Date: |
27 Nov 2025, 5.30PM – 7.30PM |
duration: |
2 hrs |
Venue: |
University of Waikato room PAA.G.30 |
Address: |
Gate 1 Knighton Road Hamilton |
Cost: |
Free event |
This seminar will provide a practical overview of CFS design principles relevant to residential and light commercial buildings. It will highlight key references, common detailing practices, and lessons learned from real-world projects. The session will also share results from an experimental PhD study investigating the seismic performance of strap-braced CFS stud walls used as lateral force-resisting systems in medium-rise construction, offering insights into their deformation capacity, ductility, and potential for wider use in seismic regions.
Learning outcome:
Attendees will gain an understanding of CFS design approaches, practical detailing considerations, and recent research findings that can inform safer and more efficient use of cold-formed steel in seismic design applications.
Speaker Bios
Dr Pouya Lotfi Rad
Structural Engineer, ITW Construction Products – Reid Systems
Dr Pouya Lotfi Rad is a structural engineer with over ten years of industry and research experience. He has worked on light gauge steel design projects at Formsteel and Calibre Group, applying his academic insights to practical engineering solutions.
Pouya completed his PhD in Structural Engineering at the University of Auckland as a Doctoral Scholar, focusing on the seismic performance of strap-braced cold-formed steel stud walls for medium-rise buildings. Alongside his research, he assisted in teaching postgraduate light gauge steel design courses at the University of Auckland, working with Professors James Lim and Charles Clifton.
Cold-formed steel (CFS) construction has grown rapidly worldwide in recent years, particularly in portal frame and low- to mid-rise residential applications. Its light weight, dimensional accuracy, speed of erection, and sustainability make it an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional materials such as timber and hot-rolled steel.
This seminar will provide a practical overview of CFS design principles relevant to residential and light commercial buildings. It will highlight key references, common detailing practices, and lessons learned from real-world projects. The session will also share results from an experimental PhD study investigating the seismic performance of strap-braced CFS stud walls used as lateral force-resisting systems in medium-rise construction, offering insights into their deformation capacity, ductility, and potential for wider use in seismic regions.
Learning outcome:
Attendees will gain an understanding of CFS design approaches, practical detailing considerations, and recent research findings that can inform safer and more efficient use of cold-formed steel in seismic design applications.
Speaker Bios
Dr Pouya Lotfi Rad
Structural Engineer, ITW Construction Products – Reid Systems
Dr Pouya Lotfi Rad is a structural engineer with over ten years of industry and research experience. He has worked on light gauge steel design projects at Formsteel and Calibre Group, applying his academic insights to practical engineering solutions.
Pouya completed his PhD in Structural Engineering at the University of Auckland as a Doctoral Scholar, focusing on the seismic performance of strap-braced cold-formed steel stud walls for medium-rise buildings. Alongside his research, he assisted in teaching postgraduate light gauge steel design courses at the University of Auckland, working with Professors James Lim and Charles Clifton.
