Steel questions, answered

Use the Request a Quote form and include product, grade, sizes, quantities, certificates required, delivery city and date. You can upload drawings, a BOQ or a specification.

No. Steel prices change frequently and depend on grade, size, quantity, origin and delivery. A quotation based on your actual requirement is the only reliable price.

Quotations in Saudi Arabia show VAT separately in line with ZATCA requirements. The price basis (for example delivered or ex-works) is stated on each quotation.

Yes. Mixed lists are common for projects and can be quoted line by line with lead times for each item.

IPE beams have narrow flanges and are efficient in bending, so they are common for floor beams and rafters. HEA and HEB are wide-flange H-sections with similar flange width and depth, giving better performance as columns and in combined bending and compression. HEB is the heavier series of the two.

Multiply length (m) × width (m) × thickness (mm) × 7.85. For example, a 2.5 m × 1.25 m × 10 mm plate weighs about 245 kg. Use our steel plate weight calculator for quick estimates.

GI (galvanized iron) sheet is coated with zinc. GL (Galvalume) is coated with an aluminium-zinc alloy that generally performs better in heat and many atmospheric conditions, making it common for roofing.

Hot-rolled coil is rolled above recrystallisation temperature and has a scaled surface and wider tolerances. Cold-rolled coil is further reduced at room temperature, giving a smoother surface, tighter tolerances and higher surface quality for forming and painting.

ASTM A53 covers welded and seamless pipe for general mechanical and pressure use. ASTM A106 covers seamless pipe for high-temperature service and has tighter chemistry control. A106 is commonly specified in refineries and process plants.

SHS is square, RHS is rectangular and CHS is circular. All are hollow structural sections; the choice depends on load direction, connection detailing and appearance.

Weight per metre = d² ÷ 162.2, where d is the bar diameter in mm. A 16 mm bar weighs about 1.578 kg/m, so a 12 m bar is about 18.9 kg. Use our rebar weight calculator for full schedules.

50 × 5 × 0.00785 = 1.96 kg per metre, so a 6 m length weighs about 11.8 kg.

In chloride environments such as coastal sites, pools and desalination, yes. The molybdenum in 316 significantly improves pitting resistance compared with 304.

Corrugated sheets have a rounded wave profile. Trapezoidal sheets have flat-topped ribs that are usually stiffer, allowing longer spans and easier fixing.

A profiled steel sheet that bonds with the concrete slab so the deck and concrete act together, the deck serving as formwork and bottom reinforcement.

A sheet that is slit and stretched to form diamond-shaped openings in one piece, with no welds and very little waste.

E6013 is an easy-to-use general-purpose rutile electrode for light fabrication. E7018 is a low-hydrogen electrode with higher strength and toughness, used for structural and critical welds.

IFC structural drawings, the specification (grades, coating, welding standard), approximate tonnage if known, project location and target dates. Tekla or IFC models speed up take-off.

Small items can be developed from sketches and site measurements. Load-bearing items such as platforms need engineering input before fabrication.

A steel building whose frames are made from welded, tapered plate sections optimised for the actual loads, combined with cold-formed purlins and profiled cladding. It typically uses less steel than a conventional frame for single-storey large spans.

Welded steel water tanks are commonly designed to AWWA D100 or API 650. Fire water storage must also meet NFPA 22 and Civil Defense requirements.

Cohesive powders can bridge or rat-hole. Hopper angle, outlet size and wall finish are designed to achieve reliable mass or funnel flow.

Slitting width tolerance depends on thickness and equipment; tight tolerances in the region of ±0.1–0.2 mm are common for thin gauges. Agree tolerance at order.

Anchor bolt positions and levels should be surveyed and accepted before steel arrives, because errors are much harder to fix once erection starts.

Product, grade, standard, heat number, dimensions, chemical composition, mechanical test results, certificate type (e.g., EN 10204 3.1) and the issuing mill's validation.

Yes. A full schedule is preferred — it allows consolidated delivery and better comparison.