It's now official - Metsec Steel Framing System (SFS) reduces construction costs by up to 39%. That's the conclusion of a newly published report from Faithful & Gould, which analyses the main construction cost differences between traditional block work and Metsec SFS to the inner skin of an external wall.

The Report was based on a four-storey residential building and compared Metsec SFS against block work both in conjunction with facing brickwork on the ground floor and lightweight render or timber cladding on the upper floors. The average cost saving on the building was 32% summarised in Appendix A of the Report.

In the first scenario - facing brickwork, the relatively cheap block was counter-balanced by the requirement for wind posts, head restraints, site attendance and site preliminary costs. In the second and third scenarios - insulated render or timber cladding, the cost of the cement particle board required with the SFS was significantly lower than that of the additional wind posts and head restraints necessary for the block work. For block work, the timber cladding proved to be the most complex and labour intensive and required a secondary timber frame as well as relatively expensive plywood backing resulting in a 39% cost saving in favour of SFS.

The research also highlights a number of other advantages to using Metsec SFS over block work. These advantages relate particularly to time-saving and environmental issues. The Report recommends that building users and clients seriously consider the consequence of building delivery being earlier and the resultant earlier rental and return income, when deciding whether to use block work or SFS.

Main Contractor, Shepherd Construction Limited, was particularly pleased with the way that Metsec SFS assisted in the construction of Greenquarter Block 6 in Manchester. They calculated that Metsec SFS could be erected over three times faster than block work. This quicker installation allowed the envelope substrate works (cement particle board and EPDM weathering operations) to start much earlier. Once two floors of the substrate had been completed, work started on window installation to a given floor. Using this system meant that floors were weather tight and internal fit-out could commence dramatically quicker than using block work would have allowed. The installation of Metsec SFS was programmed in tight behind the removal of the back propping for the RC concrete floors.

Adrian Bellingham, Sales Director of Metsec Framing Division, says: "We commissioned this research to provide independent evidence of the benefits of using Metsec SFS. Specifiers no longer need to simply take our word for it that significant savings can be achieved. Obviously each job is different and there will be a variety of factors to take into account, but SFS offers such a range of advantages, that it has to be a serious option, whatever the project."

   Click this link to download Faithful and Gould's full report.