COLD-FORMED STEEL PANELIZATION & PREFABRICATION
© Elevate Snaps
Engineered for Impact
Salas O’Brien offers an array of cold-formed steel (CFS) engineering design services for panelization and prefabrication. Our integrated, versatile designs reduce project complexity and risk while accelerating your project’s speed to market.
“Our cold-formed steel panelization and prefabrication design expertise is second to none. Our supportive, responsive team always puts your needs and the needs of your project first.”
Russ Leffler, PE, SE, MLSE Structural Principal, Salas O’Brien
What we offer:
\ Wall and ceiling prefabrication
\ Prefabricated metal structures
\ Prefab office and bathroom pods
\ Prefab patient room headwalls
\ Prefab corridor racks
\ Prefab backing
\ Prefab skids and ancillary structures
\ Fully integrated Building Information Modeling (BIM)
• Construction drawings
• Integrated shop drawings
• VDC/Multi-trade coordination models
• LOD 400+ fabrication models and drawings
Pre-Fabricated CFS Walls Colorado Convention Center Vertical Expansion Denver, CO
®
185,000
Square feet of CFS panels for two concourse expansions at the Denver International Airport
Faster completion and more predictable costs through advanced technology solutions
When speed-to-market is crucial, we offer advanced technology CFS solutions. The critical path for typical building construction is linear until the core and shell phases are complete, as only the structural trades can progress. Using prefabricated CFS wall panels and/or modular structures speeds up the time it takes to dry-in facilities, allowing all interior trades to begin their work sooner and reducing core and shell construction time by up to 40%. This approach reduces waste, site labor, and construction time while producing a higher-quality product with more predictable costs.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS The right expertise to deliver optimum results
800+ CFS projects completed
24 Years of CFS design experience 14 CFS industry design awards
Enhanced Quality with LOD 400+ Fabrication Models & Drawings
Speed to market can be further improved by incorporating LOD 400+ fabrication models and drawings. This includes individual panel or module sheets with a comprehensive bill of materials, complete with labeled and dimensioned members used for fabrication and assembly. Our approach reduces waste, site labor, and construction time while producing a higher quality, more consistent product.
Versatility and Flexibility
CFS wall panels are versatile and can be used in various applications, including medical wall and ceiling prefabrication, equipment supports, and seismic anchorage. They can also help achieve your unique design vision by accommodating a wide range of architectural designs including curved openings, wing walls, large, column-free spans, unique exterior façades and soffit features, and more.
Decreased Environmental Impact
Steel is widely recognized as the most recycled material used today. Its ability to be reused and recycled decreases environmental impact and improves progress toward your project’s sustainability goals. Prefabrication also results in less job site waste compared to traditional construction methods where cutting and fitting materials on-site can lead to significant scrap.
Faster enclosure, minimized operational impact achieved through CFS panelization
Denver International Airport (DIA) Concourse B & C Expansions CFS Engineering DENVER, CO, USA
In 2019, DIA undertook a large expansion project for two of its three concourses. Concourses B and C were increased by 126,000 square feet and 530,000 square feet respectively. Salas O’Brien undertook the challenge of designing a wide variety of CFS and CFS/steel hybrid panels and incorporating the two systems into one panelization process. The panel design allowed the client to receive the steel members directly from the supplier for insertion into the panels and for the panels to be constructed off-site due to project site space constraints. The offsite fabrication component had its own set of challenges, including coordinating the structural steel within the CFS panels to allow for reasonable panel sizes and execution and design for special structural considerations for loads incurred during transportation to and installation at the project site. Salas O’Brien’s expertise in CFS panelization, combined with our extensive project track record at DIA, minimized the CFS trade’s envelope impact on airport operations and allowed for faster enclosure.
