Expanding the use of Cold Formed Steel requires more tools and more products

As an industry, CFS has enjoyed and is benefiting from both advances in available design software and manufacturing processes. Roll former technology now allows more creativity in cold formed steel shapes so more products can be created for specific applications. In the past a limited number of shapes were available that may not have been the most efficient in certain applications. Software advancements have made analysis and design with various CFS shapes much easier and is now available to more people in the design community. For example, just a few years ago there were only a few truss design programs available and they were primarily limited to use by truss manufacturers. Today, several ‘off the shelf’ programs exist that structural engineers can utilize to size/design trusses themselves with very good results. As an example - The Advant Steel (https://www.advantsteel.com/) Truss chord section is designed specifically for use in shallow, parallel chord applications (floor and flat roof). Advanced design software is available through Structsoft (https://strucsoftsolutions.com/). More and more products will continue to be developed as design and manufacturing are now only limited by the designers imagination!