Early fabricator involvement captures the full benefits of structural steel

Your selection of structural steel as the framing system for your project will accelerate the project schedule and minimize risks associated with construction delays.  Successful structural steel framed projects have been completed using a variety of project delivery methodologies.  A structural steel fabricator is valuable resource during the development of the project's design and should be consulted as early as possible independent of the delivery method being used.  Early involvement by the steel fabricator has been demonstrated to speed project delivery and lower project costs.

Coordination of the activities of the structural engineer and steel fabricator can result in significant schedule savings beyond what would normally be anticipated on a steel framed project. AISC has documented projects such as the St Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, OH (needs to be a link) where early fabricator involvement has reduced the schedule requirements of the steel portion of the project by as much as 30%. And the steel framing system is ALWAYS on the critical path of the project.)

Engaging a fabricator early in the project design process provides the greatest opportunity for cost savings on the project because the project is gaining the fabricators expertise not just the steel that is being fabricated.

Engaging a fabricator as part of the design team during schematic design can assist the structural engineer in producing a more comprehensive early steel package and compress the project schedule by allowing the fabricator to overlay critical path activities that are typical sequential. It is not unusual to see the schedule for the steel package delivery to be compressed by 25%.