As lumber prices have risen and fluctuated unpredictably over the past few years, builders have increasingly sought the advantages of cold-formed steel frames for residential construction -- price stability; consistent quality; similarity to traditional framing; and resistance to fire, rot, and termites. However, the lack of prescriptive construction requirements has slowed wide acceptance of the method among home builders and code professionals.

Prescriptive Method for Residential Cold-Formed Steel Framing contains the first-ever HUD guidance on residential steel framing. It is based on 3 years of HUD-sponsored research conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center and recommendations from a steering committee composed of NAHB staff and other experts in the fields of construction, research, engineering, and building code enforcement.

This book and its companion volume, Commentary on the Prescriptive Method for Residential Cold-Formed Steel Framing, are intended to raise industry awareness about steel framing as an alternative construction system and provide long-awaited guidance for code officials and inspectors.