Whether you are specifying a system, planning a project or assessing the right construction solution, our FAQs provide clear, practical answers to the questions most commonly asked by specifiers, contractors and developers. Drawing on Frameclad’s experience in the design, engineering and manufacture of light steel framing systems, our FAQs provide insight to help inform decisions from early-stage design through to delivery.
Frameclad’s light steel frame (LSF) technology uses precision-engineered cold formed steel sections to create loadbearing or non- loadbearing wall, floor and roof systems. Sections are manufactured to project-specific designs using automated cold roll-forming technology, enabling components, panels or modules to be produced accurately offsite before being delivered to site for assembly.
The earlier the better. Early involvement with Frameclad allows the structural system, grid, floor-to-floor dimensions, service zones, connections, cladding interfaces and manufacturing strategy to be considered together. This can identify opportunities for standardisation, reduce redesign and improve buildability before the project reaches detailed design or procurement.
Our offsite manufacture and industrialised construction approach can vastly reduce the building programme by cutting the amount of work required on site – creating greater predictability in the construction programme. Components or panels arrive manufactured to the required design, reducing cutting, drilling and fabrication on site. Specific programme savings depend on the project’s design, procurement, logistics and installation strategy.
Yes, the high strength-to-weight ratio of light steel makes it particularly useful for refurbishment, rooftop extensions and airspace development where minimising additional structural loads is important. Frameclad’s Top Box solutions are designed for applications where additional accommodation needs to be created above existing buildings.
Yes. The manufacturing approach can be adapted to site constraints. Panelised systems can provide rapid assembly where access permits, while stick-built systems can be considered where restricted access, lifting limitations or site conditions make larger panels impractical.
Like any construction system, light steel frame needs to be considered at an early design stage. Structural loads, building height, spans, fire performance, thermal bridging, acoustic requirements, connection detailing, transportation and site access all need to be assessed. Early engagement with our experienced LSF designers and engineers can identify any potential constraints.
Yes, our light steel frame systems are particularly suited to digital design and manufacturing because components can be modelled and engineered to precise dimensions before production. Frameclad uses bespoke Tekla software and BIM-compliant processes to connect design information with manufacturing requirements.
Our light steel is non-combustible, but fire resistance is a property of the complete wall, floor or structural assembly rather than the steel section alone. Frameclad undertakes extensive fire testing of our loadbearing and non-loadbearing solutions to demonstrate performance against relevant standards, with systems achieving fire resistance periods of up to 120 minutes.
Frameclad takes an evidence-led approach to fire safety, supported by extensive fire testing of our light steel frame systems. Testing includes wall and floor assemblies and is undertaken against relevant British and European standards. This provides project teams with documented evidence of system performance rather than relying solely on theoretical calculations.
Yes, our light steel framing has a high strength to weight ratio and can be engineered for multi-storey construction. Frameclad’s loadbearing systems have been developed for buildings up to nine storeys and beyond, subject to project specific structural design, loading and site conditions.
Yes, our loadbearing and non-loadbearing infill light steel frame systems can be used for apartments, build-to-rent, student accommodation, hotels and other multi-storey residential developments. Systems can be engineered around the specific structural, fire, acoustic, thermal and dimensional requirements of the building.
Yes, our light steel frame solutions can form part of highly energy-efficient building envelopes when combined with appropriate insulation, thermal bridging strategies, airtightness measures and building services. The overall energy performance depends on the complete building design rather than the framing system alone.
Acoustic performance depends on the complete wall or floor build-up, including insulation, boards, cavities, connections and junctions. Frameclad’s light steel systems can be designed to meet demanding acoustic requirements for residential, education, healthcare, hotel and other applications.
Frameclad designs and manufactures a range of light steel frame systems for different building applications, including ECO-LSF, loadbearing, non-loadbearing, infill, modular and top box systems. Each system is engineered to meet the specific structural, dimensional, fire, thermal, acoustic and project requirements of the building.
