Steel structure manufacturer since 2009 · 8 fabrication bases in China
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Resources for steel structure buyers
Guides, standards and articles written by our engineers for buyers, contractors and engineers sourcing steel from China.
What is a steel structure? Systems, parts and when to use one
A plain-language guide to steel structures: the main structural systems, the parts of a steel building, and when steel beats concrete.
Guides
Steel warehouse design: the 14 inputs that set the price
Span, bay, eave height, racking, mezzanine, wind and fire: what to fix before asking for a steel warehouse price, and why each one matters.
Guides
Composite floor deck and truss deck: how to choose
Profiled metal deck, steel bar truss deck and formwork-free truss deck with fibre-cement base compared on propping, fire, finish and cost.
Guides
Planning a steel mezzanine floor in a warehouse
Loads, column grid, stairs, fire and when a mezzanine should be designed into the main frame instead of standing alone.
Guides
Buying a prefabricated steel building: what is included and what is not
Pre-engineered steel buildings explained: scope, what the price covers, what the site must provide and how to compare quotes.
Guides
Buying steel structures from China: a step-by-step guide
How to source structural steel from China: finding fabricators, checking capability, quoting, contracts, inspection, shipping and payment.
Guides
Steel truss types and how to choose one
Pratt, Warren, Howe, pipe, triangular and space frame trusses compared by span, depth and use.
Guides
C purlin vs Z purlin: which to use
Cold-formed C and Z purlins compared: lapping, span, use as girts, sizes and galvanizing.
Guides
Design drawings vs shop drawings: what each one is for
The difference between design (IFC) drawings, shop drawings and erection drawings, who produces each, and how approval works.
Guides
Structural steel grade equivalents: GB vs ASTM vs EN vs AS/NZS
Q235B, Q355B, Q390 and Q420 compared with ASTM A36, A572 and A992, EN S235 to S420 and AS/NZS grades: yield strength, impact tests and when substitution needs approval.
Steel Grades & Standards
EN 1090 explained: execution classes, CE marking and what buyers should ask
EN 1090-1 and EN 1090-2 for steel structures: execution classes EXC1–EXC4, factory production control, CE marking and supplier checks.
Steel Grades & Standards
AS/NZS 5131 explained: construction categories for steel fabrication
AS/NZS 5131 for fabrication and erection of structural steel in Australia and New Zealand: construction categories CC1–CC4 and supplier requirements.
Steel Grades & Standards
AISC 360 and AISC 303: what US-spec projects require of a fabricator
AISC 360 design, AISC 303 Code of Standard Practice and AWS D1.1 welding: what a US-specified steel project expects from an overseas fabricator.
Steel Grades & Standards
ISO 3834: welding quality requirements explained
ISO 3834 parts 2, 3 and 4 for welding quality management, how they relate to EN 1090, and what to ask a fabricator.
Steel Grades & Standards
EN 10204 mill certificates: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2 explained
The difference between EN 10204 inspection document types 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2, which one structural steel needs, and how to trace it to members.
Steel Grades & Standards
Why there is no single price per ton for steel structures
The seven cost blocks in a steel structure quote, what moves each one, and how to compare two quotes line by line.
Blog
How much structural steel fits in a 40HQ container?
Container dimensions, why steel loads cube out before weight, typical tonnage per 40HQ and how member length affects freight cost.
Blog
H-beam vs I-beam vs box column: which section where?
Wide-flange H, narrow I and welded box sections compared for beams and columns: axis strength, torsion, connections and cost.
Blog
RFQ file checklist: what to send for a steel building quote
The files and data to send with a steel building or fabrication RFQ, so the quote is fixed rather than full of assumptions.
Blog