In this video, provided by the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), Harry Jones II, SE, principal at DCI Engineers, tells the story of how a mid-rise cold formed steel (CFS) building performed during research tests that subjected it to fire and simulated earthquakes using the world’s largest outdoor shake table.

Researchers at University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering put a six-story, lightweight CFS building through a series of scaled motion earthquakes.

One of the main purposes of the tests was to see if it was even possible to withstand a historic earthquake combined with an ensuing fire in a multi-story, multi-family structure, an article in Walls & Ceilings says.

The test results proved, Walls & Ceilings says, that CFS could not only withstand the earthquakes and fire, but also could be built much more efficiently than traditional wood or concrete structures.

This SFIA video will help viewers develop an understanding of how mid-rise residential buildings are configured and identify the features of gravity and seismic systems in CFS construction.