Developed by the Committee on Cold-Formed Steel Members of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Structural Engineering Institute, ASCE/SEI has released Cold-Formed Steel Connections to Other Materials: A Design Guide by Perry S. Green, Ph.D., P.E.

The comprehensive guide explores the use of cold-formed steel in conjunction with other structural and nonstructural materials, including steel, concrete, concrete masonry units, brick masonry and wood, in the design and construction of buildings and structures.

Practical Examples for Engineers

The guide assists engineers by providing practical examples of designing across material boundaries, addressing the challenges encountered when connecting CFS to different materials.

Topics include:

  • CFS connections to structural steel
  • CFS connections to concrete
  • CFS connections to concrete masonry units and brick masonry
  • CFS connections to wood
  • Clip angle strength checks
  • Material sizing definitions
  • Industry organizations

Addressing Connection Design Challenges

The guide is intended as a valuable resource for professionals in material industries, engineering students studying CFS and other materials, and the CFS design community. It addresses connection design challenges among different materials during the design and construction of structures.

As noted in the preface, the publication relies on the engineer’s existing knowledge of several codes and specifications, though it is not essential to have all of them readily available. It serves as reference for undergraduate capstone design courses, exposing students to the design and use of materials like CFS, CMU, brick masonry and wood — areas not frequently covered for students concentrating in structures and structural design.

The material presented was developed to bridge the gap between various codes and standards for the CFS design community and the hot-rolled steel, concrete, brick and masonry, and wood industries when faced with connection design problems among these different materials.

Cold-Formed Steel Connections to Other Materials: A Design Guide is available for purchase from the ASCE library.