Articles on how steel framing is sized, named, priced and ordered. Every figure comes from the AISC Shapes Database v16.0, a published standard or a manufacturer specification sheet, and each article says when the numbers were checked.
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Steel Column Guide: W-Shape vs HSS vs Pipe, With Real Size Data
Read the article: Steel Column Guide: W-Shape vs HSS vs Pipe, With Real Size DataHow steel columns work and how W shapes, square HSS tubes and round pipe compare, with AISC weights and radius of gyration for 11 common column sections.
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What Is Structural Steel Fabrication? The Shop Process Step by Step
Read the article: What Is Structural Steel Fabrication? The Shop Process Step by StepStructural steel fabrication explained step by step: shop drawings, mill certs, cutting, drilling, welding to AWS D1.1, coating and shipping to the site.
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Rust Prevention Coatings for Steel: Paint vs Galvanizing vs Metallizing
Read the article: Rust Prevention Coatings for Steel: Paint vs Galvanizing vs MetallizingHow to stop structural steel rusting: ISO 12944 environments, blast cleaning, paint systems, hot-dip galvanizing, duplex and thermal spray coatings compared.
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Can You Paint Galvanized Steel? Yes, If You Prep It Right
Read the article: Can You Paint Galvanized Steel? Yes, If You Prep It RightYes, you can paint galvanized steel. Learn the three surface conditions, how to clean and profile the zinc, and which paints stick and which ones peel off.
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Galvanized Steel vs Stainless Steel: Which One Do You Need?
Read the article: Galvanized Steel vs Stainless Steel: Which One Do You Need?Galvanized vs stainless steel: how each resists rust, 304 vs 316, a side-by-side comparison, which to choose, and why mixing the two can corrode the zinc.
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How to Insulate a Metal Building (Roof and Walls, Step by Step)
Read the article: How to Insulate a Metal Building (Roof and Walls, Step by Step)How to insulate a metal building roof and walls: faced fiberglass, vapor retarders, thermal blocks, two-layer systems, retrofits and condensation mistakes.
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What Is Mill Scale? Why Paint Fails Over It and How to Remove It
Read the article: What Is Mill Scale? Why Paint Fails Over It and How to Remove ItWhat mill scale is, why paint fails over it, and how it is removed: blast cleaning grades Sa 2.5 and SP 10, pickling, grinding and when to leave it alone.
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Basement Support Beams: Steel vs Wood, Sagging Signs and Replacement
Read the article: Basement Support Beams: Steel vs Wood, Sagging Signs and ReplacementHow a basement support beam carries the floor, steel vs wood and LVL beams, real W8 and W10 sizes, sagging warning signs and what replacing one involves.
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Steel Base Plates: What They Do, How Thick They Are and How They’re Set
Read the article: Steel Base Plates: What They Do, How Thick They Are and How They’re SetWhat a steel column base plate does, what sets its size and thickness, and how it is leveled, grouted and anchored, with the OSHA four-rod rule explained.
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Can You Weld Galvanized Steel? How to Do It Safely
Read the article: Can You Weld Galvanized Steel? How to Do It SafelyYes, you can weld galvanized steel. Learn how much zinc to grind off, how to control zinc oxide fumes, and how to repair the coating to ASTM A780 afterward.
Reference information only, not engineering advice. Disclaimer.