November 11, 2026 — The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) has published Tech W602-26, “Stud Base Overhang at Cold-Formed Steel Bearing Walls.”
Load-bearing cold-formed steel (CFS) wall studs should not overhang supporting elements. Engineers cannot use the full axial capacity of stud members when overhangs occur. Design methods should account for actual bearing conditions, and construction details should ensure full bearing whenever possible. Engineers should direct remediation if load-bearing studs do not achieve full bearing on supporting elements during construction.
Tech Note W602-26 on Stud Base Overhang at CFS Bearing Walls
CFSEI Tech Note W602-26 Covers:
- Stress considerations: How stud base overhang affects stress distribution and axial load capacity
- Concrete bearing conditions: Recommended slab edge tolerances to maintain full support of load-bearing CFS studs
- Steel bearing conditions: Supporting member width and alignment tolerances for CFS walls bearing on hot-rolled steel
- Wood and cross-laminated timber supports: Bearing considerations for wood and cross-laminated timber, including the potential need for bearing plates
- CFS bearing conditions: Alignment and erection tolerances for heavily loaded CFS bearing conditions
- Reinforcement methods: Engineered approaches for addressing inadequate bearing before and after structural loading
Referenced Code Standards
The publication references industry standards and technical resources, including:
- AISI S100-16 (220) w/S2-2020, North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Structural Framing, 2020 Edition
- AISI S240-20, North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Structural Framing, 2020 Edition
Tech Note W602-26 helps engineers design bearing conditions and evaluate stud base overhang in CFS load-bearing wall systems.
- CFSEI members: Corporate, Professional and Student Members can access Tech Note W602-26 free of charge
- Nonmembers: Purchase the publication through CFSEI
Industry experts write and update CFSEI Technical Notes to guide professionals in CFS design and construction.
Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute
The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) comprises hundreds of structural engineers and other design professionals. Together, they are finding a better way to produce safe and efficient cold-formed steel (CFS) designs for commercial and residential structures. CFSEI members develop industry standards and design methods. CFSEI issues technical bulletins, organizes seminars and provides online training so that engineers and design professionals can improve their knowledge and skills. CFSEI is part of the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) family. For more information, visit www.cfsei.org.
Additional Resources
- Updated CFSEI Tech Note Explains Cold-Formed Steel Truss-to-Bearing Connections
- CFSEI Releases Updated Tech Note G500-25: Field Guide – Inspection Checklist for Structural CFS Framing
- CFSEI Releases Tech Note B011-25 for Engineers New to Cold-Formed Steel Framing Design
- CFSEI Publishes Tech Note F140-25: ‘Welding Cold-Formed Steel’
- CFSEI Publishes Tech Note L400-25: ‘Non-Bearing Cold-formed Steel Lateral Force Resisting Systems’
- CFSEI Publishes Tech Note on Evaluation and Remediation of Cold-Formed Steel Members and Connections
- CFSEI Publishes Tech Note on the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Bearing Stiffeners
- CFSEI Publishes Tech Note on Hole Reinforcement of Cold-Formed Steel Compression Members
- CFSEI Publishes Technical Note on Strap Braced Wall Design, Loose Strap Considerations