For more than half a century, cold-formed steel framing (CFSF) has been used in the construction marketplace for light industrial, commercial, residential, and other building construction. CFSF has several advantages over wood framing that has been traditionally used for similar structures and framing. Steel is not-combustible. It is not susceptible to attack by mold, fungi, or other organic materials. It is not susceptible to termites, or other wood-eating or consuming organisms. It does not support mold growth. It is dimensionally stable with changes in moisture content or vapor pressure. It is isotropic, and does not have knots, cracks, splits, or wanes. Other products that have been used in this building sector include poured concrete, concrete masonry units (CMUs) tilt-up walls, and to a lesser extent, structural steel. CFSF has both advantages and disadvantages with respect to some of these other, noncombustible materials.
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