LGS (light gauge steel)
LGS is light gauge cold-formed steel used for wall, floor and roof framing in Australian residential buildings. Governed by AS/NZS 4600 and the NASH Standard.
Ask Chalkline about this →LGS (light gauge steel) is cold-formed thin-gauge steel, typically 0.55 mm to 1.15 mm base metal thickness, rolled into C-section studs, tracks, and joists for use as the primary structural framing in residential buildings. In Australian residential construction, LGS framing is the main alternative to seasoned or engineered timber and is accepted as a deemed-to-satisfy structural solution under NCC 2022 H1D6(3) when designed to the NASH Standard or AS/NZS 4600:2018.
LGS members are cold-formed (shaped at room temperature without heating), which distinguishes them from hot-rolled structural sections used in commercial steelwork. Wall studs are typically G450 to G550 grade steel in section widths of 64 mm to 92 mm, spaced at 450 mm or 600 mm centres. Because steel conducts heat far more readily than timber, LGS frames require thermal breaks at all cladding-to-frame contact points to meet NCC 2022 energy efficiency requirements (see thermal break).
Also known as: light gauge steel, light steel framing (LSF), cold-formed steel framing
Category: Framing, structure
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Last updated: 2026-05-10. Verified: 2026-05-10. Quarterly review for currency.