Structural steel is used in many different ways, and it is not always for a large commercial building that requires some custom steel fabrication to ensure the building is strong and structurally sound. There are many times that structural steel is used in residential buildings, but these pieces still require a custom structural steel fabrication shop to make the parts to ensure they do the job needed.
Removing Bearing Walls
One of the most common reasons that contractors need to have custom structural steel fabrication work done for a residential building is to replace a bearing wall in the structure. The fabrication company will need to look at the space and determine how to replace the wall best, whether that means a steel beam, an archway that is custom made, or some supporting trusses that are fabricated offsite and then shipped to the job site.
Once the design is determined, the steel fabricator can do all the layout and fabrication work at their facility, where they have the tools and equipment to ensure the structural component is made correctly. In many cases, an engineer is involved in the design and will put a drawing together for the custom steel fabrication shop to work from.
If the fabrication shop has an engineer on staff, they can create the design in-house and save some time and money on the entire process. The custom steel fabrication can be completed faster and the product shipped to the job site much more quickly in this case.
Supporting A Structure
There are cases when the area that a building is being constructed is too unstable to support the structure on the surface. The engineer working on the job may elect to sink concrete and steel supports into the ground and support the structure on bedrock below the surface, but to do that, they need a custom steel fabrication shop to make the anchors for the job.
The anchors are designed to go from the surface to the bedrock below, and once they are in place, the contractor will pour concrete around them to ensure they do not move. Often these steel anchors are different lengths and may need some additional ribs or braces added to them so that they remain rigid and strong.
A custom metal fabrication shop can cut the steel to the right length, add additional support, and weld the right ends to the supports to meet the engineer's requirements. When these supports are made right, they will hold the structure's entire weight on the bedrock and allow the structure to stand securely for years.
To learn more, contact a custom structural steel fabrication company.
