Steel Structures

Types of Steel Structures

 Auditoriums
 Multistory buildings
 Mill buildings
 Roof trusses
Materials Used in Steel Structures
 Steel structures should be fabricated from
standard shapes.
 H columns
 I beams

 WF beams

 Channels

 Angles

 Plates
 Types of Connections

 Bolts
 Welds
 Reduces structure weight
 Allows for temporary holes to be punched at non
critical points, thus permitting the full strength of a
member at joints. This makes the design of beams
as continuous members possible.
 Simplifies the preparation of plans

 Less expensive
 Estimating the Cost of Steel
Structures
 Contractor submits plans and specs to fabricator
 Fabricator will make a quantity take off which
he will apply shop costs too.
 Cost of Transport
 Cost of erecting the structure. (Usually
subcontracted)
 Job overhead, general overhead, profit
 Items of Cost
 Cost of steel shapes at fabricating shop
 Drawing preparation
 Cost of handling and fabricating
 Cost of shop painting
 Cost of shop overhead
 Transport
 Cost of erecting the building including equipment and
labor.
 Cost of job overhead, insurance, taxes, and profit.
 Extra Charges
 Size
 Section
 Quantity
Ex.
Determine the cost per cwt for 3160 lb of 6 by 6 by .5 in
structural steel angles, including the base price, size extra, and
quantity extra charges.
Base price at shop = $23.00 per cwt
Size extra charge = 3.10 per cwt
Quantity extra charge = .75 per cwt
Total Cost = $26.85 per cwt
Estimating the Weight of Structural Steel

 Determine total number of linear feet of each

shape
 Use structural steel handbooks to determine
weight according to the linear feet calculated.
 +/- 2.5 percent of nominal weights listed in
handbook are allowed.
 The weight of the details and connections
should be estimated and priced separately
Cost of Preparing Shop Drawings
 Fabricating shops maintain drafting
departments, which prepare shop drawings in
sufficient detail to permit the shops to fabricate
the members.
 Cost is based on the complexity of the detailing
and the number of sheets required.
 Usually prepared on 24 by 36 inch sheets
 Cost of Shop Handling and
Fabricating
 Varies considerably with the operations performed,
sizes of the members, and extent to which the
operations are duplicated onsimilar members.
 Different operations are used depending on whether
the connections are to be welded or bolted.
 If identical operations are used on several members, the
operation that costs less is to be used.
 Cost of Applying Paint
 1 gallon of paint should cover 400 square feet
 Painter should be able to paint 1 to 2 tons per
hour depending on the size of the member.
 Cost of Shop Overhead, Profit, and
Transport
 Overhead and profit vary between 15 and 25
percent depending on the size of the order
 Transport costs vary with quantity of steel,
method of transporting it, and the distance the
shop to the job.
 Erecting Structural Steel
 Bolting
 Columns are erected first usually on previously
prepared concrete foundations
 Beams are then installed

 The connections between the beams and columns

are temporarily bolted.
 The structure is then plumbed before permanent
bolts are installed
 Welded
 Holes punched in non critical areas and bolts are
used to temporarily connect the members.
 After structure is plumbed, welding of the
connection is started.
 To eliminate distortion of a structure due to unequal
heating at the connections, a definite pattern for
welding should be established and followed.
 Most Economical Welds
 Go as fast as possible within the limits of a good
weld
 Use the largest electrode practical
 Use the highest current practical
 Use as short an arc as possible
 Use a proper plate preperation and fit up
 Keep a build up to a minimum