How to Review Rebar Shop Drawings: A Checklist
A practical checklist for reviewing rebar shop drawings and bar lists: general notes, footings, walls, columns, beams, slabs, bar list checks and mark-up habits.
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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 Review Steel Shop Drawings: A Checklist
A checklist for reviewing structural steel shop drawings: anchor bolt plans, erection drawings, assembly drawings, connections, coordination and review stamps.
How to Size a Steel Column for a House
How a steel column for a house is sized: tributary area, floor loads, height and slenderness, section choice and end plates, with an Ontario code example.
How to Tie Rebar: Knots, Patterns and Tools
How to tie rebar together with wire: the snap tie step by step, saddle and wrap ties, which intersections to tie in slabs and walls, and pliers vs tying tools.
HSS Columns: Common Sizes and How Load Tables Work
Common HSS steel column sizes in Canada and how CISC column load tables work: factored resistance, effective length, Class C vs Class H, and when tables don't apply.
HSS Connections and Framing: Common Details Explained
How HSS steel connections work: shear tabs, through plates, cap plates, knife plates for bracing, end plate splices and welded tube joints, plus what drawings need.
HSS Sizes in Canada: Metric Chart for Square, Rect and Round
Common Canadian HSS sizes in mm with wall thickness and kg/m for square, rectangular and round tube, plus Class C vs Class H, lengths and availability.
HSS Steel Grades in Canada: CSA G40.21 350W vs ASTM A500
HSS steel grades in Canada: CSA G40.21 350W Class C and H, ASTM A500 Grades B and C, and A1085, with yield strengths, design wall thickness and ordering tips.
HSS Steel Posts for Basements and Decks: Sizes and Options
Common HSS steel post sizes for basements and decks, what the Ontario Building Code requires for steel columns, plates and connections, and how to order posts.
HSS Steel Prices in Canada: What Drives the Cost of Hollow Sections
How HSS steel is priced in Canada: weight, size, wall thickness, grade, cutting, plates and finish, plus how to compare quotes and get an accurate number.
HSS vs Pipe: Round Structural Tube vs Steel Pipe
HSS vs pipe: how round HSS and steel pipe differ in sizing, grades and strength, why NPS 6 pipe and HSS 168 can share a size, and which to specify for structure.
HSS Weight per Metre: Chart and How to Calculate It
HSS weight per metre and per foot for common square, rectangular and round sizes, the formulas that reproduce the tables, and worked examples for posts.
I-Beam vs W-Beam vs H-Beam: What Is the Difference?
I-beam, W-beam, H-beam and S-beam explained: what each name means in Canada, how the shapes differ in flange width and strength, and which suits beams or columns.
Industrial Steel Stairs and Roof Access Stairs in Ontario
Industrial steel stairs and roof access stairs in Ontario: the Building Code and Reg. 851 rules that apply, design choices, and what to send for a quote.
Installed Structural Steel Cost: What Supply, Fabricate and Erect Includes
What an installed (furnished, fabricated and erected) structural steel price covers, what site factors drive it, which items fall between trades, and how to compare.
Installing Steel Columns and Posts: What to Expect
What happens when steel columns or posts are installed: drawings, permits, shoring, setting, plumbing and inspection, and what goes into an install estimate.
Is Epoxy-Coated Rebar Being Banned? What Changed and Why
Epoxy-coated rebar is not banned in Canada or the US, but some owners stopped specifying it. What happened in Florida, where Ontario stands, and what it means.
Is My Lintel Steel or Concrete? How to Tell
How to tell if a lintel is steel or concrete: what a steel lintel looks like under brick, the magnet test, concrete and block lintels, and why it matters.