Considerations In Structural Steel Design & Construction Part 2

The most important factors affecting design of steel structures are material weight, connections, steel quality, schedule & cost estimates. Here we will try to address last three issues quality of steel, schedule & cost estimates.

Quality
The favorable thing about the structural steel industry it is that we can easily identify the differences between good steel and bad, and good craftsmanship and bad. In the fabrication shop one can easily observe quality control/assurance processes; components can be easily tested using various destructive and non-destructive tests.

We can microscopically distinguish if the steel is good and whether the bolts and welds are good also. Macroscopically we can visually check the steel, inspect the welds and check the bolts and examine the steel for irregularities. As a matter of fact, fabricators & erectors possess some of the best quality control programs in the construction industry.

Schedule
Designing & construction of Steel structure is a systematic process. From engineering through erection all the steps are necessary and significant. Since the construction activities are generally on the crucial path of the project schedule, any distraction impacts project deadline significantly. An important concept in steel construction is to always work on one piece of steel or assembly at a time. Once a piece is contrived, it gets detailed, then fabricated & erected. There is typically no compensation for revision in any schedule.

Cost Estimates
Since there is little known about the structure at the beginning, the engineering estimates are the most difficult to perform during design development. Based on this estimates structural drawings & detailing time can be precisely forecasted. Knowledge of primary & secondary steel-framing components provides estimation of material for fabrication. Lastly, erectors estimate how many tons of steel and shipping sections a team can erect in a daytime.

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