What Steel Beams Are Used For in Buildings and Homes
What steel beams are used for in houses, commercial buildings and industrial work, why the I-shape is used, and when a steel beam beats wood, LVL or concrete.
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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.
When Are Rebar Caps Required on Ontario Job Sites?
When exposed rebar must be capped or protected in Ontario under O. Reg. 213/91, why mushroom caps are not impalement protection, and the alternatives to caps.
When Does a House Need a Steel Beam?
The situations where a house needs a steel beam instead of wood or LVL: long spans, heavy or point loads, tight headroom and wide openings, and who decides.
When Is a Steel Lintel Required? Ontario Code Basics
When the 2024 Ontario Building Code requires a steel lintel, when a wood or concrete lintel is used instead, and how it works in brick veneer over wood framing.
When Is Epoxy-Coated Rebar Required in Canada?
When epoxy-coated rebar is required in Canada: what CSA A23.1, CSA S413 and MTO say, the ASTM A775 and A934 specs, handling rules, and the alternatives.
When to Specify Pre-Camber on a Steel Beam
When pre-camber on a steel beam is worth specifying, why composite floor beams get it, how much to camber for, the risks of over-cambering and how to call it out.
Where Should Rebar Sit in a Concrete Slab?
Where rebar belongs in a concrete slab: upper part of slabs on grade, bottom at midspan in suspended slabs, how to work out bar height and keep it there.
Where to Buy C-Channel in Ontario: Ordering Guide
Where to buy steel C-channel in Ontario and the GTA: service centres, fabricators or retail, which channel you need, and what to send to order it cut to length.
Where to Buy Epoxy-Coated Rebar in Ontario
How epoxy-coated rebar is sourced in Ontario: coating plants vs fabricators, what to specify, plant certification, lead time drivers and what to check on delivery.
Where to Buy Steel Beams in Ontario: Cut, Drilled and Delivered
Buying a steel beam in Ontario: steel yard vs fabricator, what cut, drilled and delivered really involves, access and delivery planning, and what to send to order.
Who Makes Rebar in Canada? Mills and Manufacturers
The Canadian mills that make rebar, where they are, how mills differ from fabricators and suppliers, where imports fit in, and how to buy bar in Ontario.
Who Makes Steel Beams in Canada? Mills vs Fabricators
Who actually rolls the steel beams, columns and HSS posts used in Ontario, how mills differ from fabricators, and how to tell where your steel came from.
Why Are I-Beams Shaped Like an I?
Why I-beams are shaped like an I: how flanges and web share bending and shear, how an I-beam compares with a solid bar of the same weight, and its weak points.
Why Hire a CWB-Certified Steel Fabricator
What CWB certification to CSA W47.1 means, the three divisions, when CSA S16 requires it, how to check a shop's certification and what it does for your project.
Wire Mesh to Rebar Equivalents: Conversion Guide
Convert welded wire mesh to a rebar grid and back: steel area per metre for common mesh styles, equivalent 10M and 15M spacings, US in²/ft values and the catches.
Wire Mesh vs Rebar Cost Compared: What You Pay For With Each
Wire mesh vs rebar cost for a slab: steel per square metre, supports, laps, labour and what each gives you. Includes a worked quantity comparison for a garage slab.
Wire Mesh vs Rebar for a Concrete Driveway
Wire mesh or rebar for a concrete driveway in Ontario? What each does, what rebar size is used, how much steel each adds, and why mix, joints and base matter most.
Wire Mesh vs Rebar for a Garage Floor
Rebar or wire mesh for a garage floor in Ontario: what the building code requires, when a garage slab needs design, typical rebar spacing, and a worked example.