Cold-Formed Steel QA and QC
The Steel Framing Industry Association’s quality assurance and quality control programs help contractors do the amazing.
Prior to 2011, before the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) was formed, manufacturers of cold-formed steel (CFS) studs and track lacked an industry-wide quality assurance and quality control program to give framing contractors confidence about the metal studs they used.
At the time, pressure on builders to limit construction risks had been increasing, and this made it difficult for metal studs to compete with other framing material types that had grading and certification programs in place.
SFIA was formed, in part, to put just such a QA/QC program in place.
“SFIA set the rules of engagement for the industry,” says Travis Vap of South Valley Drywall, who has served on the SFIA board of directors. “Ultimately, the SFIA QA/QC program gives the marketplace a level of certainty and consistency for steel framing product. We have developed synergies so that the market can depend upon us.”
The SFIA Code Compliance Certification Program for structural and non-structural CFS framing members was released in April 2011. Greg Ralph of ClarkDietrich helped develop the program and continues to oversee its upgrades.
Quality Assurance Arrives
In October 2010, the Executive Committee of the Association of Wall and Ceiling Industry agreed to start a new association of steel mills, steel stud manufacturers, building materials suppliers and contractors.
That month, Greg Ralph of Clark-Dietrich Building Systems (then with Dietrich Metal Framing), Randy Daudet of Simpson Strong-Tie and others were tasked to develop guidelines and provisions for industry-wide CFS certification.
“With strong support from AWCI as the contractor constituent, SFIA created a system of bylaws that mandates that manufacturers must be in the compliance program to be a member,” Ralph says. “And changing the compliance program requires a supermajority of the members. That protects the integrity of the program.”
The SFIA Code Compliance Certification Program was launched in April 2011. The AWCI board of directors endorsed it in May 2011, giving contractors the assurance that SFIA labeled steel meets all relevant codes and standards.
“The SFIA compliance program has been incredibly valuable for our industry,” says Eric Griswold of State Building Products and SFIA president, 2015-2018. “I believe it’s the longest running program of its kind in the history of steel framing, and it has proven to be successful for our manufacturing members and end-users, the contractors.”
SFIA certification programs assure architects, owners, building officials and contractors that specified CFS framing components, assemblies and installations meet recognized codes and standards.
QA/QC Standards Today
SFIA certification programs have since evolved. Today, the program for metal stud manufacturers, for example, fulfills the requirements found in the American Iron and Steel Institute’s S240 North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Structural Framing standard, the definitive standard for building walls correctly.
If you haven’t yet seen QA/QC requirements in project specifications, you likely will soon. Here’s what’s involved for steel stud, track and connector producers:
Quality Assurance
SFIA’s QA programs are achieved through physical testing. As such, participating producers are subject to unannounced inspections of their facilities and of product coming off their lines.
Quality Control
SFIA’s QC programs are process/document based. Providers must document all manufacturing, training, sales, raw materials ordering, fabrication and packaging processes.
SFIA has two product certification programs for producers.
- The SFIA Code Compliance Certification Program for Cold-Formed Steel Stud and Track requires the manufacturer to document the controls and procedures used during manufacturing to ensure the correct steel is ordered. Manufacturing crews must also monitor tolerances and stud shapes as the framing material comes off the line. It all requires strict record-keeping, including the ability to identify breakdowns in processes that may have resulted in product failures. The program is administered by Intertek Group, PLC, an independent third-party verifier.
- The SFIA Connector Manufacturing Compliance Certification Program covers steel connectors. It requires a QA program be in place and certifies that the coating weights and mechanical property requirements of manufactured connectors match designs and part drawings. It is also administered by Intertek.
All SFIA code compliance programs provide additional protection from li- ability for AWCI member contractors and carry the mark of quality recognized in the marketplace.
“Today, 82 percent of steel framing manufactured in the U.S. is certified by SFIA,” says Larry Williams, SFIA executive director since July 2012.
Larry Williams, SFIA executive director, and Patrick W. Ford, P.E., SFIA technical director, help the association maintain high standards for its QA/QC programs.
Steel Framing Industry Association
The Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, provides its members with exclusive access to technical cold-formed steel (CFS) framing marketing, sustainability and educational services, such as the SFIA Forum series.
SFIA member services include access to market data, market analysis, technical design guides, architectural services, environmental product declarations, CFS certification and more.
Additional Resources
- SFIA Celebrates its 10-Year Anniversary
- Uniting an Industry Then and Now — SFIA’s 10-Year Anniversary
- eBook: Specifying Cold-Formed Steel Framing: A Guide for Architects and Engineers