Delays Are Costly to Any Construction Project Budget

Are you getting set to embark on your next construction project, and wondering how to avoid the costly delays that plagued your last experience?

There are a few simple practices you can focus on to help your construction project stay on schedule, and as a result, stay on budget. It really comes down to one major component that makes all the difference: communication. Nearly every error or delay involved with construction can be traced back to miscommunication. Here are the various ways it plays an important role in helping you get started and finish on time:

Looking ahead from the very beginning: It’s important to encourage full collaboration from the beginning of your project, and work together to anticipate any problems that could come up throughout the process. Many problems with construction management are avoidable if you spot them in advance.

An open forum approach:  Everyone involved in the project should be encouraged to speak up at any time if something doesn’t seem right or if a future problem becomes evident to them. This practice can help offset the impact of any problems that come up. Encouraging everyone on the job site to voice their concerns helps you address problems before they get out of hand.

Minimize changes: Whether it’s a change in the overall design or a material upgrade, you need to communicate early and take action quickly to avoid delays. Making changes after the design phase can be costly and create unnecessary delays, because making those changes can take significant amounts of time.

Schedule regular meetings: Holding meet-ups between key stakeholders in your construction project can seem as if they are introducing more delays, but these meetings are critical for keeping everyone on the same page. You can discuss potential problems and keep the project moving according to your schedule and budget. It also saves time, giving your subcontractors a way to all collaborate in one meeting.

Hire the right steel company: When you’re going through the bidding process, remember that you’re only at the sales stage. If you have trouble getting a steel company to call you back, imagine how that might look when you’re waiting for an answer to move forward on your construction project.

A good steel company is available to you and operates as your construction partner. They should be in close communication with you, and you should see their presence on the job site, early and often.

To learn more about the advantages of working with Midland Steel Company, contact us for an appointment. We have a commitment to quality that is embraced and celebrated by every member of our team, and you’ll see the results in your project. We look forward to working with you.

Industrial Stairs Made With Structural Steel Are Durable and Safe

When it’s time to install industrial stairs in your construction project, you have several choices at your disposal. While many projects implement timber products into their stairs, there are a few good arguments for choosing structural steel for your industrial stairs. Here are four key reasons:

Malleability: When it comes to flexible design options, structural steel is by far your best choice. Whether you’d like a simple design or a dramatic spiral in the middle of your building, structural steel can be created in whatever design you have in your vision of your project. Whether it’s a one-flight system or a multi-tiered set of industrial stairs, your structure will have the architectural integrity to marry form and function in your design. The only restriction is your design creativity.

Safety: Staircases inherently carry some danger, and structural steel provides a sturdy and reliable support for those moving about your location. While timber products may appeal to you for other reasons, they simply cannot compare to the safety benefits of steel.

Durability: You’ll never have to worry about corrosion or pests when you choose structural steel for your staircase. Steel is equipped to hold up to extreme conditions, and you can count on its durability year after year. Chemical treatments and coatings further enhance steel’s durability by protecting it against rust.

Affordability: There are economical benefits to choosing steel for your industrial stairs. Not only are materials affordable, but the components are fabricated and arrive ready to be assembled, so you save on labor as well.

Maintenance: While a wood staircase would require frequent maintenance to keep a nice luster, your steel staircase will require little in the way of maintenance to keep it attractive, year after year. Whether it’s inside or out, your industrial stairs will remain attractive and maintenance free.

Long-term usability: The benefits of choosing steel for your staircase continue to pay off over time. With a variety of appealing designs possible and high load strengths, steel stairs are the best choice for long-term use. Guests to your building will enjoy the visual appeal of steel and they will look attractive over many years.

Determining the right materials for your industrial stairs can be a challenge, but Midland Steel offers the economical and attractive option of structural steel. With experience on many building projects and with a variety of designs, we can help you choose industrial stairs that both meet your needs and offer visual appeal to your project. Contact us to discuss your building project and the look you want for your stairs.

Structural Steel Isn’t Just Functional

If you’re planning a building project, you may be considering a plan that not only serves your purposes, but is also striking in its design.  If that describes your project, architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) is the perfect choice. Structural steel is always a good choice for its durability, cost-effectiveness and sustainability, but it’s also a good choice for turning heads.

AESS is a great solution for creating a look that is unique and visibly prominent. Maybe you’re interested in walls of windows or a bright open look to your structure. You may be planning a building with a timeless but distinctive design. No matter what design is forming in your imagination, AESS can accommodate it. Whether it’s straight lines and right angles, or twisting curves for a softer look, AESS can be conformed to any specifications.

