AISC 360-22 • AISC 303 • AWS D1.1 • IBC 2021
Structural Steel Fabrication & Design
PE-stamped structural steel fabrication support for fabricators and contractors — connection design, AISC 303 shop drawings, miscellaneous steel (stairs, platforms, dunnage), and seismic-rated steel supports per ASCE 7-22. California-licensed Professional Engineers, fixed-fee quotes in 48 hours.
What is structural steel fabrication?
Structural steel fabrication is the cutting, bending, welding, and assembly of rolled steel shapes — W beams, HSS columns, channels, angles, and plates — into the beams, columns, braces, stairs, and platforms that make up a building's frame. The work is governed by AISC 360-22 (design), AISC 303 (Code of Standard Practice for shop drawings), and AWS D1.1 (welding).
On most projects the structural engineer of record (SER) delegates connection design and shop drawing production to the fabricator's engineer. We act as that delegated engineer — designing AISC 360-22 connections, producing AISC 303 shop drawings, and stamping the package for permit and special inspection.
Who we work with
- • Structural steel fabricators (AISC certified shops)
- • Misc / ornamental steel shops (stairs, rails, platforms)
- • General contractors needing delegated design
- • MEP contractors needing equipment support steel
- • Architects needing feasibility / preliminary sizing
- • Hospital and data center projects (HCAI / OSHPD)
Steel design & detailing services
From single-part connection design to full delegated steel packages — PE stamped, code compliant, and CNC-ready.
Steel Connection Design
PE-stamped delegated connection design per AISC 360-22 Ch. J — shear tabs, end plates, moment connections, brace gussets, base plates, HSS connections.
Steel Shop Drawings
AISC 303 compliant shop and erection drawings — assembly drawings, single-part details, anchor bolt setting plans, BOM. PDF + DWG/DXF + CNC (DSTV/NC1).
Miscellaneous Steel
Stairs, guardrails, ladders, equipment platforms, dunnage, roof screens, lintels, embed plates, pipe supports, and skids — designed and detailed for fab.
Seismic Steel Supports
Steel rails, frames, and dunnage for nonstructural equipment per ASCE 7-22 §13.3 with Ω0 amplification on essential equipment connections.
Codes & standards
Specification for Structural Steel Buildings — member and connection design
Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges (shop drawing standard)
Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings (SCBF, OMF, SMF, EBF)
Structural Welding Code — Steel (prequalified WPS, weld symbols, inspection)
Loads — gravity, wind Ch. 26-30, seismic Ch. 12 + Ch. 13 (equipment supports)
Anchorage to concrete for column base plates and embed plates
Adopted code basis and special inspection requirements (Ch. 17)
Specification for Structural Joints Using High-Strength Bolts
Deliverables
Every steel fabrication package ships with everything the shop, erector, EOR, and special inspector need:
- PE-stamped connection design calculation report
- AISC 303 shop drawings — assembly, single-part, anchor bolt setting plans
- Erection drawings with piece marks and field bolt schedule
- CNC-ready files (DSTV/NC1) for beam line, drill line, coper
- AWS D1.1 prequalified WPS references and weld symbols per AWS A2.4
- Bolt and weld schedules with material grades (A992, A572, A500, A325, A490)
- Bill of materials with mill cert tracking
- Special inspection coordination per IBC Chapter 17 (on request)
Structural steel fabrication — frequently asked questions
What is structural steel fabrication?
Structural steel fabrication is the process of cutting, bending, welding, and assembling rolled steel shapes (W, HSS, channels, angles, plates) into the beams, columns, braces, stairs, platforms, and miscellaneous supports that make up a building's structural frame. The work is governed by AISC 360-22 (steel design), AISC 303 (Code of Standard Practice), AWS D1.1 (welding), and the project's structural drawings — and on essential or seismic-classified projects requires PE-stamped connection design and shop drawings.
Do you provide steel connection design?
Yes. We deliver PE-stamped delegated connection design per AISC 360-22 Chapter J — shear tabs, single and double angles, end plates, moment connections, brace gussets, base plates, and HSS slotted connections. Each connection is designed to the required strength noted on the structural drawings (or to AISC standard maximums when SER-of-record requests), with weld and bolt sizes calculated and shown on the shop drawings.
Do you produce steel shop drawings?
Yes — we produce AISC 303 compliant shop drawings and erection drawings for fabricators, including assembly drawings, single-part details, anchor bolt setting plans, bill of materials, and weld symbols per AWS A2.4. Drawings are issued in PDF + DWG/DXF and CNC-ready (DSTV/NC1) where the shop runs a beam line, drill line, or coper.
What miscellaneous steel do you design and detail?
Misc steel includes stairs (egress and architectural), guardrails and handrails, ladders, mechanical equipment platforms and dunnage, roof screens, lintels, embed plates, pipe supports, and equipment skids. We design these to AISC 360-22 + IBC 2021 Chapter 16 loads (including ASCE 7-22 seismic Fp on supported equipment) and detail them for shop fabrication.
Do you handle seismic-rated steel supports for equipment?
Yes. Steel rails, frames, dunnage, and curbs supporting nonstructural equipment must transfer the ASCE 7-22 §13.3 Fp force into the building structure. We design the steel members and welds for combined gravity + seismic + wind, including Ω0 amplification on connections of essential equipment (Ip = 1.5), and coordinate the anchorage to concrete per ACI 318-19 Chapter 17.
What deliverables come with a structural steel package?
PE-stamped connection design calculation report, AISC 303 shop and erection drawings (PDF + DWG/DXF), CNC files (DSTV/NC1) when needed, weld procedure references (AWS D1.1 prequalified WPS), bolt and weld schedules, anchor bolt setting plan, and a bill of materials. Special inspection coordination per IBC Chapter 17 on request.
How fast can you turn shop drawings and connection design?
Typical small-to-mid commercial package (≤ 50 tons): 2–3 weeks for connection design + shop drawings. Misc steel only (stairs, platforms, supports): 5–10 business days. Send the structural drawings (S-sheets), specifications, and a tonnage estimate — fixed-fee quote in 48 hours.
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Learn moreNeed PE-stamped steel connection design or shop drawings?
Send the structural drawings (S-sheets), specifications, and tonnage estimate. Fixed-fee quote in 48 hours, typical connection design + shop drawing turn in 2–3 weeks.