Light Steel Framing Magazine Out Now!
LSF Magazine Issue 3 (April 2021) is available to read online here
As we went to press with our last issue in October 2020, optimism was in short supply. But now as the vaccine programme rollout continues at an unprecedented pace and lockdown restriction start to ease – there appears to be a real air of confidence around the construction community.
Despite all the challenges, the light steel sector is in good shape. The pandemic has increased the transition from outmoded site approaches to advanced methods which benefit from having fewer people on site. But many are now realising that taking the construction process into well-managed factory environments where social distancing and hygiene measures are easier to implement – is just one of a host of benefits. So, the unintended consequence of recent events, is to create a climate for rapid change.
But it is clear there are more forces at play – with the government-led drive towards modern methods of construction being one and the Brexit-driven fear of a skills exodus, another. One of the main factors of course is building safety and the introduction of new fire regulations – which has played to the strengths of the light steel frame sector.
In this issue we delve deep into building safety with Mark Lawson and Andrew Way of the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) introducing their new guidance on the fire resistance of light steel framing.
Another dominant feature is the Focus on Framing event – this offers our readers the opportunity to learn the views of main contractors, architects, engineers who are in ‘frank and forthright’ discussions with expert commentators and manufacturers from the light steel framing arena. Some thought-provoking facts emerged surrounding the circular economy – for example did you know that in the UK we are largely self-sufficient in steel, we can pretty well produce all the steel we need through recycling our latent stock to satisfy market demand?
When we gather a group of construction industry professionals together and pose some challenging questions – we cannot predict the outcome and quite a few revelations come to the fore.
We are interested in your light steel framing news, so if you have a pioneering project you would like to showcase, an innovation that is set to advance the industry or you have just won a ground-breaking contract – then we would like to hear from you.
Mike Fairey
Chairman - Light Steel Frame Association
Director - Fusion Building Systems
info@lsf-association.co.uk
