6 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Steel Fabrication Company

When you choose a steel fabrication company for your building project, it’s easy to be enticed by eye-catching photos of all the beautiful structures they’ve participated in building. There’s more to it than just the final project, though. It’s hard to see delays or errors in those final projects, but that’s all you’ll be able to think about if it slows down your project.

There are six critical areas you should consider when choosing your steel fabrication company:

Choose local: It’s always a good idea to choose local for environmental and economic reasons, but there’s even more to it than that. Working with a local steel fabricator is partly for your peace of mind, knowing that they are on hand to answer any questions and are as invested in the local economy as you are. You’ll want them close by to give you advice. Also, transporting steel across the country is expensive.

Look for fabrication and erection: Working with a full-service steel company is always your best choice. They’ll be there to see the project through its entirety, and they are more likely to have the most advanced training and tools to minimize delays and errors.

Experience: Has the steel fabrication company worked on projects similar to yours? Are they familiar with local codes and requirements? Get some references from past projects, and be sure to ask about communication in particular. You want to know that your steel company is available to answer your questions and concerns.

The work itself: Take time to examine prior work that a steel fabrication company has done. Talk with them about projects that were similar to yours. Were there any delays or unexpected problems, and how did they reach a solution?

Cost: It’s important to consider this factor, but like any of the considerations listed here, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. You’ll want to weigh costs against quality, experience and their level of expertise and certifications. Make sure that they have the technology to support your project, which may come with a price tag, too.

Communication skills: You may get a clear idea of a steel fabrication company’s communication skills even in the initial stages of checking them out. This is a critical part of the partnership needed to build a structure, so if you’re already seeing signs that communication is a weak spot, then choose a different steel company.

Midland Steel Company is a full-service fabrication and erection company servicing contractors in the Kansas City region. We value the partnerships that come with a shared commitment to quality, and our customer-focused service means that we are always on

3-D Steel Structure Design Tools Reduce Errors and Lead Time

When you choose a steel fabricator and erector company, you want to be sure that they have utilized the best and most advanced software on the market to reduce the number of errors on your steel structure design project and ensure that delays are minimized and, ideally, eliminated.

When 3-D software for steel structure design is utilized, your project goals can more effectively be met. While your project costs may seem higher at the outset with a contractor that uses the latest technology, you will avoid the hidden costs of delays and errors in the long run. Here are a few of the benefits of using a company that works with 3-D software:

Automatic generation of drawings: Once the steel structure design is in the 3-D software system, it’s simple to automatically produce the drawings you need for any stage or segment of the project.

Clear visuals: Working in a 3-D system gives you a clear picture of every part of the project and the ability to visualize how the finished design will look. Creating an ISOmetric building evaluation to visualize the project design helps the erection process too, because contractors are able to predict any challenges that might come up during the erection process.

Scale drawings: Your drawings are always to scale. You’ll never need to do any figuring to align your plans with the scale of your project.

One update: When you update one aspect of your project, it updates the details across the model and with every drawing associated with the project. There’s no concern about conflicting drawings with a 3-D software tool.

Reduced errors: You can produce a Bill of Material straight from the project plans so that there’s little room for error. This automatic generation of a Bill of Material means that the potential for human error has been significantly reduced.

BIM: “Building Information Modeling” allows the 3-D software to export a file that can be merged into all principles models for a “real-time” construction status, being able to highlight any clashes between trades thus minimizing installation down time.

When you partner with Midland Steel Company for your steel structure design and erection, you’ll get the benefit of the 3-D software utilizing Design Data’s SDS/2 program. It provides the most advanced intelligence and automation available for steel design. It automatically considers the most economic solutions for fabrication and erection, which no other 3-D software does automatically.

Not only is SDS/2 Detailing advanced at automation for your projects, but it’s also flexible. You’ll have the ability to create any design for fabrication and erection, allowing plenty of room for creative and innovative design.

Midland Steel Company provides customer-focused service paired with a commitment to quality. Our experience and our partnership approach to fabrication and erection have made us a reliable choice for contractors across the region.

Structural Steel Provides Clear Advantages for Your Building Project

If you’re creating project plans for a new building, you are likely evaluating the costs and benefits of a variety of building materials. There’s one decision that’s easy: the choice of structural steel for your project. No other material has the distinct advantages of steel. Here are eight reasons why there is no alternative to structural steel:

1. It’s cost-effective. No other material for structural framing provides the same benefit. Not only is it a good choice for its initial low cost, but it also reduces your costs related to the foundation and façade systems.
2. Structural steel supports a more streamlined building process. Your structural steel is fabricated off-site while your foundation and site preparation work are being completed. Once your foundation is ready, the steel erection can be done quickly and efficiently.
3. You maximize floor space. The lightweight, yet strong quality of structural steel makes it possible to eliminate the need for columns or other support structures, giving you the opportunity to maximize your square footage.
4. Designers love it. Using structural steels gives you a wide range of possibilities for design. It can be curved or rolled and accommodates any unique building design.
5. It’s adaptable. A structural steel design can always be adjusted and reconfigured to address future design or building requirements.
6. Its quality is predictable. Steel is fabricated off-site, with precise, controlled conditions to make a consistent, predictable product.
7. Your productivity improves. Structural steel is fabricated using an advanced supply chain, with specialized technology like computer-aided technology. This eliminates errors and keeps your project on-schedule.
8. It’s an environmentally responsible choice. The structural steel industry produces an average of 90 percent recycled materials in its mills. In addition, when your building is at the end of its life, 100 percent of the structural steel can be recycled.