AESS elements are treated with a higher degree of finishing process to make them appealing for exposure in your building plans. Glossy or matte finishes, a range of colors and seamless or tectonic expression all contribute to steel playing a starring role in your building’s look.

This is an appealing way to use structured steel because it allows visitors to see the inner support structures of the building, whereas in most buildings they are hidden away behind walls. This creates a memorable visit to your building and helps shape the identity of your brand, whether it’s a university library, a sports team stadium or a home for your business headquarters.

AESS can be used to create striking rows of archways in an atrium, crisscrossing beams supporting a staircase or purely aesthetic elements featuring any shape that appeals to you.

When you choose structural steel, you not only choose a material that will perform consistently for generations, but you have the opportunity to create a look that will help define the experience your visitors remember.

Contact Midland Steel about your building project, and allow us to show you some examples of AESS that we’ve installed in the past. We can talk through your ideas and determine what kinds of features will best serve your needs related to both form and function.

Visit our projects page to see some examples of structural steel, including some AESS elements. You’ll find that both high quality and aesthetics are visibly prioritized in our work. We look forward to talking with you about your building plans to determine if AESS elements will be a good fit.

Models Ensure Seamless Process in Design of Steel Structures

When you begin a building project, it’s important to have every possible advantage in preventing delays and errors. In the design of a steel structure, early collaboration between the architect, engineer, steel fabrication and erection companies with the general contractor is critical for ensuring a project stays on time and within budget.

At Midland Steel Company this collaboration is empowered by the use of the SDS-2 3-D software that creates a model of the building project. Once there is approval of the project by the design team, the digital information in the model is used to assign fabrication tasks to crew teams and procures the materials for the project.

The integrated software guides the entire process of the design of a steel structure, from the initial creation of the model to fabrication, then shipping and receiving of materials and the erection of the structure.

Fabrication: Whether your project is simple or highly complex, the state-of-the-art technology that supports Midland Steel Company equips the staff to interpret and coordinate a complete building project.

There are several advantages to working with steel. It’s a long-lasting building material that provides structural soundness, but it’s also valued for its economical benefits. It’s fully recyclable, and the building can be reconfigured again and again for different purposes, using the same steel foundation.

The 3-D SDS-2 software used by Midland Steel provides the ability to meet your needs for a wide variety of structural designs, from columns to bar joists or metal deck.

Erection: One of the most important benefits of working with Midland Steel is the housing of fabrication and erection services within one company. This is the preferred approach by contractors, because it provides a seamless design, fabrication and erection process.

What’s more, the technology that supports Midland Steel throughout your project means that from the initial 3-D model stage through to final inspections, there’s a high level of collaboration that allows for early detection of challenges or potential delays. When you use a steel company that’s both fabricator and erector, and also uses the best technology to support your project, you’ll protect your timeline for your project.

If you’re planning a building project, make an appointment to talk with Midland Steel. We look forward to hearing about the design of your steel structure, and we can share examples of similar projects that Midland Steel has finished. Contact us today.

New Steel Tariff Good For Long-Term, Despite Short-Term Complications

On March 1, President Donald Trump announced the introduction of a 25% tariff on all imported steel. The news created widespread discussion around the impact the steel tariff would have on the domestic steel industry. Here are a few of the most pressing topics:

Prices may be unstable for a few months. It’s anticipated that steel prices could be affected for the next three months as the market attempts to stabilize following the news of the steel tariff. Experts predict that it may take as long as three months for steel prices to stabilize in the United States.

The steel tariff is good news in the long run. While the immediate panic may have a short-term negative impact on the steel industry and on the contractors that rely on steel for building materials, the overall effect is positive. The 25% tariff protects the building industry from sub-standard materials.

A 25% tariff does not mean a 25% increase in the overall cost of a project. The cost of the steel is just one component of the cost of building a steel structure. The final cost of the project may be impacted by around 2% of the total building project cost, with the cost of the steel itself impacted by about 5-10% even if the full amount of the tariff is passed on to the building project.

However, it’s important to note that Midland Steel cannot guarantee any quotes on steel at this time. The price of the project will need to be adjusted to reflect the cost of materials at the time of purchase.

Steel is an ideal choice for building, not only for its cost, but also because it is sustainable, recyclable and can be reconfigured into new designs as the use of particular building changes. It’s important to note that the cost of building materials is never static. For instance, while the steel industry has been enjoying low costs, the index cost of concrete has increased approximately 17% in the past four years. There are always fluctuations in the costs of building materials, and it’s important to get more information before changing any plans.

Midland Steel continues its commitment to the highest quality steel fabrication and erection for our valued customers and business partners. If you have any questions about how the steel tariff might affect your plans or would like to meet to talk about an upcoming project, please give our office a call. We look forward to serving you.