Delta Steel is a structural steel service center that has been delivering steel components to a wide variety of industries since 1963. We are a leader in structural steel distribution in the Southeast U.S., with state-of-the-art equipment, a vast inventory, and just-in-time delivery capabilities. Structural steel is critical to many industries and applications, offering several advantages over traditional building materials. Here, we’ll discuss these key applications and benefits in more detail.
The Fabrication Process
Structural steel fabrication involves a multi-step process that turns raw steel into final building components for the construction industry. Structural steel fabrication typically follows these primary steps:
- Design and Engineering: Fabrication begins with a design or blueprint from engineers. They consider several factors, including local building codes, load capacity, and weight distribution.
- Material Selection: Selecting the right steel grade is critical. Structural steel comes in several grades and thicknesses, depending on the project specifications, and engineers select a steel type that ensures optimal performance and strength.
- Cutting and Shaping: Raw steel sections are cut using high-precision techniques, such as sawing, oxy-fuel cutting, or plasma cutting. Clean, precise cuts prepare the steel parts for future shaping and forming processes.
- Bending and Forming: Forming and bending techniques shape the component into its intended form. Metal fabricators use rolling mills, press brakes, and other advanced machinery for this step of the process.
- Welding and Assembly: Metal fabricators join steel pieces with precise welding techniques that create high-strength bonds, resulting in reliable structures.
- Quality Control: Strict quality control measures are implemented throughout the fabrication process, ensuring adherence to client specifications, weld integrity, and dimensional accuracy.
- Painting and Protection: Fabricated structural steel components gain improved corrosion resistance and durability from protective coatings or paint before delivery to the project site.
- Steel erection: Steel erectors and iron workers use the fabricated material and erect the building.
The Advantages of Structural Steel for Fabrication
Structural steel is ideal for construction projects. Builders, engineers, and architects prefer structural steel for the following advantages:
- Strength and Durability: Steel offers an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. It allows fabricators to produce strong and lightweight structural components that can withstand high loads.
- Versatility and Design Flexibility: Steel is a versatile material that can be formed into various component shapes and sizes, making it easier for architects to meet their design specifications.
- Sustainability: Steel is an environmentally sustainable and recyclable material. Structural steel buildings last longer, reducing resource consumption over time.
- Faster Construction: Prefabricated structural steel components can be rapidly assembled onsite compared to conventional building methods. Thus, projects can be completed in significantly less time.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Structural steel has a higher initial cost than other common building materials. However, it offers efficient construction, reduced maintenance requirements, and durability that can deliver long-term savings.
Applications of Structural Steel Fabrication
Various construction applications rely on structural steel fabrication, including:
- High-Rise Buildings: Tall buildings, such as skyscrapers, rely on structural steel as their backbone. Architects can create efficient load-bearing designs using structural steel’s exceptional strength-to-weight ratio. Trusses, beams, and columns made from structural steel provide the flexibility and stability tall structures require.
- Commercial/Residential Buildings: Structural steel is ideal for building manufacturing facilities and warehouses. The material is capable of bearing the dynamic loads of vehicles and heavy machinery while withstanding harsh environmental conditions. Architects rely on structural steel’s versatility to achieve open layouts and clear spans. Structural steel can also be used for building condominiums, apartment complexes, and other residential structures.
- Bridges: The ductility of structural steel makes it ideal for cable-stayed designs and graceful arches in bridges, railways, and highways. Steel cables, trusses, and girders offer robust stability and strength.
- Oil and Gas Infrastructure: Structural steel is ideal for building oil rig structures, including riser handling systems, platforms, derrick legs, and pipelines.
- Renewable Energy Structures: Structural steel is suitable for building hydroelectric power structures, solar plants, and wind turbines for renewable energy applications.
Structural Steel Fabrication From Delta Steel
Structural steel is essential to many building applications, providing significant benefits over conventional building materials. At Delta Steel, we are a leader in structural steel with over 60 years of experience in the industry. Our capabilities and locations throughout the United States allow us to build long-term relationships with clients in diverse industries. See our locations to contact the Delta Steel distribution center closest to your project site.