Steel fabrication cut, welded and primed to suit the build
Steel fabrication from MCMurdie Contracts LTD, alongside shuttering, reinforced concrete, foundations and groundworks. Request a quote for your steelwork.
What’s involved
MCMurdie Contracts LTD fabricates steel as part of a wider groundworks and concrete service. The steel is made to fit the foundations, formwork and slabs it sits on. Send drawings or a description of the job and request a quote.
Good to know
From the engineer's design to fabrication drawings
A structural engineer sizes the members and sets the loads. Fabrication then needs more detail: exact lengths, hole positions, base plate sizes, weld types and connection details. These normally go on fabrication or shop drawings, which are checked against the engineer's design before any steel is cut. Agreeing early who designs the connections (the engineer or the fabricator) avoids delays later.
Sections and grades
Most building frames use universal beams (UB) for spans and universal columns (UC) for vertical loads, with hollow sections (SHS, RHS and CHS) where a neat, closed profile is wanted, such as posts, bracing and exposed work. S275 and S355 are the common structural grades. S355 is stronger, so it can allow a lighter section, and the engineer's specification decides which is used.
Where steel meets concrete
Columns usually stand on base plates fixed to holding-down bolts cast into the foundation. Those bolts have to be set to the right position and projection before the concrete is poured, often using a template. Levelling packs and a non-shrink grout under the plate then take up the gap. Get the bolt setting wrong and the steel will not land where the drawings say it should.
More to know
Protecting the steel
Surface preparation, typically shot blasting, followed by primer protects steel that will be enclosed and kept dry. Hot-dip galvanising to BS EN ISO 1461 suits steel that is exposed to the weather or damp. Where the building regulations need a fire rating, intumescent coatings or boarding may be specified. Which one applies depends on where the member ends up.
What BS EN 1090 execution classes mean
Structural steelwork is fabricated to an execution class, EXC1 to EXC4, set by the designer according to the consequences of failure and the type of loading. Most ordinary buildings fall under EXC2. The class decides the level of weld inspection, traceability and documentation the work needs, so check it on the engineer's specification before pricing.
Why people choose us
Steel and its foundations from one contractor
Bases, cast-in bolts and the steel that sits on them come from the same contractor, so one party is responsible for them lining up.
Made to the job
Members are fabricated to the dimensions and details of your drawings, not adapted from stock lengths on site.
Sequenced with the rest of the build
Steel can be planned around formwork, concrete pours and groundworks, which cuts down on waiting between trades.
Direct contact
You deal with the contractor doing the work, so questions about details and programme go straight to the right person.
Other services
Questions
Have a specific question about your drawings or structural package? Call directly or request a quote.
What do I need to send for a steel fabrication quote?
Do I need a structural engineer?
Should my steel be primed or galvanised?
Why does the steel need to be coordinated with the foundations?
How do I get a quote?
Get in touch
Direct contractor contact. Send drawings or call to discuss foundations, steel fabrication, or concrete work.