Could you carry an I-beam on your shoulder? I believe you surely can! A new material called LSB, or LiteSteelBeam was developed in response to the demand for a light structural beam with the strength of steel but with the workability and ease of installation associated with wood products. It is a 40% lighter steel structural beam, which is equally strong as any hot-rolled steel I-beam. The result of six years of research and testing shows that LSB can be cut, drilled, screwed, bolted, welded, and nailed using standard tools.

LiteSteelBeam is manufactured by a patented cold forming process that utilizes a high frequency Dual Electric Resistance Welding (DERW) of a high strength steel strip. The result is a lightweight steel beam that can be used in a wide variety of load bearing applications. The reduced weight and workability characteristics of LSB make it the superior choice for designing and building in today’s residential and light commercial markets. It is already used in Australia. LSB is now being manufactured in the U.S

Architects like the clean look of LSB as a fascia beam. Besides its unique look, LSB can be up to 75% lighter than PFC’s making them easy and efficient to install.