The cold formed steel truss industry has developed quickly over the last fifteen years, driven by demand for non-flamible sloped roof support systems. This was enabled by the development of streamlined truss engineering and production systems designed to make the detailed analysis necessary managable and practical. These capabilities also mean cold formed trusses are ideal for use in situations with complex designs.

When considering the design of a building that will use cold formed trusses, many attributes will have a major affect on the final cost of the system. The span and spacing of trusses are major factors (60' or less at 4'+ spacing is most efficient) but there are also several seemingly minor details (such as over-bearing height and style of overhang) that greatly affect the cost. Design-build projects are a big part of our business and we will be happy to help you make efficient design decisions so please feel free to contact us with such inquiries.

Pre-fabricated wall panels have recently emerged as a popular solution in mid-rise structures (3-6 stories) where the cold formed wall framing is the primary load supporting element for the structure. The move to pre-fabricated panels on this type of project has been driven by two major factors:

Compression Table Assembly:
Compressing the panel while it is being assembled ensures the studs are set completely into the track when the stud to track connections are made. This allows the finished panel to bear gravity loads without straining the stud to track connection. If the panel is not compressed in this way, gravity loads will be at least partially borne by the stud to track connection and making such a connection becomes impractical when you're dealing with the loads of a mid-rise structure.

Expedited Schedules:
When the walls are assembled ahead of time, the amount of labor that needs to happen on site is greatly reduced. This means lower travel and lodging costs for contractors (especially in remote locations) and faster erection times.