The South African Light Steel Frame Building Association (Sasfa) says, in the past seven years, light steel frame building (LSFB) has become the most viable alternative building method for low to medium rise buildings.

Sasfa recently released a report, which revealed that “the steel consumption of the LSFB industry has grown to some 25 000 t/y of high strength galvanized steel sheet, notching up a growth rate of 20% a year over the last five years”.

Director John Barnard says this has resulted in growth in the use of LSFB countrywide. Most recently, well-known fast food franchiser McDonald’s  built LSFB restaurants in Cape Town and Pretoria.

Also setting the trend is car manufacturer, Delta Motors, which, according to Barnard, is also an important example of the efficacy of the LSFB method. “They built a state-of-the-art 1800 m² facility in less than six months, which is about three months faster than conventional building methods – saving more than 30% of construction time,” he added.

Barnard says the speed of con-struction has become one of the main attractions for choosing LSFB over traditional construction methods. “Firstly, the lightweight steel frame is manufactured and assembled to spec in the factory and then erected quickly on site. Once it is in place, the building can be enclosed and internal finishes, such as tiling and painting, can start much sooner than with masonry structure,” Barnard says.

“Time can also be saved when using LSFB by different disciplines of work in parallel. For example, LSFB window apertures can be agreed to upfront with the glass and aluminium contractor, even before the light steel frame walling is installed, since the framing system is extremely accurate.”

In a world that is trying to avoid global warming and conserve the environment, the LSFB method is the best construction option. Earlier this year, popular TV environment conservist Francois van Wyk approached Sasfa to participate in a 13-part series on “ecofriendly building”. Van Wyk said that when they started researching LSFB, they came upon the many ecofriendly benefits of this building method, which “were obviously right in line with the concept and format of the TV series”.

Meanwhile, the Sasfa report also reveals that LSFB is significantly more energy efficient than more traditional construction methods. “Steel is also a reusable and recyclable material, which means that it reduces the overall carbon footprint of the building project. It should be noted that a LSF building, built to SANS 517 (the building standard for light steel frame building in South Africa), fully complies with the requirements of SANS 10400 XA, and in fact also that of the more stringent SANS 204 (energy efficiency standard),” Barnard says.

Government is also making strides in supporting the use of enviro-friendly constrution methods. The Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission recently announced that 60% of new public buildings, such as schools and clinics, will use enviroment-friendly methods. Barnard says this could not have been announced at a better time. “Now is a very exciting time for LSFB in South Africa, as people increasingly realise that LSFB can be used for a range of different applications and recognise the considerable benefits of the building method, both practical and environmental,” he adds.

However, Barnard cautions that despite this growth, there is a need to ensure that standards are always kept at the highest levels. He says work has started on a comprehensive revision of SANS codes and standards to ensure that high standards are set and met. “Sasfa is represented on the SANS 10400L (roofs) committee of the South African Bureau of  Standards (SABS)  to ensure that LSFB is correctly covered in the code revisions. It is also represented on the SABS committee SC98C, which is responsible for all standards dealing with steel or aluminium in building and construction and, in addition, preparations are being made to revise SANS 517,” he concludes.