Pushing the Limits of Cold-Formed Steel Construction
At the 2026 CFSEI Expo, we sat down with Dr. Benjamin Schafer, Professor at Johns Hopkins University and leading researcher in cold-formed steel (CFS), to talk about one of the most ambitious research projects in the history of the industry.
After 8 years of work, Dr. Schafer and his team of researchers designed, built, and tested a full-scale 10-story building on the UC San Diego Shake Table, far beyond what ASCE 7 currently allows in high seismic zones. The testing program evaluates the full building system under multidirectional earthquake simulations, not just isolated components, including the interaction of shear walls, gravity walls, façades, window framing, finishes, and nonstructural systems.
The results?
The 10-story CFS structure survived 18 earthquake simulations, including two at code maximum limits, with minimal damage, leaving just a few drywall cracks. The estimated repair cost was roughly $100,000 on the full 10-story building.
The key takeaways of this research for the CFS industry:
- CFS can safely build taller than the current codes permit
- Lightweight systems equal to resilient systems in seismic design
- Use of modular and panelized construction technology benefits the structure
- Shifting the focus from resilient components to resilient systems gives us real-world results
This research is a call to action for the entire industry: architects, engineers, fabricators, insurers, and building owners. It’s time to move beyond the small box and let engineers do the engineering.
Learn more about the CFS-NHERI CFS-10 research study.
Congratulations to everyone involved in this once-in-a-lifetime research program.
Collaborators include: UC San Diego, John Hopkins University, Cal Poly, UMass Amherst, CFSEI, and more.
