Join us at Midland Steel Company For SteelDay

On Friday, September 15, steel fabricators and erectors across the country will take part in celebrations highlighting the contribution of steel to the construction and building of America. Taking part in the nationwide observance, Midland Steel Company will welcome students from several local colleges and technical schools to participate in festivities.

SteelDay is a day set aside by the American Institute of Steel Construction as the annual celebration of the structural steel industry. It functions as the largest opportunity for education and networking in the industry, participants receive a chance to tour steel mills, project sites, service centers and fabrication shops across the country.

At Midland Steel Company, we will host our own celebration on Friday, September 15, with guests invited to tour our facilities in Wathena, Kansas. We are excited to share our working experiences with guests invited from a variety of regional schools.

We have extended a save-the-date invitation to a number of colleges and universities in the area: Highland Community College, Southeast Community College, North Central Missouri College, Missouri Western State University, Missouri Welding Institute, Hillyard Technical Center, Southeast Community College, Grand River Technical School, Metropolitan Community College and Vatterott College.

Students are invited to tour our headquarters in order to determine whether a career in steel fabrication, erection or related fields might interest them. The steel industry supports a wide and varied field of employment.

Students visiting Midland Steel Company on SteelDay can expect to see models of projects they will recognize, such as buildings on the Missouri Western State University campus, the Kansas City Speedway and Platte County Elementary School, just to name a few.

Students can also visit with the members of our team and hear about the day-to-day excitement and challenges of working in the steel industry. They can hear about how a steel fabrication and erection project moves through from its initial conception to final inspections.

As a steel fabricator and erector of choice in the Kansas City regional area, Midland Steel Company is uniquely positioned to offer students an inside glimpse of the steel industry. The unique and exciting role that steel companies play in building industrial and residential structures in the area can spur many students into choosing it for their future careers.

Following the tour of our facilities, be sure to visit with us further over refreshments. To learn more about SteelDay, or to secure an invitation to participate, contact our office. We’d love to see you at our facility at 202 Boeh Lane in Wathena on Friday, September 15!

The Benefits of Choosing a Steel Structure for Your Project

A steel structure supports a building that is light, airy and allows for a unique and creative approach to building design. It is also one of the most sustainable choices, featuring both durability and strength, as well as the ability to be recycled again and again.

In addition to these reasons, a steel structure is the premium choice for builders for the following benefits:

Construction speed: Builders appreciate the speed with which a steel structure can be erected. Steel components are predictable and their accuracy is consistent, allowing for fewer errors and delays in the building process. When a builder is able to utilize a company that is both a fabricator and erector, the process is streamlined even more.

Time considerations on a building project can equate to between three and five percent of overall building costs, so it’s critical to choose options that provide for the least possible delay.

Competition creates cost advantages: When the market is adjusted for inflation, the price of steel has decreased since the 1980s and is significantly cheaper than it was at the beginning of this century. In addition, there have been important advances in technology, such as industry-specific software, that has further reduced its price.

Competition is also keeping steel affordable. The market is at a healthy point, where there is a good balance between the number of projects and the number of fabricator/erector companies ready to work on projects.

Long-term adaptability: A steel structure is durable and has a long life, with many steel constructed buildings enjoying several lives as different types of owners change the way the building is used. Steel’s adaptability means that even if the building owner wants to make structural changes, it’s relatively simple to implement their vision.

Fewer safety incidents: A steel structure is erected by highly trained teams that are ready for quick, on-site construction with the steel materials. The steel construction industry also has a set of safety standards that it adheres to, through the American Institute of Steel Construction.

If you’d like to know more about the benefits of choosing a steel structure, talk with our team at Midland Steel Company. We are both fabricators and erectors of steel, and we look forward to an opportunity to discuss your building plans and provide you with some examples of buildings we’ve completed that are similar to your project.

Good Communication is Key to Efficient Construction Projects

A steel construction project is known for its efficiency and cost effectiveness. It’s probably one of the key reasons you’ve chosen to work with a steel fabrication and erection company to complete your project.

As with any project, there’s always a risk for delays due to miscommunication, errors or other incidents. While there may be an unavoidable situation that occurs, experience demonstrates that most delays in construction are preventable and the process can be streamlined from start to finish. Here are five of the ways that you can ensure that your construction project progresses efficiently:

1. Answer all questions in the detailing phase in a timely manner. This is a part of the project that can get bogged down, as the project waits for critical detail information from you.
2. Make sure everything is addressed and answered on approval. Again, this is a way to keep the project moving forward and reducing delays that might impact your final completion date.
3. Provide prompt approval of drawings. We work with specialized software that makes 3-D drawings of your project, which can be used to expedite the fabrication process. However, until you’ve approved the drawing, we can’t move forward on the construction of your building.
4. Minimize design changes. If you think there’s any chance you’ll incorporate a change into your design, let’s talk about it in the early stages of the discussion. It will create a significant delay in the completion of your project if you make changes to your design after the drawings are completed.
5. Work to create coordination with other trades, such as HVAC, Curtainwall and other sub-contractors that will work with your steel contractor on the project.

