Abstract
This study investigates the structural performance of cold-formed steel (CFS)-sheet composite members using oriented strand board (OSB) and fibre cement (FC) boards. The experimental programme included material characterisation tests on CFS, OSB, and FC sheets, push-out tests to evaluate shear connection behaviour, and four-point bending tests on 3.6 m long composite beams. The results show that OSB-boarded systems achieved higher structural performance than FC systems. In push-out tests, OSB connections exhibited approximately 28% higher shear resistance per fastener than FC connections. In beam tests, OSB-boarded members achieved about 25% higher load-carrying capacity compared with FC-boarded members. The stiffness showed opposite trends. OSB systems exhibited more stable and progressive behaviour governed by local crushing and fastener slip, whereas FC systems showed more brittle responses dominated by board cracking and screw pull-through. The findings provide quantitative insight into the composite interaction between CFS members and sheet materials and support the development of analytical models and design guidance for lightweight CFS composite systems.