How to Check a Company's CWB Certification
How to verify a fabricator's CWB certification: search the CWB Group directory, read the standard and division, match it to your job, and check welder tickets.
Home / Blog
Steel & Rebar Guides
Straight answers on rebar, structural steel, beams, lintels and fabrication, from the team that cuts, bends and welds it every day.
How to Choose a Structural Steel Fabricator in Ontario
What to check before hiring a structural steel fabricator in Ontario: CWB certification, shop drawings, engineering, capacity, delivery, installation and quotes.
How to Convert Rebar Spacing When Changing Bar Size
The rebar spacing conversion formula, worked swaps between 10M, 15M and 20M, imperial to metric conversions, and the checks that come after the math.
How to Cover and Repair Exposed Rebar
How to cover exposed rebar in concrete: find the cause, when to call an engineer, how a proper rebar repair is done, and what rebar ghosting on a slab means.
How to Cut a Lally Column to Length
How to cut a lally column to length: measuring, pipe cutter and saw methods, square ends, end plates, and why fixed steel posts are cut in the shop.
How to Cut Fiberglass Rebar on Site Safely
How to cut fiberglass (GFRP) rebar: which blades and saws work, why shears and torches are out, controlling glass fibre dust, PPE, cut ends and bent bars.
How to Cut Steel Angle and Channel: DIY Tools vs Shop Cutting
How to cut steel angle and C-channel: which saw or grinder to use, cutting 45 degree mitres, safety, finishing cut ends, and when shop cutting makes more sense.
How to Do a Structural Steel Takeoff
What a structural steel takeoff is and how to do one: drawings you need, listing members, weights from section tables, plates, connections and a worked example.
How to Dowel Rebar Into Existing Concrete
How rebar is doweled into existing concrete: who designs it, the adhesive, scanning, drilling, hole cleaning, setting and curing, and mistakes that weaken dowels.
How to Estimate Steel Tonnage Early in a Project
Three ways to estimate structural steel tonnage before drawings are done: comparable projects, the typical bay method and a schematic member list, plus what to add.
How to Find Rebar in Existing Concrete
How to find rebar in existing concrete before coring, drilling or cutting: drawings, cover meters, GPR scanning and X-ray, what each can detect and their limits.
How to Identify Rebar Size on Site: Markings and Measuring
How to tell what size rebar you have: read the rolled-on markings, measure the diameter, weigh a cut piece, and why paint colour is not a size code.
How to Install a Lally Column in a Basement
How a lally column or steel post is installed in an Ontario basement: shoring, the footing, sizing and plates, fastening to the beam, permits and inspection.
How to Install a Steel Beam in a Basement
The process for installing a steel beam in a basement in Ontario: design and permit, footings and posts, shoring, setting the beam, connecting joists, inspection.
How to Install a Steel Gate: Posts, Hinges and Footings
How steel gates are installed: sizing and setting posts, footing depth factors, heavy-duty hinge types, hanging and adjusting the leaf, and why gates sag.
How to Install a Steel Lintel in an Existing Brick Wall: The Process Explained
How a steel lintel is installed in an existing brick wall in Ontario: assessment, design, permit, shoring, bearing, flashing and rebuilding, and who does each step.
How to Install and Tie Fiberglass Rebar
How to install fiberglass (GFRP) rebar: handling, cutting, non-metallic chairs, what to tie it with, laps and corners, and keeping a light mat from floating.
How to Install Metal Stairs
How a steel staircase is installed: site prep, getting it in, top and bottom connections, stairs on concrete, stringer installs, final checks and who does what.