Steel is incredibly adaptable to your design. No matter what changes come into your building plans, or how it needs to change in the future to accommodate new requirements, your choice of steel will always be the best option.

Midland Steel is your source for both steel fabrication and erection in the Kansas City metro area. We celebrate a high level of quality from start to finish on every job, and we value the partnerships we make with contractors across the region. Call us today to find out more about using structural steel in your next building project.

If a Steel Contractor is Not AISC Certified, Continue Your Search

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) was formed in the 1920s as a way to promote the interests of the steel industry, and also to ensure that certain quality and instruction standards were met. Today, being AISC certified means that a company adheres to a rigorous, and often changing, set of standards of quality and safety.

You may ask, “Surely there’s a cost involved. Wouldn’t it be cheaper for me to hire a non-AISC certified steel company?”

Of course it would, but you’ll pay for that choice in other ways. A steel company that doesn’t hold the AISC certification misses out on a variety of benefits, and these are benefits that affect you and your building project. Here are the advantages of using an AISC certified steel company:

Superior quality: This is the most significant difference between an AISC certified job and a non-certified job. Your project will adhere to the strictest standards of quality, from welding procedures to equipment calibration, all recorded in the Quality Management System for the project. The result is that your project is of excellent quality and there’s less risk of errors or delay.

Increased accountability: There are regular audits of AISC certified fabricators and erectors to be sure that the quality levels and safety standards are adhered to throughout the company. This accountability lets the customer know that not only does your steel fabricator and erector know the right way to do things, but that they are actually doing it the right way.

The newest technology: When you use an AISC certified steel company, you enjoy knowing that they are up-to-date for the latest codes and techniques that ensure your projects will pass inspection.

Improved safety: An AISC certified company has strict safety standards that ensure your building project stays on track without any added delays or costs because of a safety incident. Like you, your steel company wants to keep its employees safe, and adhering to the AISC rules help your steel company meet safety standards.

Streamlined productivity: An AISC certified steel company is accustomed to using a uniform process for completing a building project according to code. Your project will be impacted by fewer delays and problems because the steel contractor you’ve chosen knows what’s required and follows their set procedures.

Midland Steel  is an AISC certified steel company that provides all of these valuable benefits to the contractors we partner with on building projects. We are also AWS certified and we celebrate safety and superior quality above all other priorities, and appreciate working alongside other companies that also value these important elements of an effective and streamlined building process. Give us a call to schedule a consultation!

Midland Steel Company Delivers Excellence From Start to Finish

Did you know if you choose Midland Steel Company you will be working with a company that does both fabrication and erection? Midland Steel offers a high quality experience for both and makes it a priority to form partnerships with other local contractors on projects in the Kansas City metro area.

Fabrication: At Midland Steel, we handle everything from simple to highly complex projects. Our state-of-the-art facility and experienced staff lend their expertise to interpreting and coordinating your complete structural project. Working with steel ensures that your building’s foundation is structurally sound, and it is an economical choice that provides flexibility for a variety of design options.

We have the resources to build and install your entire framework. Whether you require beams, columns, metal deck, or bar joists, your project will be completed per your exact specifications. You can count on us to deliver quality from start to finish on the job.

We utilize specialized software that helps to deliver your exact specifications. Particularly in cases where special architectural features are included, we have the technology to carry complex designs through to completion.

Erection: While for many years Midland Steel worked solely in fabrication, sending projects to other companies for erection, we are proud to offer a seamless experience with both erection and fabrication under one group.

Most general contractors prefer to work with a steel company that is equipped to provide high quality work in both fabrication and erection, and since 2008, Midland Steel has been offering this one-stop service.

The benefit to you: You can see the excellence that we commit to all our projects the next time you visit Spratt Stadium at Missouri Western State University or Compass Elementary School in Platte City, MO. When you work with a company that offers both fabrication and erection, you benefit from a seamless project, without experiencing the delays that are common when working with separate fabrication and erection companies.

You also benefit from the collaborative attitude that governs all Midland Steel projects, where employees respect one another and prioritize good communication to ensure that your project is done the way you want it. You won’t experience the adjustments and back charges that can occur when you use separate fabrication and erection companies.

To find out more about the variety of projects that Midland Steel Company has completed, or to learn more about our fabrication or erection divisions, give us a call. We look forward to working with you!