The worldwide trend continues to shift towards using offsite construction and modular building methods.
We examine 5 key reasons why steel framing also known as cold formed steel (CFS) and light gauge steel (LGS) is fast becoming the preferred material of choice over timber in modular manufacturing.
Steel is lighter than timber. The benefits of this fact alone have a huge impact on the manufacturer when it comes to lifting and transporting steel framing. A structure made of timber can be up to 3 times heavier than the same structure made from cold formed steel.
Timber is often required in a variety of profiles and multiple lengths which can be harder to manage and can take up a larger amount of storage space. In comparison light gauge steel has one profile and the stock comes in the form of steel coils. These coils are 700-900 meters in length and are compact taking up very little space.
Steel coils are used until they are empty and they produce very little waste, with only a small amount where the tooling has been specified and at the end of each coil. This waste can also be recycled.
Fixed lengths of timber need to be cut to the correct size. Due to the process in which this is done, often they are cut too short and are thrown away as they are unable to be used or recycled.
The process of manufacturing using timber is fairly manual resulting in more risk of human error and longer build times. Where constructing using cold formed steel requires less skilled labor to build and install the steel framing which further accelerates the whole process.
The design-led process of producing cold formed steel framing is extremely precise which makes it highly accurate and more efficient. The repetitive nature makes it a more cost-effective and faster solution.
There are software plugins available with the FRAMECAD system for the most commonly used BIM and modular packages that customers may already be using. This makes the FRAMECAD solution even more advantageous over its competitors.
Using steel framing in modular construction has many benefits which include speed, precision and accuracy. It’s lightweight, produces less waste and takes up less storage space than wood. All of which give a better return on investment than using more traditional methods.