ECO-LSF is Frameclad’s light steel framing solution manufactured from 100% recycled steel produced using Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology powered by renewable energy. It provides the performance and dimensional accuracy associated with light steel framing while supporting projects seeking to reduce embodied carbon and improve material efficiency.
Loadbearing light steel frame forms part of the building’s primary structure, transferring loads through the frame to the foundations. Non-loadbearing light steel frame, including infill systems, is designed to form the building envelope or internal walls while transferring its own loads and environmental loads back to the primary structure. The appropriate system depends on the building design, structural strategy and project requirements.
Loadbearing light steel frame can be used where the framing forms part of the building’s primary structural system. It is suitable for a range of building types and can be used as a standalone structural solution or alongside other structural materials, depending on the project design.
A non-loadbearing light steel frame system is typically used as an infill solution within a primary structure, such as a concrete or hot rolled steel frame. It forms external or internal walls without carrying the primary structural loads of the building.
A modular light steel frame system is manufactured as part of a volumetric modular construction approach, where structural frames and other building components are assembled into three-dimensional modules offsite before being transported to site. Light steel provides a strong, dimensionally stable structural framework suited to precision modular manufacturing.
A top box or airspace system is a lightweight light steel frame solution used to create additional storeys above an existing building. By introducing a lightweight structural frame, a top box approach can enable vertical extensions while helping to minimise additional loads imposed on the existing structure.
Our light steel frame infill systems provide a lightweight, high-performance solution for forming the external walls of primary concrete or hot rolled steel structures. Manufactured offsite to precise tolerances, Frameclad’s infill systems are designed to integrate efficiently with the primary structure, helping to reduce structural loads, simplify installation and improve programme certainty.
LEAF – a Lightweight Engineered Adjustable Frame is an adaptable solution developed by Frameclad that is simple in form yet revolutionary in application. The four-axis adjustable light steel frame infill system can be extended and aligned in all directions to overcome the challenges associated with mainframe dimensional discrepancies. As an exterior high performance infill walling system, it is typically designed to resist wind loads and engineered to take a wide spectrum of external cladding systems. For interior infill walling applications, LEAF can be engineered to meet design briefs and Building Regulations for fire resistance, thermal and acoustic insulation in buildings below and above 18 metres.
Grounded in the principles of circular construction and powered by the rapid decarbonisation of steel production – our light steel frame systems are emerging as a leading Net Zero solution.
ECO-LSF combines 100% recycled steel content with Electric Arc Furnace production powered by renewable energy sources. This can significantly reduce embodied carbon by up to 70% compared with conventional steel production. Its environmental performance can be assessed using project-specific data and the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
Frameclad’s light steel frame is significantly lighter than many conventional structural systems including timber and masonry, which can reduce the loads transferred to foundations. However, foundation requirements are project-specific and depend on factors including building design, ground conditions, loading and site constraints
The precision of our combined digital design, engineering and offsite manufacturing method can significantly reduce material waste by producing steel components to project-specific dimensions in a controlled factory environment.
Yes. Steel can be recovered and recycled repeatedly without losing its fundamental structural properties. This makes light steel framing compatible with circular economy principles, particularly when material information, connections and end-of-life strategies are considered during the digital design process.
Yes. Steel’s ability to be recovered and recycled, combined with the material efficiency of cold-formed steel framing and the precision of offsite manufacture, makes light steel frame well suited to circular construction principles. Designing for disassembly, retaining material information and considering future reuse can further support circularity.
Light steel frame can contribute to reducing both embodied and operational carbon when it is appropriately designed and integrated into the wider building system. Its lightweight construction, material efficiency, offsite manufacture and recyclability can support embodied carbon reduction.
The carbon footprint of a light steel frame system depends on the type and quantity of steel used, how it is manufactured, transportation, fabrication and the wider construction build-up. Using steel with a higher recycled content and lower-carbon production route can reduce embodied carbon.
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