Structural steel
· 2 min read
Site readiness before steel arrives
A checklist worth working through before the first delivery, because every item on it stops the crane if it is missed.
AL NIMRA Admin
Steel that arrives on a site which is not ready is not progress. It is a storage problem with a delivery charge attached. The items below are the ones that most often stop a lift.
Foundations and bolts
- Concrete cured sufficiently to take load
- Holding-down bolts set to position and level, surveyed and recorded
- Bolt threads protected and clean — damaged threads stop erection cold
- Base levels confirmed, packing and grout arrangements agreed
Access
- Haul route able to take a loaded delivery vehicle, in the weather expected
- Crane standing positions confirmed, with ground bearing capacity checked
- Overhead services identified, and exclusion zones agreed where they cannot be moved
- Turning and reversing space for deliveries, without blocking other trades
Lay-down
Somewhere to put steel that is within crane reach, level, drained, and clear of other trades. Steel stacked in the wrong order costs a rehandle for every member.
Documentation
- Approved erection drawings on site, current revision
- Lift plan and method statement accepted
- Temporary works design for stability during erection
- Permits in place, and the site's own induction arranged
The one that catches people
Holding-down bolt position. Bolts set even slightly out of tolerance mean a column that will not sit, and the remedy — oversized plates, or worse — is a design decision taken under time pressure. A survey before the steel is loaded is inexpensive insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for checking the foundations?
It should be stated in the contract and agreed before delivery. Whoever it is, the survey record needs to exist and be accepted before steel leaves the fabricator, because that is the last cheap moment to find a problem.