Fabrication
Introduction
Fabrication describes the procesing of steel from manufacturer to final delivery to a construction project.
Coating
Any priming or coating of fabricated steelwork is carried out at the end of the fabrication process. Multi-coat and intumescent systems are applied in the fabrication shop to reduce site activity times and make significant cost savings.
Stockyard
The steel fabrication story begins as the basic sections and plates are delivered to a storage area, or steel stockyard. Here it is unloaded and stored prior to being moved to the fabrication lines for processing.
Cutting and drilling
In the fabrication shop the first operation is to cut to size or shape. Sections are rapidly built together on site. All holes are pre punched and drilled in the fabrication shop. Drilling follows directly after cutting.
Specialist fabrication
Specialist fabrication includes, bending of sections, tubes and plates. It also includes tee splitting of a rolled section or press braking of plates into a wide variety of shapes.
Welding
Welding is a core activity in the fabrication shop; it is used to prepare joints for connection on site and for the attachment of other fixtures and fittings.
Profiling of tubular sections
In addition to the standard fabrication processes common to all structural elements, tubular sections may require profile-shaping or saddling.
Built up cladding systems
There are a number of ways that the building envelope can be formed. Built up cladding systems are assembled on site using individual components manufactured in the factory.
Metal decking
Metal decking is used in floors as a structural element of composite construction or as simple formwork. Due to the loading from the concrete as it's cast, the profile of the decking is usually deeper than for other applications such as cladding.
Cold formed sections
Cold formed sections are used for a number of different applications, primarily associated with either the building envelope or light steel structural elements used in walls, partitions or floors.
Composite panel manufacture
The fabrication of composite panels involves sandwiching PIR (Polyisocynurate) foam between two profiled pre-finished steel sheets. Coils weighing around 7 tonnes are loaded onto the line
