Recently introduced in Africa, this method of building offers quality, cost efficient and speed of erection for low-rise residential and non-residential buildings. Sustainability
Light Steel Frame Building offers designers and building owners the opportunity to minimise energy wastage during building operations as well as during the life of the building. The primary steel industry worldwide has i
n recent times vastly improved production processes to minimise energy consumption and pollution. Furthermore, a large percentage of all scrap generated is re-used in electric arc furnaces to produce new steel, resulting in significant energy savings and a reduction of pollution. As Light Steel Frame Building is an engineered building method, use of materials is optimised offering savings in energy used to produce the materials. The mass of a wall in a Light Steel Frame Building is less than 10% of that of a double skin plastered brick wall. It follows that significant energy savings are achieved merely in the transport of the materials to the building site. Furthermore, wastage of materials on site is minimised, again reducing energy wastage by obviating the need to remove truck loads of building rubble after completion of the building process. However, the most significant energy saving is achieved over the life of the building. Light Steel Frame Buildings can be optimally insulated for each type of building, in the different geographic regions in Southern Africa, resulting in reduced energy wastage for heating and cooling. All the above factors combine to render Light Steel Frame Buildings energy efficient, and sustainable (info courtesy of SAFSA- www.safsa.co.za)