Codding's Latest: Walls Of Steel

<p>Like a giant Erector set, a two-story, steel-frame house took shape this week inside a cavernous warehouse in Rohnert Park.</p><p>It's the latest project of Sonoma County developer Hugh Codding, who built thousands of homes in Santa Rosa after World War II.</p><p>His new business, Codding Steel Frame Solutions, aims to change the way houses are built. Proponents say light steel framing is environmentally superior to traditional wood framing -- although there's plenty of disagreement on the subject.</p><p>Codding Enterprises plans to use steel framing in its Sonoma Mountain Village project, a mix of homes, retail and light industry on 175 acres at the former Agilent Technologies campus in Rohnert Park.</p><p>"We thought it was a great product to build out Sonoma Mountain Village," said Brad Baker, chief executive of Codding Enterprises.</p><p>Codding also has an exclusive license from a Canadian firm, Genesis Worldwide Inc., to market the technology to builders in Northern California.</p><p>Codding will use the 2,000-square-foot structure in Rohnert Park as a model for customers.</p><p>So far, Codding has invested $4 million to $5 million in the project, including the purchase of Genesis' manufacturing software, equipment and engineering services.</p><p>Steel-frame construction has been around for years, but the Genesis system makes it easier for builders to use, said Tom Chambers, chief operating officer for Codding's steel-frame business.</p><p>At Codding's factory in a former Agilent building, workers fabricate steel frame panels that are shipped to construction sites and assembled like parts of a puzzle.</p><p>The panels -- 11 feet tall and up to 22 feet wide -- are marked with bar codes that can be scanned on site to show where they fit. The system can be used for commercial buildings up to six stories tall.</p><p>The prefabricated panels cut construction time, a key driver of building costs, Chambers said.</p><p>Steel framing is better than wood because it's stronger, straighter and fire resistant, Chambers said. It's also impervious to rot, mold and insect damage, he said.</p><p>There's no waste, because steel parts are cut to precise lengths, he said.</p><p>A 2,000-square-foot house can be framed with recycled steel from eight scrapped autos, saving 50 trees used in a same-size wood-frame home, according to Genesis.</p><p>But a 2004 study sponsored in part by the wood products industry says steel contributes more to global warming because of the energy used in mining and production.</p><p>Steel framing is more expensive than wood, according to a 2001 report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.</p><p>Codding's prefabricated system cuts the cost difference, Chambers said.</p><p>"We think we're competitive with wood in terms of the final installed cost," he said.</p><p>Currently, Codding is using steel that's 35 to 40 percent recycled, Chambers said. "Our goal is to migrate to a much higher recycled content," he said.</p><p>The business has about a dozen employees now but it could grow to 40 or more when Codding expands the production process, Chambers said.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Steve Hart at 521-5205 or steve.hart@pressdemocrat.com.</p>