Steel is among the most versatile materials used in the construction industry. It can be designed, formed, pressed, rolled, cut, bolted, and welded, and can be utilized in an almost unlimited variety of ways and situations. Steel for the construction industry is usually shop-fabricated to conform with shop drawings and quality standards. The field erection process usually includes delivery, sorting by sequence (shakeout), hoisting into place, temporarily connecting, plumbing (or truing), and the final connecting (weld, bolt, etc.).

The erecting process must be thought out thoroughly, as the sequence will greatly affect the overall erection time, and ultimately the final cost. The sequence will dictate what type of hoisting equipment can and will be used, the interferences that will be created or avoided, and what other work can commence or continue as the steel is being erected in one area of the project.

The following topics are covered in charts and tables to aid in estimating metals:

• General symbols and nomenclature
• Steel quantity guidelines
• Weights and dimensions of steel shapes and sections
• Weights and depths of open web steel joists
• Steel erecting labor-hour tables
• Weights and dimensions of steel bars, plates, and sheets

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