Structural engineering involves physics and mathematics to design the load-bearing elements and framework of different man-made structures. This branch of civil engineering utilizes the 3-D technology of structural steel detailing to aid them in their exacting designs, and it can’t be done without it.
Using a steel detailing service optimizes resources and helps adhere to budgets by maintaining the highest quality and safety standards to efficiently achieve the project objectives. This is what steel detailing services are all about. It is essential to accurately construct all steel structures and implement them in the earliest design phases, long before fabrication and installation.
Ultimately, it improves the strength and durability of all buildings with cost-effective materials and building practices. Partner with a professional steel detailing company dedicated to the highest quality of workmanship and professionalism, and your structure will be there as a testament to the collaboration long into the future.
What do steel detailing services provide?
1. Effective Design
Building designers push the visual envelope as they create structures with enhanced architectural appeal, and detailers need to work with them to incorporate the essential load-bearing requirements of the buildings.
This means performing stress analysis and load distribution on different components to optimize the usage of steel and dictate the arrangement of columns, trusses, beams and other steel structural components. Redistributing loads and adjusting dimensions must be incorporated to maintain the design and achieve a sound, safe structure built in the most durable way possible.
2. Detailed Drawings
This is the process of creating drawings, reports and estimates in exact detail so building professionals can follow them for the project they are undertaking. This is the communication link that brings people together, including:
- Architects
- Engineers
- Fabricators
- Contractors
These people are collectively responsible for building all structures and delivering accuracy by following these detailed plans together. Two main types of drawings are:
3. Shop Drawings
Shop drawings provide detail for every steel component, to minuscule detail, for a steel fabricator to make. This includes all components like beams, columns, joists, trusses and braces and provides:
- Material specifications
- Dimensions
- Component sizes
- Surface specifications
- Bolting details
- Welding details
- Painting details
These detailed drawings are for fabricators only, so they don’t provide information on the erection and installation of the components or structure.
4. Erection Drawings
Erection drawings are dimensional plans used on a building site and detail specific information about the positioning of all components and the overall structure. It also lists installation requirements and associated fieldwork for welding locations, wedge anchors and bolt instillation.
5. Reduced Material Waste And Errors
Using 3-D software, steel detailers create precise drawings that enable them to work with multiple design iterations to better use the material. This, in turn, helps to minimize material waste when components go to fabrication and contribute to reaching sustainability goals. It also cuts down on labour and steel costs while still meeting the same quality standards and structural integrity of the building.
Errors and clashes are greatly reduced with the drawings that steel detailers provide to the fabricators. Using 3-D models, every measurement, angle and connection is exacting and accounted for to leave almost no room for error. Reworking and delays cost money, so all steel components are integrated alongside mechanical, electrical and plumbing services to resolve clashes before fabrication.
Hence, there are no on-site issues, and work can continue. It also keeps all metalwork in compliance with approved specifications and plans.
6. Lower Maintenance Costs
Maintenance can be a concern for steel detailing services, so they strive to implement durable and corrosion-resistant materials. This provides initial high-quality material being fabricated and specifies the right materials, coatings and other protective measures. Hence, costs are lower for the structure’s lifespan.
7. Accurate Billing
The use of steel detailing services incorporates their software assets to generate detailed Bills of Materials for projects, and they provide detailed information and inventory records for all steel components used.
Documenting this in the BOM ensures nothing is missed or overlooked when ordering, and building eliminates any guesswork or surprises that cost money later. Accurate cost projections help builders with their overall budgeting and avoid costly overruns.
8. Better Coordination And Communication
Steel detailing devices serve as a hub for all project-related material. It centralized all drawings, specifications and communication so every stakeholder could access critical information when needed.
All professionals, including engineers, designers and architects, can work on the same digital model concurrently so there are no gaps or loss of information that could lead to misinterpretations or construction errors. This also pushes any changes or additions to the fabricators quicker, and the 3-D software can render digital models of what the design will look like in real-time.