SFIA’s Don Allen Shares Insights on Technology, Training and Code Advocacy on “If Walls Could Talk”

At Build 25: AWCI’s Convention & Expo in Charlotte, Don Allen, executive director of the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), caught up with Jill Bloom, group publisher of Walls & Ceilings, for an interview on the industry podcast, “If Walls Could Talk.”

In the interview, Allen outlined how SFIA is elevating cold-formed steel (CFS) framing through the deployment of labor-saving technologies, expanded training programs and a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the position of SFIA members against competing structural systems. Allen’s initiatives are bolstered by a broader membership base and an enhanced code-advocacy program.

Technology and Workforce Development

“Many young people still picture construction as pure manual labor. They don’t realize just how high-tech the job site has become,” says Allen. 

From exoskeletons that ease repetitive lifts to autonomous layout printers that mark stud locations in minutes, the construction industry is developing tech tools that streamline installation, reduce labor hours and appeal to a younger workforce.

SFIA plans to match that momentum by developing and promoting steel framing educational content, such as:

• YouTube micro-lessons to train new installers, for example, on the optimal use of screw guns
• New steel framing curriculum reviewed by the National Center for Construction Education & Research
• Support for the Steel—Doing It Right® online course from the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry

Allen’s vision is for SFIA to become the steel framing industry’s primary technical and educational resource.This summer, the association will unveil a strategic plan that weaves these educational pillars into its various programs and services.

“Education will be a cornerstone,” says Allen. “By training the next generation of carpenters, engineers and architects — even through non-traditional channels — we can build the skilled workforce our industry requires.”

Automation is reshaping the construction industry, with cold-formed steel (CFS) leading the way due to its superior efficiency and precision, making steel studs, joists and track the framing materials of choice for the future.

Code Advocacy and Partnerships

“We’ve assumed primary responsibility for code advocacy on behalf of the cold-formed steel community,” says Allen. 

Allen supports AISC‘s decision to incorporate AISI S100 into their primary structural steel code, AISC 360. This will ensure the future engineers learn CFS alongside structural steel in their undergraduate level courses.

Key elements of SFIA’s steel framing advocacy include:

• Promoting non-combustible steel framing in urban corridors affected by recent fires
• Collaborating with AWCI, the Metal Roofing Alliance and other trade bodies to amplify messaging
• Publishing case studies on BuildSteel.org that quantify cost and schedule gains when projects switch from wood to steel

“Other building materials have done a good job educating architects,” says Allen. “We need to match — and surpass — that effectiveness for steel.”

SFIA’s strategic roadmap is due out this summer. A preview of SFIA’s plans reveals the organization seeking deeper SkillsUSA engagement, offering new membership tiers and backing a steel-framed demonstration home at October’s METALCON in Las Vegas.

“Whenever architects, contractors and building professionals in general look for guidance, SFIA will ensure the path forward is clearly built in steel,” says Allen. 

Additional Resources

• SFIA’s Don Allen Discusses the Future of Cold-Formed Steel Framing Standards Development
• With ANSI Accreditation, SFIA Begins Process of Managing CFS Framing Standards
• SFIA Launches a Repository for Its Publications: A Hub for Steel Framing Technical Resources