Cold-formed steel structures around the world

Today, cold-formed steel (CFS) structures enjoy widespread use in many countries and design specifications, e.g., [1] and [2] are well established, even if they are ever changing! Extensive reviews of the CFS literature are available [3], [4] and more targeted research reviews also exist: [5], [6] and Chapter 13 of [7]. However, even in the last five years significant progress has been made, particularly in analysis and design. Further, the state of the art in cold-formed steel applications, both structures and members, has not been detailed. This brief review paper provides an overview of recent advances in CFS structural applications, members, analysis, member design, system design, and seismic design. The selected topics and discussions have two strong biases that must be recognized from the outset: (1) many of the applications are focused on North America, where the author resides and has the greatest interaction with the practice, and (2) the selected topics largely reflect areas where the author has been involved in one form or another (through direct research, committee work in the development of codes and specifications, or international collaborations). Given these biases, it is without a doubt that, novel applications and important research will be missed, for these shortcomings the fault is that of the author alone, and apologies are extended.