The Steel Framing Solution
Brendan O’Neill,
Posted
08/01/2010
Metal
Construction News sat down with Ray Frobosilo, president &
founder of Edison N.J.-based Super Stud Building Products, to get
his thoughts on trends in the metal framing market segment both now
and in the future.
MCN: What will it take to make light-gauge steel
the framing material of choice for non-residential
construction?
Ray Frobosilo: Light-gauge, or coldformed steel
framing (CFS), has made significant strides as a cost-effective
solution in commercial, industrial and institutional construction
over the past eight years or so. This has happened largely due to
the American Iron and Steel Institute's (AISI) coordinate committee
work to integrate CFS prescriptive standards into the new
International Building Codes (IBC).
Those efforts have been ongoing since the early '90s and culminated
in the IBC recognizing and integrating many of the advantages CFS
can offer into the codes starting with the 1998 revisions. CFS can
now be used in taller structures than before and that has opened up
new opportunities and design solutions. In the years since these
code changes, architects, engineers, owners and GCs have been more
open to CFS as an alternative to wood and concrete.
CFS saves time through integration of more work through fewer
trades and the ability to utilize panelization. Since it is
lighter, it most often reduces foundation costs. Since it is
non-combustible, it offers quantifiable savings to the owner going
forward, notable with fire insurance and reduction in mold related
issues. These are especially relevant in the hospitality, assisted
living and multifamily markets where schedules and ongoing
operating costs are especially relevant.
MCN: What are the obstacles to light gauge steel
framing playing a larger role in the residential market? How can
the industry overcome them?
Frobosilo: The biggest single obstacle is atrained
labor force, especially if steel tries to compete with wood framing
on a stick-for-stick basis, which is how most carpenters are going
to relate to it. Further integration of prescriptive method for
single-family homes is also going to be needed, as currently most
every steel framed home must be engineered, which is not the case
for wood framed homes in most of the country.
Other things that will begin to change this will be integration of
new products and methods that will reduce the barriers to CFS being
a cost-effective option, including things such as proprietary panel
systems like Fro Mar, and panelization in general will reduce the
amount and level of skilled labor needed to build a home. To date,
these have been the most significant barriers to entry into
single-family markets. Some large builders have put significant
resources into the effort with varying degrees of success, but even
the most noteworthy of those endeavors were not prepared to deal
with the impact of the banking debacle that came to light in2008
and its impact on the overall construction markets.
MCN: What are the newest innovation
in steel framing?
Frobosilo: The most prevalent innovations relate to
non-structural framing where there has been an emergence of "EQ,"
or equivalent drywall framing products that have resulted in many
new design innovations that will represent significant savings in
partition wall framing in the long run.
Super Stud's product in this genre is called The EDGE and it is
having a very positive impact on our business. There are also new
panel and structural systems being brought to market that will
render CFS more cost-effective than ever. Our Fro Mar panel has
recently obtained the difficult Miami-Dade approval for sustained
150-mph resistant construction, and this will allow CFS to be more
relevant than ever in affordable, sustainable safe housing in
disaster-prone regions.
MCN: How is steel framing important to the green
building movement?
Frobosilo: Steel is the most recycled material on
Earth. As such, CFS is a major contributor to LEED qualification.
Unfortunately, this often results in misunderstanding and
misinterpretation on the part of contractors and design
professionals, as they tend to rely on steel to contribute more to
this process than is allowed under the LEED criteria. There needs
to be some stabilization and better education as to what LEED is
and how steel can contribute to this process. This
misinterpretation often results in confusion in the construction
process and this can result in delays.
MCN: Who specifies steel framing… the architect?
The contractor? How can they be influenced?
Frobosilo: The architects are key,as much of the
liability for a satisfied client falls on their shoulders. In that
regard, the owner is also a key influencer. Once these two buy into
CFS as a viable option, the GC generally is on board. We talk above
about the benefits that are now being legitimized by the IBC, and
that is huge in this process. The key is to know the facts and not
misrepresent what CFS can offer. The process has to be managed
credibly for it all to come together.
MCN: What are the architectural benefits to steel
framing over other materials?
Frobosilo: Lighter weight affords the architect
innumerable design options compared to other materials while
significantly reducing foundation costs. For example, many of Frank
Geary's enormously complex designs are framed using CFS. Also, the
lion's head at the entrance of the MGM hotel in Las Vegas is framed
using CFS. Take a look around Las Vegas or Orlando and much of the
theming you see can only be accomplished using cold-formed steel.
In the case of more traditional structures such as hotels, the
architect can offer the clientas many design options as with any
other material while still keeping weight and costs down and
providing a safe, sustainable, mold resistant structure. No other
material can make those claims.
MCN: What sets your company's product(s) apart
from your competitors?
Frobosilo: We are fortunate to have been able to grow
our business by focusing on customer service and relationships.
That has allowed us to be financially successful, and we have
poured those profits back into our business to develop new products
and expand our product range into related markets that are not
necessarily steel related.
Most noteworthy among our products that set us apart from our
competitors: The EDGE EQ framing system has set a new standard for
this product genre.
Fro Mar is the only steel panel yet approved by Miami-Dade that
does not require any additional sheathing to obtain a 150-mph
sustained rating. This product has tremendous potential for
military base construction, as well.
We manufacture a complete line of hollow metal doors at our plant
in Edison, N.J.