Canadian company uses pre-cut steel in revolutionary new construction system

Here at ShapeCUT, we’re always on the lookout for original thinking in our industry, and it appears that a company working in Canada has come up with an interesting way of building efficient new homes.

The encouraging news for us is that steel cutting plays a vital role in the process.

The need for ‘net-zero’ homes

Under the Title 24 regulations, The Energy Commission of California requires new homes built in the state to produce as much energy as they generate before 2020.

Until now, thinking in this area has been restricted to insulation and investing in renewable energy options after the build has been completed, but Quebec firm BONE Structure now believe they are able to create truly energy-efficient homes on a mass scale, using steel framing.

How does the new technology work?

BONE is currently working on a custom home in Stanford, made up of a frame of pre-cut steel. The steel columns and beams which comprise the structure of the house are laser-cut in a manufacturing plant before being delivered to the site, where they can be assembled to form the shell of a medium-sized house by a small crew in just days.

What’s more, the builders need use only battery-powered drills and self-tapping screws to fix the steel beams together, with precut installation panels and electrical and plumbing systems fitting together to tightly seal the building.

This ensures homes are “net zero ready”, according to BONE vice-president Charles Bovet, “meaning they are extremely energy efficient and with the addition of a small solar system they can produce more energy than they consume.”

“The steel frame system allows for exciting design features that would not be possible using traditional building methods,” says Jacobson. “Interior spaces and window lines can run up to 25 ft (7.6 m) between columns.”

The shell of home is made up of 89% recycled steel and, with the company set to build 50 new homes in California this year, and 1,000 per year going forward, this could well be the future of construction.

ShapeCUT steel cutting

If BONE’s innovative thinking ever makes it across to Australia, you can ensure that we’ll be more than adept in providing laser cut steel to the construction industry if called upon – we’ve been working with home builders for 20 years, after all. Give ShapeCUT a call on   1800 SHAPECUT  to get your intricate one-off designs to heavy bulk orders placed.

Image Credit: http://bonestructure.ca/