05 - Metals
Structural steel bid estimating, without the grind.
The steel number is set less by the tonnage than by who owns the connection design, the coating/fireproofing scope, and the anchor-rod coordination. Drop in your package and get back a cited first-pass: steel by fabricated weight from the shape tables, erection cross-checked against piece count, the risks that stall a steel bid — and the AISC 303 scope-split questions you should resolve before you price a ton.
✓ PE-reviewable✓ Cited to source✓ Your structural steel workflow
✓
REVIEWED
REVIEWED
Detailing / shop drawings (often a separate line)measure SF or TN— cite
Main steel — furnish + fabricate (by ton)measure SF— cite
Connection material + hardwaremeasure TN (ton)— cite
Miscellaneous / secondary steel (embeds, lintels, bracing)measure SF— cite
Shop coating — paint / prime / galvanize / intumescentmeasure SF or TN— cite
9
governing codes
10
line-item groups
6
units of measure
6
risk flags
What it surfaces for structural steel
Priced for the way structural steel is actually bid.
The engine reads your package and flags exactly what bites structural steel estimators — before it costs you.
Governing codes named: AISC 360 (design), AISC 303 (code of standard practice — the fab/erection responsibility baseline), AISC 341 (seismic), AWS D1.1 (welding), RCSC (bolted joints), ASTM A992/A36/A572 (shapes/plate), ASTM F3125 (A325/A490 bolts), SSPC (coating).
Line-item groups your bid breaks into: detailing/shop drawings; main steel furnish+fabricate by ton; connection material+hardware; misc/secondary steel (embeds, lintels, bracing); shop coating prime/galvanize/intumescent; delivery; erection labor+crane; field bolting/welding+NDT; steel deck; touch-up.
The steel risks ranked: delegated connection design (AISC 303) adding engineering cost; mis-set anchor rods stalling erection; intumescent-vs-paint-vs-galvanize cost swing; NDT/special-inspection on CJP and seismic demand-critical welds; crane access + pick weights; mill/fab price+lead-time escalation.
The RFIs drafted (verbatim): "Confirm the AISC 303 responsibility split: who does connection design?" "Coating requirement: shop prime only, full paint system (SSPC level), galvanizing, or intumescent fireproofing — and what surface prep (SP6/SP10)?" "Anchor rods and embeds: who furnishes and who sets them, and what setting tolerance governs (AISC/ACI)?"
The trade's anatomy
Everything structural steel needs, structured.
Line-item groups
Detailing / shop drawings (often a separate line)Main steel — furnish + fabricate (by ton)Connection material + hardwareMiscellaneous / secondary steel (embeds, lintels, bracing)Shop coating — paint / prime / galvanize / intumescentDelivery / freight to siteErection labor + craneField bolting / welding + NDTSteel deck (if in scope) — furnish + installTouch-up + field coating
Governing codes
AISC 360 · specification for structural steel buildings (design)AISC 303 · code of standard practice — the scope/responsibility baseline for fab + erectionAISC 341 · seismic provisions for structural steel buildingsAWS D1.1 · structural welding code — steel (welder qual, WPS, inspection)RCSC · spec for structural joints using high-strength bolts (A325/A490)ASTM A992 · W-shape wide-flange steel (Fy=50 ksi)ASTM A36 / A572 · plate and misc. shapesASTM F3125 (A325/A490) · high-strength structural boltsSSPC · surface prep + coating standards for shop paint
Units of measure
structural steel (furnish + fabricate) → TN (ton)erection → TN or pieces (EA)field bolts → EA (by diameter/grade)field welds → LF or per-connectionsteel deck → SFshop coating / galvanizing → SF or TN
The risks that usually bite
Connection design responsibilityAnchor-rod coordinationCoating / fireproofing scopeNDT / special inspectionCrane access + pick weightsSteel price + lead time escalation
“"I already have a detailer; the steel industry runs on relationships and the tonnage."”
The analysis doesn't replace the detailer — it screens the set so neither you nor the detailer burn a week on a job held up by a connection-design gap or a coating scope fight. It surfaces the AISC 303 split, the NDT/inspection requirement, and the anchor-rod coordination up front, so the estimator's hours go into fabricating a defensible number instead of discovering the intumescent line after award. Cited output hands to the steel PE/detailer reviewer clean.
Run this on your own structural steel package.
30 minutes. Bring a real steel set — frame, deck, or a job with a delegated connection design — and watch the cited line items, the NDT/inspection flags, and the anchor-rod RFIs on your actual drawings.