Choosing Compliant Structural Steel Fabricators
02 December 2021
Structural steel fabrication is used in industries worldwide because of the unparalleled reliability, durability and cost-effectiveness of steel as a building material. However, if you were to inadvertently use one of the UK's estimated 7000 non-compliant steel suppliers, how can you be sure your steel will perform as expected?
If you’re requesting steel fabrication services for your construction project, it’s therefore vital that you take the time to learn about fabricators’ certificates and compliance procedures. Instead of wasting a lot of your time researching every steel fabricator near your site, continue reading to learn about Buy A Beam’s advice to avoid making this mistake when buying steel online.
What Standards Exist for Steel Fabrication Companies?
The best way to ensure that the steel fabricators you use to supply materials for your project are appropriately qualified and certified to do so is to check whether their work is compliant with EN1090. But what is this?
EN1090 is a set of European standards that the Construction Products Regulation recognises. They focus on regulating steel and aluminium fabrication to ensure the safety of all involved in steel construction. These rules consist of three parts:
- EN 1090-1: Requirements for conformity assessment for structural components (CE and UKCA markings);
- EN 1090-2: Technical requirements for the execution of steel structures;
- and EN 1090-3 with technical requirements for the execution of aluminium structures.
Using non-certified metal fabricators will almost certainly have financial implications, caused by quicker degradation to the steel when compared to certified materials, as well as the fines you’ll receive for using unsafe materials. Therefore, ensuring your purchased product meets the requirements of EN1090 is crucial.
What are CE and UKCA Markings?
Since July 2013, it has been mandatory in the European Union for any components created through structural steel fabrication to be compliant with BS EN 1090-1. Construction projects that comply with this European Technical Assessment will see their relevant steel and aluminium products receive a CE marking. However, from January 2021, the UK has introduced and recognised UKCA markings, which are currently valid alongside CE marking in the United Kingdom and are due to fully replace them from January 2023.
Therefore, as long as the fabricated steel that you’re using for your project has either the UKCA marking on it (or the CE marking if the steel is used before 2023), then you know you’ve used a compliant structural steel supplier. If the company you choose uses materials that are not marked in this way, the foundation of the steelwork could be in danger, primarily when used for load-bearing purposes.
The Risks of Using Non-Certified Suppliers
Steel products are widely used because they’re reliable and carry fewer possibilities for quality issues than alternatives made from more natural substances. However, if you end up using structural steel fabricators that don’t follow the correct compliance procedures, easy mistakes such as incorrect storage conditions could significantly decrease the quality of the materials.
The complicated nature of structural steel fabrication and the vital role that steelwork plays in the safety of any project means that using non-compliant suppliers is sure to create problems and hinder the progress of the project. Fixing any issues caused by using non-compliant steelwork will quickly increase the costs of your project and put you at risk of legal difficulties if any accidents occur.
The best way to avoid these potential risks and ensure that you order CE or UKCA marked steel products that you know you can rely on is to order from trustworthy steel fabricators. If you’re not sure where to start, Buy A Beam are here to help.
How to Avoid Using Non-Compliant Structural Steel Fabricators
Buy A Beam is an online service designed to help anyone looking for steel beams, bars, and channels find high-quality products fabricated locally to their site. We can connect you with fully certified steel fabricators that produce steelwork compliant with all relevant standards through our online store, making it easier and safer than ever to order steel online.
Buy A Beam is ideal for builders who have recently completed a survey on a site and quickly need excellent fabricated steel - all you need to do to get started is enter your postcode. You can use our steel calculator tool to receive instant prices for customisable steel products and place your order at any time of day.