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Update #9: Cold-Formed Steel for Performing Arts Center, Child Care Centers and Student Training

BuildSteel is dedicated to tracking the use of cold-formed steel (CFS) framing in projects across the globe. This post features projects that highlight innovation, efficient construction and student training with CFS framing.

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Update #9: Cold-Formed Steel for Performing Arts Center, Child Care Centers and Student Training

Prefabricated CFS Supports Curved Brick Façade

The Round in Nunawading, Australia, is a modern performing arts center designed for community engagement and performance. Its striking, curved red brick façade is achieved through the innovative use of cold-formed steel (CFS) framing, which merges modern design with community context.

Over 23 tons of prefabricated CFS from TRUECORE were engineered into 162 custom panels that support a thin brick slip façade. The curved panels included laser‐cut profiled tracks, cut to an exact radius, to ensure precise architectural design. This approach enabled a faster installation process without the extensive use of scaffolding.

cold-formed steel panels brick slip façade

Over 23 tons of prefabricated cold-formed steel (CFS) were engineered into 162 custom panels to support a thin brick slip façade.

“The build was a large-scale, complex project which combined multiple curved and straight prefabricated wall panels to deliver a dynamic articulated façade,” said Dan Thomson, business development manager of CMG Frames. 

Collaboration between contractors and architects ensured that the steel system met both aesthetic and structural demands. This integrated approach not only streamlined construction but also set a benchmark for innovative, efficient building techniques in civic architecture.

Read the full article.

CFS Drives Rapid Build of 607 India Child Care Centers

The government of Gujarat, India, has launched a new initiative to construct 607 anganwadi-nand ghars (child care centers) using innovative cold-formed steel (CFS) framing technology. This project is set to modernize the country’s early childhood education infrastructure by providing state-of-the-art, cost-effective and sustainable childcare facilities.

Women and Child Welfare Minister Bhanuben Babariya stated that children are the nation’s future, and that anganwadi centers are crucial for laying a strong foundation for their development. The state government is committed to removing any obstacles that might hinder their growth.

 

“The state has begun using advanced technologies, like light gauge steel framing, to ensure the newly built anganwadi-nand ghars are sustainable and of superior quality,” says Babariya. 

Minister Babariya explained that CFS technology was selected after six months of research and consultation. Steel framing enables the construction of the anganwadi-nand ghars in just 60 days, and ensures the structures are resilient against earthquakes, moisture and fire. 

Read the full article. 

CFS Student Training Part of Innovation Hub

In Perth, Western Australia, the TAFE Balga Campus has recently completed a $51 million redevelopment and will begin welcoming students later this year. Designed by Hassell, the project replaces 22 modular and transportable classrooms originally constructed in the 1970s. Central to this upgrade is the Construction Skills Innovation Hub, which includes a cold-formed steel (CFS) construction training center offering students practical experience with modern building products.

 

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“The Innovation Hub offers a cutting-edge future trades workshop, where students can gain the skills needed for jobs using emerging and future construction technologies,” says Western Australian Premier Roger Cook. The hub is expected to train more than 5,800 students annually including apprentices, new migrants, and those pursuing foundational skills.

This new Construction Skills Innovation Hub forms part of the Western Australian Labor Government’s record $250 million investment in new and upgraded infrastructure at TAFE colleges across the state. It is the final capital works project—of a total of 15—delivered at TAFE campuses throughout Western Australia since 2021.

Read the full article.

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