Cold-formed steel framing offers architects, builders and specifiers a range of features and benefits that all contribute to shorter construction times, lower material costs, safer structures, and faster revenue generation. Steel is strong, safe, durable, versatile and cost-effective. Steel has the exceptional environmental advantage of being highly recycled and infinitely recyclable. Steel is tough and does not rot, spawl, split or absorb moisture and is resistant to pests unlike other building materials. And from an artistic or architectural viewpoint, steel structures can easily deliver creative design options and excellent value.

When ordering steel framing materials, it’s important to be aware of the variety and applications of the various shapes, encapsulated by the acronym STUFL. These letters stand for Stud, Track, U-Channel, Furring and L-Header. A stud includes wall studs, joists and rafters because they are all of the same shape. Track is the top and bottom “plates” of a steel wall or the rim of floors and rafters. U-Channel can be used for bridging, blocking and customized for cabinet backing. Furring Channel is used as purlins, bridging, backing, and for subassembly sound separation. L-Headers are brake-metal shaped members that can be doubled and used as headers. Cold-formed steel is specified by a universal designator system called out by web dimension, shape, flange dimension and thickness.