Cold-formed steel framing, and why it behaves differently
Cold-formed steel is shaped from sheet at room temperature. It is light, dimensionally stable, non-combustible, recyclable and highly conductive, which is the property that shapes how it must be detailed.
What it is
Sheet steel is roll-formed into C-shaped studs, tracks and other profiles. The material is thin, so its capacity is governed as much by local buckling as by the strength of the steel itself, which is why it has its own design code in the AISI North American Specification.
It does not shrink, warp, twist, rot or burn, and it carries a minimum of 25 percent recycled content with indefinite recyclability.
The conductivity problem
Steel conducts heat hundreds of times better than wood. A steel stud wall insulated only between the studs performs dramatically below its nominal value, worse than the equivalent wood wall.
So cold-formed steel and continuous insulation belong together. Where the insulation is continuous and the steel does not span it, the conductivity stops being a penalty.
Why builders are moving to it
Framing labour is scarce and getting scarcer, and steel framing is dimensionally predictable in a way that lets components be made in a factory and fit on site. The same properties that make steel awkward thermally make it excellent for prefabrication.
What Guardian publishes
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The Shield™ structure is cold-formed galvanized steel embedded in the EPS core, screwed together with tie screws at a maximum of 3 feet apart, with panel-to-panel connections in 20-gauge minimum galvanized angle or track fastened with TEK screws.
Source · Shield™ Technical Product Description
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Cold-formed steel framing contains a minimum of 25 percent recycled steel and is continually and completely recyclable; more than 65 million tons of steel are recycled each year according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Source · Products page, environment section
Go deeper
North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members
ASTM A653/A653MStandard Specification for Steel Sheet, Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) or Zinc-Iron Alloy-Coated (Galvannealed) by the Hot-Dip Process
AWS D1.3Structural Welding Code — Sheet Steel
SSMA ICBO ER-4943PSteel Stud Manufacturers Association, Product Technical Information
Panel typeWall panels
FAQWhat is a Guardian Shield™ panel?
Written by Data Subsystems, for Guardian Structural Technologies. Last updated .
Drafted from Guardian Structural product literature and published building-science sources. Awaiting Guardian technical review. Confirm any figure against the current product documents or ask us before you rely on it in a design.