SERVICES Structural Engineering, CFS/Steel Hybrid Panelization
COMPLETION YEAR 2023
SIZE
656,000 square feet
PROJECT PARTNERS
Jacobs, Four Star Drywalll
CONSTRUCTION COST
$1 billion
Winner
2024 Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute Design Excellence Awards Honorable Mention
185,000 square feet of prefabricated CFS panels
© Vampworx
2024 Industry Project Award , Efficient Use of CFS Framing Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA)
The Penrose CFS Panelization Denver, CO
© Elevate Snaps
Panelization optimizes material usage and achieves significant savings for Denver high rise
The Penrose CFS Panelization DENVER, CO, USA
Located in the River North Art District of Denver, the Penrose fills a critical need for more affordable housing in this busy, diverse, creative neighborhood. This 16-story mixed use high-rise features six levels of parking garage and 182 units.
Salas O’Brien provided cold-formed steel (CFS) engineering and panelization design for the exterior envelope system utilizing advanced prefabrication techniques. Our team designed lighter 20-30-foot wide, single-story panels to optimize material usage through lighter stud weight and less supplementary steel. Custom-engineered solutions, such as CFS lifting clips and mid-slab joints, eliminated welding and heavy steel components, enhancing installation speed. Additionally, special connection details for post-tensioned concrete streamlined the workflow, allowing concurrent interior and exterior construction.
SERVICES
Structural, CFS PreFabricated Finish Panel Engineering Design
COMPLETION YEAR 2024
PROJECT PARTNERS Select Prefab, I-Kota Construction
SIZE
130,000 square feet, 16 stories
Results
\ 16-story mixed-use high-rise
\ 182 apartment units
\ 15,000 square feet of amenity space
\ 1,100 square feet of retail space
Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery Control Building Martinez, CA
Modular design and construction allows near-site construction and shipping of two-story control building to Avon Wharf
When the Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery needed a new control building for its Avon Wharf expansion, our structural engineering team provided the expertise required to meet the significant space and time constraints. The construction of the 2,000-square-foot steel-frame structure occurred off site before installation due to the 50-foot-deep water surrounding the wharf. The building also needed to be strong enough to withstand high seismic activity yet light enough to be lifted. With an expedited schedule of only seven months, our team designed two separate 3D models to analyze the seismic and building relocation activities. As a result, construction teams used metal panels for walls and concrete panels for flooring but avoided pouring concrete to meet weight and time constraints. Once complete, the two-story, 181,000-pound modular structure floated on a barge 12 miles down the Carquinez Strait to Avon Wharf for installation.
SERVICES
Structural Engineering, Seismic Evaluation, Prefabricated CFS
Modular Design
COMPLETION YEAR 2017
7 month design schedule
PROJECT PARTNERS Smith LaRock Architecture
CONSTRUCTION COST $2 million
Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery Control Building MARTINEZ, CA, USA
CFS panelization meets schedule and site constraints
Colorado Convention Center Expansion CFS Engineering DENVER, CO, USA
Already one of the largest buildings in Denver, the rooftop expansion of the Colorado Convention Center added 135,000 square feet to this premier venue. Salas O’Brien provided exterior structural cold-formed steel (CFS) framing engineering and panelized exterior walls for the 20,000-squarefoot outdoor rooftop terrace. They are up to 50 feet tall, including an eight-foot-tall parapet over a 40-foot-long clear span hanging from a new structure above the existing roof. They were also carefully designed to meet the tight construction schedule and logistical constraints of the downtown site location.
We also provided interior CFS wall and ceiling framing engineering for the 80,000-square-foot column-free Bluebird Ballroom and 35,000-squarefoot wrap-around pre-function concourse. These areas included challenging elements requiring extensive engineering, including large, sloped ceiling elements in the pre-function concourse area to match the blade roof and soffits that supported 30-foot span ceiling joists.
SERVICES
Structural, Panelized Exterior Walls, Exterior CFS Framing Engineering, Interior Wall & Ceiling CFS Engineering
COMPLETION YEAR 2023
Winner
CONSTRUCTION COST
$233 million
SIZE
135,000 square feet
PROJECT PARTNERS Select Prefab and Four Star Drywall
2024 Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute Design Excellence Awards Honorable Mention
© Dressel-Martin MediaWorks, Inc.
