-rise buildings. Steel is also resistant to termites and rodents.