SFA NEWS

SFA Presenting Education Session At NAHB Green Building Conference
In an effort to help builders and designers get the maximum advantage from steel framing and the new proposed National Green Building Standard™, the Steel Framing Alliance (SFA) will deliver a presentation at the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) 10th annual Green Building conference in New Orleans this month.

“Going Green With Steel Framing” also marks the first time the SFA will provide guidance on how to successfully incorporate green building requirements into construction projects using cold-formed steel at this conference. Scheduled from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13th, the Alliance will walk attendees through some of the latest advances in design for sustainable projects that are resistant to mold, insects, and off-gassing. The SFA is a market development organization, charged with enabling and encouraging the growth of steel framing in the construction industry.

As builders continue to face increasingly challenging and rigid design requirements, this presentation should also help point out that there are more options available than the traditional building materials most are familiar with. According to Maribeth Rizzuto, SFA’s director of training and education, attendees will walk away with solid information about what makes steel framing a sustainable building material that can also successfully meet the many environmental challenges unique to the Gulf Coast.

“There’s no question that the Gulf Coast region has to build back safe structures that are capable of withstanding whatever nature throws at us. And what better way to achieve this than to re-build with a durable product like cold-formed steel that does not contribute fuel to a fire, won’t get eaten by termites, does not provide a food source for mold, and can be designed to endure winds exceeding 150 miles per hour,” she said.

The hour-long presentation will also cover effective ways to meet energy codes using durable, readily available products without breaking the bank. In addition to Ms. Rizzuto, the featured presenters include Don Allen, P.E., SFA director of engineering, and Danny Feazell, president and CEO of Premium Steel Building Systems in Roanoke, Va., who will speak to the critical role a builder plays in achieving sustainability for any construction project.

NAHB’s Green Building Conference will take place from May 11-13, 2008 at the Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans. For more information about “Going Green With Steel” as well as cold-formed steel’s environmental attributes, contact Maribeth Rizzuto at (412) 521-5210 or mrizzuto@steelframing.org.