Engineering Department
In the early days, in-house engineering was unheard of. Today, twenty plus professional engineers and steel detailers immediately respond to customers' needs. Drawing boards and pencils in the department have been replaced by powerful computers that only a few years ago would have required rooms full of air-conditioned computer space, In 1969 EDI (electronic data interchange) wasn't even a passing thought; today it is the norm.
The goal
It is our belief that a successful project begins with good engineering. While most firms in our industry have gone away from in-house design and drafting. We here at Steel Service are continually expanding our in-house engineering department so that control on consistency, quality and schedule are maintained.
Connection Design is provided per the guidelines established by the American Institute of Steel Construction. Connection types are selected on the basis of strength, erection safety and overall constructability and are prepared on connection design software, developed by staff engineers, which is easily adapted to the customer’s own specifications.
Shop Drawings are prepared utilizing one of the most advanced three-dimensional structural steel modeling programs available. Models can be built by utilizing the contract drawings or the customer’s design software through a neutral file transfer. Once the model is completed shop drawings are automatically prepared and needed information is electronically transferred to the Purchasing Department for material acquisition or to CNC for production preparation.
CNC
upon receipt of the file transfer organizes the information into delivery shipment groups. Needed production forms, such as cutting lists, are printed and CAM files are transferred to the machine operators throughout the fabrication facility.
"All fabrication information is transferred electronically directly from the 3D model to manufacturing eliminating time and error along the way."
PROJECTS OF INTEREST…..
UOP (TLP) PACOL Process Unit
Although not large in size (only 65 tons) the modular construction and tight tolerances required made this project interesting and rewarding. The basic tower was fabricated and shipped in four sections, which only required twelve bolted joints to complete the field assembly. Handrails and ladders were trial assembled to each module in the shop to guarantee a perfect fit at the construction site.
With the machinery foundation information arriving daily our CAD operators and fabrication personnel worked hand and hand with the customer making the needed adjustments all the while maintaining their critical delivery schedule.
Jurassic Park – Building 254G
Accepting the challenges of a fast paced schedule and a difficult building layout. A staff CAD operator was relocated to the designer’s office during the early stages of the project where he proceeded to construct the basic building model under the their direction.
Faced with a heavily tube steel braced structure and the challenge of reducing erection time. Our staff engineers developed single sided field bolted paddle plate brace end connections eliminating all field welding from the project reducing the overall construction schedule.
Ford Motor Company LVL Expansion
For this project to be successful it meant the on time delivery of the 265 trusses that formed the roof. As our CAD operators began the model layout, staff engineers met with the building designer and developed truss design standards. Our in-house developed connection design software was then adapted to the standards and calculations for truss connections were submitted for approval only two weeks into the project. Once the designs were approved connections were applied to the model and the truss shop drawings were processed and submitted for approval. The team approach between our staff engineers and the customer during the shop drawing phase of the project combined with quality fabrication lead to an on time erection start and a two week ahead of schedule completion.
Roman L. Hruska United States Courthouse
Is metrics a problem? Not for our CAD operators, detailing software and fabrication facility. They handle metrics with ease. The shop drawings for this 2600-ton Courthouse were prepared completely in metrics per the G.S.A. mandate.
Contact Information: Skip Fitz VP of Engineering
E-Mail: sfitz@steelservicecorp.com
FAX: 601-932-4432
