October 29, 2025 — The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) has published Technical Note F140-25, “Welding Cold-Formed Steel.”
In cold-formed steel (CFS) construction, welding provides a reliable connection method. Builders most often use arc welding to join CFS members and hardware components. Welding often serves as the preferred joining method for prefabricated roof trusses, wall panels and hardware connections.
CFSEI Tech Note F140-25, Welding Cold-Formed Steel
Welding Cold-Formed Steel
CFSEI Tech Note F140-25 covers:
- Applicable Codes
- Processes
- Procedures
- Design Considerations
- Fabrication
- Inspection
This Tech Note explains how engineers and fabricators apply welding principles under AISI S100 and AWS D1.3. It describes how professionals select processes, qualify procedures and perform inspections for quality and compliance. It discusses the following welding processes:
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Flux Cored Arc Welding
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
Cold-Formed Steel Welding Fabrication
The publication also highlights key design considerations such as weld strength, sheet tearing and workmanship. It offers practical guidance on fabrication techniques and safe welding practices, including discussion of:
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- Arc Seam Welds
- Fillet Welds
- Flare Groove Welds
- Groove Welds
- Arc Spot Welds
- Arc Plug Welds
Readers can use this document to design and evaluate welded CFS connections that meet industry standards.
- Tech Note F140-25 is free of charge to CFSEI Corporate, Professional and Student Members
- For nonmembers, F140-25 is available for purchase
Industry experts write and update CFSEI Technical Notes to guide professionals in cold-formed steel 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
- 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