Load-Bearing Cold-Formed Steel: Behind the Facade at 2501 Beacon Hill Apartments and The Canyons Clubhouse

Apex Engineers
Jul 23
3 min read

As developers and architects look for smarter ways to build mid-rise residential and commercial buildings, load-bearing cold-formed steel (CFS) is gaining traction as a versatile and efficient framing solution - especially for larger and more complex projects. At Apex, we have extensive experience designing with load-bearing CFS and understand the structural advantages it offers.

Check out two recent projects - 2501 Beacon Hill Apartments and The Canyons Clubhouse - that showcase how load-bearing CFS can be used effectively in a variety of commercial applications.

What are the advantages of load-bearing cold-formed steel construction?

High Strength-to-Weight Ratio
Load-bearing CFS is ideal for buildings where both structural capacity and material efficiency matter. It can carry significant loads while remaining lightweight, which can reduce foundation requirements.
Dimensional Stability
Unlike wood, CFS doesn't warp, twist, or shrink over time, making it a highly resilient and reliable building material. For example, wood framing often requires extra accommodations for plumbing systems due to shrinkage, which can lead to leaks and long-term maintenance issues if not properly addressed. CFS also supports alternate or higher-end finishes like brick, with less risk of damage from the movement and expansion commonly seen with wood.
Sustainability
CFS contributes to sustainability by reducing overall material use, extending building life cycles, and minimizing waste thanks to its recyclability. Its cost efficiency also adds to its appeal as a sustainable building solution.
Non-Combustible and Code Compliant
Its non-combustible nature makes it ideal for meeting the fire-resistance ratings required in many residential and commercial buildings. It can also lead to long-term cost savings for developers through reduced insurance premiums tied to increased fire resistance.
Design Flexibility
Advances in software and manufacturing have made load-bearing CFS a highly adaptable option for complex designs - including large openings, curved walls, and multi-story layouts. With customizable elements like flange width and thickness, CFS gives architects the freedom to push creative boundaries - and we can engineer it to work.

It also allows for reduced floor-to-floor heights, which lowers overall building height and reduces associated finish costs - exterior, interior, and mechanical. In some cases, lower building heights can provide added flexibility in meeting allowable square footage limits for certain occupancy classifications.

What's the difference between load-bearing and non-load-bearing cold-formed steel?

Cold-formed steel can be used in two primary ways: for structural (load-bearing) framing or for non-structural interior partitions. Load-bearing CFS supports vertical and lateral loads from floors, roofs, and walls, while non-structural CFS only carries its own weight and is often used for interior finishes.

Why use it instead of wood framing?

While wood remains a common framing material, CFS offers several advantages for larger or more complex buildings:

Non-combustibility (which helps meet fire codes in Type III and V construction)
More predictable behavior - CFS won't shrink, warp, or rot
Greater capacity for prefabrication and speed
More design flexibility for long spans and large openings

Apex Load-Bearing Cold-Formed Steel Project Highlights

2501 Beacon Hill Apartments - Kansas City, MO

This 240,000-square-foot, 260-unit mixed-use development is a prime example of load-bearing cold-formed steel in action. The five-story building, constructed on a slab-on-grade foundation, features a CFS load-bearing wall system and light-gauge steel roof framing. Long-span metal decking was used for the floors, eliminating the need for joists and significantly reducing floor thickness - allowing for decreased floor-to-floor height, increased ceiling height, and increased usable space.

On this project, the contractor, Centric, championed the use of cold-formed steel over wood, recognizing its long-term advantages including durability, code compliance, and cost savings over the life of the building.

Canyon House - Castle Pines, CO

Canyon House is a 12,600-square-foot neighborhood clubhouse that offers spaces to work out, relax, and take in beautiful mountain views from its restaurant and bar. The building features load-bearing cold-formed steel (CFS) trusses and framing systems throughout.

Several factors contributed to the choice to use load-bearing CFS for this project. First and foremost, the contractor, Waner Construction Company, was familiar with CFS construction - a key consideration as they're the ones working directly with the material! The design also included fairly tall walls, which would have been more difficult to source lumber for (you need taller trees!). Because CFS is fabricated, it offers much more flexibility in length. Finally, the architect, Woodley Architectural Group, Inc., wanted shallow scissor trusses to create vaulted ceilings at the rear of the building. While this would have posed challenges for a wood truss manufacturer, it was very doable using CFS.