Last fall, months of preparation paved the way for the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute’s (CFSEI) formal re-launch of the Fire and Acoustic Task Group at METALCON International in Las Vegas. Since then, the CFSEI Fire and Acoustic Task Group hasn’t looked back as it continues to put the finishing touches on a new Technical Note on “Cost-Effective Cold-Formed Steel Fire and Acoustic-Rated Wall and Floor/Ceiling Assemblies for Multi-Unit Structures.”

Developed under the auspices and through the efforts of Task Group volunteers, this new Technical Note is a tangible product of Task Group efforts benefiting CFSEI members and the industry. However, the Technical Note represents just one of the issues the Fire and Acoustic Task Group has been addressing since its reactivation last year, and the Tech Note is the first installment in a planned succession of resources the Task Group has identified as “needed resources.”

Formerly the Fire Sound and Thermal Task Group, the Thermal Task Group was spun off as a separate entity in 2007 to focus on the very specific issues dealing with steel framing and heat transfer. The remaining issues relating to fire resistance, steel-framed fire rated assemblies, sound transfer, and acoustic rating and testing were assigned to the CFSEI Fire and Acoustic Task Group at that time.

To spearhead the Fire and Acoustic Task Group, CFSEI tapped Ray Frobosilo Sr., president of Super Stud Building Products in Astoria, N.Y., with more than 35 years experience in the steel framing industry, to chair the new group. Frobosilo’s dedication to helping grow the industry has also helped focus the Task Group on setting a realistic agenda to accomplish its strategic objectives, and the technical expertise and market experiences of Task Group volunteers has been instrumental in developing accurate data and practical analysis vital for technical resource development.

“Over the past year, there has been great progress, especially in identifying competitive systems that compare favorably to other products in the marketplace,” Frobosilo said. “Task Group efforts are beginning to pay off.”

The Fire and Acoustic Task Group is scheduled to meet again at METALCON International in Baltimore, MD on Oct. 2 at 8 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center, Room 334. All interested individuals are invited to attend the meeting. Anyone interested in participating in this task group but unable to attend the October meeting can contact CFSEI Manager Brian Berger at (910) 431-3115 or bberger@cfsei.org.