by Georgie Ampudia
teamMADE Monthly Newsletter, April 2023
FRAMECAD can do it all. Within a roughly twelve foot long machine, your ADU’s steel skeleton can be pre-cut, formed, punched, numbered and labeled in minutes.
FRAMECAD integrates computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering software tailored to output quick and accurate fully-engineered designs through cold-formed steel (CFS) printing, where a roll-forming machine is able to print extremely precise steel frames and parts. And within a few days, a completed framed structure can be assembled in your backyard. As quoted by our team member JoJo Crowley, who teaches a FRAMECAD course at OCC, “It’s like assembling an IKEA furniture set, but easier”.
Cold-formed steel (CFS) is produced by shaping steel coils at ambient temperatures using a process known as roll-forming. This process involves feeding the steel coil through a series of rollers, which gradually bend and shape the steel into the desired profile.
The steel framing of our home is built entirely out of CFS, or light-gauge steel (LGS). FRAMECAD states that light-gauge steel is a combination of raw steel, iron ore, steel scrap, and carbon in a Basic Oxygen Furnace, forming molten steel that is then zinc-coated through galvanization, and bent into shape through a heat-free roll-forming machine. This process is a method that curbs carbon emissions within the industry as it lacks the need for heat.
Traditional construction methods have been outpaced by the demands imposed by rapid urbanization. Within the United States as of December 2022, California was the most urban, with 94.2% of its population residing within urban areas. A growth in cities calls for a demand in construction, where new structures must be built and existing structures must expand.
FRAMECAD offers distinct advantages over these building methods as it was designed to endure rapid construction. FRAMECAD claims that the machine itself running at optimized conditions can “produce frames at 2,296 LinFt/hour with a topline speed in excess of 9,020 LinFt/hour”. Consistent quick-printing alongside light-weight “pre-cut, formed, punched, numbered, and labeled” steel parts allows builders to efficiently carry and assemble pieces. Additionally, welding or cutting is not required as frames print with exact measurements, resulting in 1% material wastage and a reduction labor costs. Even complex framing members can be assembled with beginner level experience and minimal tools, creating construction opportunities for a wider population
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The key material, steel, is key to curbing carbon emissions in itself. Steel is the most recycled material on Earth, more than all other typical construction materials combined, and can be recycled repeatedly without losing its strength or durability. The use of CFS also allows for thinner walls compared to traditional construction materials, providing more internal space for the same total footprint, which is highly advantageous for addressing urban density demands. Steel is also non-combustible, can withstand hurricanes and earthquakes, and is resistant to mold, termites, insect infestation, deterioration, and rot.
The company emphasizes that structures can be easily built off-site and transported on-site. With prefabricated pieces and lightweight steel, FRAMECAD enables structures like our competition home to be efficiently assembled and transported as an off-site modular home
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The versatility FRAMECAD offers ranges from wall frames, roof trusses, floor joists, rough openings, stairs, and more. Our team will utilize all of these features in not only forming the home, but the site layout as well, for the Orange County Sustainability Decathlon.
OCC students in courses like “Design/Build” and “Intro to FRAMECAD” have already begun building certain aspects of the site. Such side projects include planters that will be built showcasing native California plants alongside the home, and a solar bikeshed will also be built from the steel as a part of the setup. With the FRAMECAD machine right on the Orange Coast College campus, students have the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology and learn valuable skills in design and construction.