Structural steel fabrication & Erection (Light & Heavy)

The steel-framed building derives most of its competitive advantage from the virtues of prefabricated components, which can be assembled speedily at site. Unlike concreting, which is usually a wet process conducted at site, steel is produced and subsequently fabricated within a controlled environment. This ensures high quality, manufacture offsite
with improved precision and enhanced speed of construction at site.
The efficiency of fabrication and erection in structural steelwork dictates the success of any project involving steel-intensive construction. Current practices of fabrication and erection of steel structures in India are generally antiquated and inefficient. Perhaps, this inadequate infrastructure for fabrication is unable to support a large growth of steel
construction. In India, the fabrication and erection of structural steelwork has been out of the purview of the structural designer. Nevertheless, in the future emerging situation, the entire steel chain, i.e. the producer, client, designer, fabricator and contractor should be able to interact with each other and improve their efficiency and productivity for the success of the project involving structural steelwork. Hence it becomes imperative that
structural designers also must acquaint themselves with all the aspects of the structural steel work including the “fabrication and erection,” and that is the subject matter of the present chapter to briefly introduce good fabrication and erection practices.