Concrete Pavers: Ideas, Inspiration and Information

Structural Steel Fabrication: 3 Vital Tips for Decreasing Your Expenses

28 February 2018 by Benjamin Rice

The total cost of structural steel fabrication for your commercial building can be high. The expense can be attributed to the purchase of materials, production of the custom elements, transportation and installation of the final product. If you are working with a limited construction budget, you might experience unexpected financial strain. If you are concerned about your monetary resources, you should consider using these practical tips to decrease your expenses.

Consider Using Weathering Steel

You should think about using weathering steel for your structural fabrication process. In general, most businesses and individuals choose carbon steel for their projects because of its low purchase price. Unfortunately, they forget that carbon steel is highly susceptible to damage when exposed to air and moisture. The metal will rust and corrode, leading to premature failure. Therefore, the steel must be coated with zinc through the process of galvanisation. This extra procedure will increase the total costs. If you choose weathering steel, galvanisation will not be necessary. The steel will form a protective rust-like oxide which will prevent degradation.

Order More Steel at Once

You should consider the benefits of ordering your steel materials in bulk. This practice can help you reduce your total expenses. In most cases, steel structures in commercial buildings are installed over a prolonged period and in phases. Therefore, the materials for each stage are ordered separately and as needed. Regrettably, this habit which seems efficient can end up increasing your costs unnecessarily. When you order your steel in large quantities, you can negotiate a lower per-unit price. Also, the transportation costs and other related expenses will be lower than the added costs of separate shipments. If you would like to enjoy these benefits, you should coordinate with your contractor, supplier and fabricator for bulk orders.

Avoid Expediting Fabrication

You should plan for the steel fabrication work early to avoid making urgent orders. In simple terms, you should have an established timetable which will allow you to obtain your goods without expedited lead times. Typically, if you make an order and insist that the manufacturer delivers them in a shorter period than usual, your fabrication costs will increase exponentially. This increase can be attributed to the possible need for more labour, expertise and overtime. Also, the fabricator might need to reorganise their entire schedule so that they can delay some of the other non-urgent orders. You should avoid these expensive complications by ordering in time.

Finally, you should remember to design your structural steel elements simply for complications-free fabrication. 

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