10 Salas O’Brien
BIM/VDC Services
Performing the detailed coordination with all of the trades competing for space in modern healthcare facilities requires expertise and patience. Salas O’Brien has the expertise to design framing that avoids large duct runs and piping, coordinates kickers and no-fly zones for access, and models precise openings for fire dampers and other components to facilitate prefabrication for all trades. We have the right experience coupled with the deep engineering knowledge needed to make changes and adjustments quickly and keep the design process moving forward.
Corridor Rack Design & Prefabrication
Designing prefabricated racks containing all above-ceiling utilities while maintaining sound, smoke, and fire ratings can be challenging. Extremely detailed BIM coordination is the basis for success, along with structural design of the rack support system and wall framing that accounts for structure deflection, rated movement joints, shipping, and installation. Salas O’Brien has experience with such project types as hospital patient towers, data centers, and more utilizing this unique approach to federated design and BIM/VDC coordination to ensure success.
Patient Headwall Design & Prefabrication
Prefabricated headwall cassettes provide the necessary precise repetitions between specific level of care rooms required by medical teams for efficient patient care. We have the expertise to design and construct headwall cassettes towards the end of the construction phase to allow our clients to leverage the most current technologies. Salas O’Brien has a long track record of providing detailed design and coordination with all trades for seamless design and integration.
Bathroom Pod Design & Prefabrication
Prefabricated patient room bathroom pods save time and money during construction, whether in a hospital tower, airport, or other project where speed to market is crucial. Salas O’Brien specializes in modular design and detailed coordination combined with a focus on the precise needs for shipping and installation, particularly in designing crane lifting baskets to make sure these unique structures make it to their destinations safely.
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Contacts
Russ Leffler PE, SE, MLSE
Principal, Advanced Technology CFS Executive Director
Russ is the Executive Director of the Advanced Technology CFS team and delivers leading-edge structural engineering and detailing services through an integrated design approach. He is a registered professional engineer in 49 states with broad expertise that includes K-12 education, civic and municipal facilities, industrial facilities, resort and hospitality projects, high rise/multi-family, seismic engineering, blast-resistant design, and CFS design.
Daniel Stadig PE
Sr. Vice President, Advanced Technology CFS Technical Director
Daniel serves as the Technical Director for the Advanced Technology CFS team and specializes in solving complex problems with leading-edge technology. Daniel is a CFS industry veteran providing integrated engineering and BIM/VDC services for Division 05 and 09 scopes of work for projects including new buildings and renovations, panel prefabrication design, modular design, and mid-rise bearing wall structures.
How can we help with your next CFS panelization or prefabrication project?
Click here to contact us today!
Passion & Expertise
We are an engineering and technical services firm focused on advancing the human experience through the built environment. We help clients achieve critical goals, advance team members through growth and opportunity, and operate at the center of important global issues, including sustainability and decarbonization.
Applying technical mastery and market vision
We have the objectivity to question assumptions, the versatility to embrace every problem’s unique nature, and the experience to challenge the status quo. We approach every project with a comprehensive view, focused on achieving high quality, lasting relationships, and a sustainable future.
Helping clients adapt to a changing world
We provide a full range of engineering and technical consulting services. From quick-turn projects to the most complex systems, our team is dedicated to providing quality solutions that deliver long-term value.
SERVICES
Embracing the unique nature of each problem and creating opportunity and impact through solving it.
\ Structural
\ MEP/FP
\ Civil \ Technology
\ Acoustics
\ Architecture & interiors
\ Commissioning
\ Energy & resiliency
\ Sustainability
\ Geothermal & renewables
\ Resource efficiency management
\ Digital & automation
\ Building envelope
\ Building science
\ Litigation support
\ Asset management
90+
Offices throughout North America
900+
Registered professionals
3,800+
Passionate team members
RECOGNITION
Our consistent recognition among top-performing organizations in our industry reflects our commitment to excellence and solid year-over-year performance.
Engineering News Record 2024 #39 on the Top 500 Design Firms List
MEP Giants 2024
#9 top 100 MEP firms in North America
Inc. 5000 2024 12x honoree
BD+C Giants 400 2024 #3 on the Top 70 Engineering Firms list
Zweig Group Hot Firms 2024
#3 fastest-growing AEC firms in North America