There are many benefits that come with choosing steel for your construction project. Besides being a sustainable choice, a cost-effective option and a material that allows for design creativity, one of the most important benefits is the speed at which you can construct a steel structure.

If you’d like to find out more about the timeline for a steel construction project, Midland Steel Company would be happy to show you some examples of projects we’ve completed. Make an appointment for a free consultation and we’ll talk through your ideas for your project and show you some similar projects that might provide insight into our conversation.

Cutting Construction Costs Could Affect Your Project

Cutting construction costs is often a priority when designing and building a new structure. But accepting the lowest bid on your steel project is not usually the best option as you strive for a project that will be efficient and done with quality.

Here are a few reasons why you don’t want to choose the lowest bid or find ways to cut construction costs on your project:

You will pay for it in the long run. You may appreciate seeing a temporary reprieve on your budget, but you won’t make budget in your finished product. The delays and mistakes that come with a less-qualified steel fabricator and erector will cost you a lot of money as your project progresses.

You’re paying for availability: One of the benefits of using an American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)-certified steel company is that there’s a commitment to quality, and they’ll be on-site to be sure they’re meeting your expectations and that of the AISC.

You’re paying for a seamless process: When you use a steel company that works in both fabrication and erection, you benefit from a seamless process. Even when separate erection and fabrication companies have a long working history together, they simply can’t streamline the process like a company that does both in-house.

A cheaper steel company may not be experienced: The reason for that low bid may be a lack of experience working on projects like yours. A steel company with a good reputation will be proud to name projects that are similar to the one you’re planning and they’ll be happy to tell you how their prior projects are different than yours, too.

If you want any design elements, be sure they can handle them: Does your bid include special touches you’d like to incorporate in order to make your building stand out? You may be disappointed to find out later that your cheaper steel company can’t accommodate your vision. Be sure to include what you really want your building to look like so that your bid is a true reflection of construction costs.

A cheaper steel company may not have the technology to support your project: Before you choose a steel company, find out what technology they use to support your construction project. A high-quality steel company will have SDS-2 software that can produce a 3-D model of your structure.

At Midland Steel Company, we know we aren’t likely to be the lowest bid you receive on your project because we embrace quality over cutting construction costs. Want to know more about what sets Midland Steel apart? Give us a call for a free consultation.

Things to Know When You Begin the Renovation of Steel Framed Buildings

Steel framed buildings are a great choice for new construction, but they are also desirable when considering a purchase for renovation. Steel is a sustainable option, with one well-built steel framed building enjoying multiple lives as different types of organizations adapt the frame to their needs.

Still, there are some things you need to know before beginning a renovation on a steel framed building:

The year of the original construction: In the early 20^th century, the principal steel companies, like Carnegie Steel Company and Inland Steel Company, were all making proprietary structural shapes. This means that there were no standard shapes, so you’ll need a clear picture of the types of material you’ll need for renovating the space to your specifications. The lack of standardization in that period also means that the weight limits of various materials will differ, too.

Whether there are original drawings: Original drawings are a great resource for understanding the construction of steel framed buildings and helping you identify the changes that have happened over the life of the building. If original plans are not available, you’ll need to produce as-built plans, which may involve a time-consuming process of field measurement, including bay size measurement and the locations of beams and columns.

The present site conditions: It’s important to do an on-site investigation to determine the conditions of the building. Are steel components visible and were connections welded or bolted? You’ll also want to know whether the building has been renovated from its original construction and which points are accessible for renovation.

Whether lead paint or asbestos is present: If the building was built between 1930 and 1950, there’s a good chance that there’s asbestos in the construction. Asbestos was banned in 1973, but any structures built in the middle of the century should be examined for the presence of asbestos. Likewise, lead paint was used prior to 1978, so if there is paint visible on the steel frame, it is likely to contain lead. With proper respirators and treatment of the renovation project, the problems attached to these substances can be significantly reduced.

The strength of existing conditions: Before you begin plans for renovations, you’ll want to know whether your building is strong enough for your vision. Not only do steel framed buildings from certain time periods have different weight limits, but the building may also have been used in the past for purposes that have a naturally corrosive effect.

Before beginning a renovation project on a steel framed building, talk with our specialists at Midland Steel Company, a steel fabrication and erection company with decades of experience in renovations. Give us a call today!