Cold Formed Steel (CFS) or Light Gauge Steel (LGS) constructions is a practical, code approved solution to many of the limitations that builders face today when using traditional construction materials.
At Castle Evolution our construction methods using the FRAMECAD System ensure that your project is built faster, with lower costs, more versatile, with options of scalable design solutions and overall better building performance.
With these advantages combined with the inherent characteristics of steel including non-combustibility, termite and mold resistance and dimensional stability, LGS/CFS construction provides the framework for a solid, sustainable building project outcome.
There are five main reasons why building with Cold Form Steel is superior to traditional building methods, which we have outlined below.
1. Its Faster!
LGS/CFS construction is faster than traditional methods, especially during manufacture and construction phases of a project. Here at Castle Evolution we are able to supply frames pre-assembled, strong and straight, and clearly identifiable. In most cases no on-site, welding or cutting is required. This means that the erection process is fast and simple.
Advanced tooling functions provided by the FRAMECAD System allow high productivity and versatile output to produce roof trusses, wall frames, and floor joists – all supplied to exact measurements which will save time in the construction stage. These shorter construction times result in reduced costs of your overall project.
By building with Cold Form Steel over traditional heavy materials like concrete and masonry, you can save time on your project schedule.
2. Highly skilled labour on-site is not required
Working with the extremely accurate design software of the FRAMECAD System, pre-engineered steel framing is cut to specified lengths, labelled and pre-dimpled, making assemble simple, fast and accurate. This means the only tool needed for assembly is a power drill and provided screws and fasteners.
Due to this easy assembly, less skilled labour is needed on-site which again will reduce costs to your overall project.
3. It is versatile
The strength and ductility of CFS makes it an ideal building material for all building types including modular and pre-fabricated units, multi-story hotels, hospitals, schools as well as stand alone multi-story housing. It is suited to almost any type of building design or application and with one of the highest strength-to-weight ratio it is possible to produce architectural designs not possible with traditional methods.
4. It offers greater return on investment
Using LGS/CFS in your project is cost-competitive compared to traditional methods and depending on the building design, can be cheaper when evaluating the overall build cost due it the advantages of speed of construction, accuracy and reduced labour costs.
CFS is also highly scalable making it an ideal solution for mass production and repeatable designs. This is a huge advantage in areas in need of affordable, quality housing, specifically in developing countries.
Long-term building maintenance costs are also reduced as steel is resistant to rot, mold, termite and insect infestation.
5. It is better for the environment
With traditional methods, it is common for builders to factor in up to 20% material wastage in the total cost of a project. Adding this up over consecutive projects, wastage can be equivalent to as much as one building out of every five buildings constructed.
However building with CFS/LGS waste is virtually non-existent, using our FRAMECAD System material wastage is less than 1% due to the precise and true measuring of the design system.
Steel is 100% recyclable, reducing the overall environmental impact of any waste created and in most cases is a dry system, which means there is no need to use (often limited) water resources for mixing cement or other materials.
