Structural Steel Detailing Services

A structural steel detailer creates drawings and plans for the installation of buildings, bridges, and miscellaneous steel items. These drawings are used by contractors and fabricators to ensure the structures are built properly and safely, and that the projects meet building standards. They use drafting software, such as SDS/2 and computer-assisted design (CAD) programs, to create their blueprints.

They also work on erection and shop drawings for different jobs. These are necessary because they specify the exact measurements of every piece that is to be made by a steel fabricator and placed by an installer. They also create the erection drawings that are sent to construction sites so that erectors can hoist and place these pieces into their correct locations.

In the United States, practitioners of this profession may be either degreed in the field or possess extensive industry experience. Regardless of the level of training, detailers must be familiar with industry-standard protocols and procedures, such as those set by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the American Welding Society.

Process

During the fabrication process, fabricators cut and weld together large amounts of hot and cold rolled steel to make structural components, including beams, columns, and other metal supports. These parts need to be fabricated in accordance with the structural engineers' and architects' designs, which are usually submitted to a fabricator as part of the contract for the project.

When the steel beams and other structural pieces are ready, fabricators send them to the construction site to be erected. Here, erectors do the actual heavy lifting and installation, so it is important that they have detailed structural-steel drawings that specify precisely how these pieces should be positioned.

These erection drawings are created with software designed for creating this purpose, such as Autodesk's Advance Steel program or other companies' applications that are specific to this discipline. They include material specifications, welding and bolting requirements, surface preparation information, and any other details that are relevant to the erection of the structure.

Structural steel detailing is a highly complex, demanding process that requires near-99% accuracy. A minor error in one of these details could lead to costly revisions and time delays for the project.

Structural Steel Detailers

In addition to creating a detailed set of drawings, structural steel detailers must be familiar with the methods and techniques of fabricating cold-rolled steel. They also need to have a working knowledge of the major practical engineering concepts, such as sheet and plate metalwork, cold-rolled steel, and CAD.

They must be proficient in drafting, mathematics, logic, reasoning, spatial visualization, and communication. They must also be comfortable using computer-aided drafting software, such as the popular Autodesk packages used by countless designers, architects, and engineers.

Structural steel detailing is an essential part of the construction industry, and requires the expertise of a skilled professional to ensure that the projects are completed on schedule and within budget. It is vital for companies that deal with architecture, design, and engineering to have the best-quality, accurate structural steel detailing services in place. This can save the company time and money, and help the project get done on time and with minimal cost.