Steel Construction Design

Steel construction design has become a staple of the construction industry over the past 150 years, as steel has been developed and improved in reliability. The interior of most buildings constructed today have a steel construction design.

Structures with a steel construction design can be built using a variety of methods. The traditional method to contracting and construction is to use the design/bid/build approach, where an architect or engineer oversees the project. They handle the design, produce construction drawings, oversee bids and contracts and the building process itself. The links between the architect, the client and the main contractor are direct. The contractor can win a project through the lowest blind bid or through the construction manager at-risk method, where the contractor guarantees to deliver the project within a guaranteed maximum price. Instead of simply serving as construction manager, the contractor also serves as a consultant to the owner during the design and development processes.

The design-build method has been increasing in popularity over the past decade. In design-build, the owner doesn't hire an architect to design the project, then seeks bids from a contractor. In this case, the owner solicits bids from a architect/contractor teams, who develop their own designs and include complete design and construction costs in their bids. This is different from the traditional process, where the architect completes the design before the contractors put in their bids. Some supporters say design-build makes for a simplified contracting and construction approach, while opponents claim the method will likely lead to cost overruns since there is reduced oversight.

In the management procurement method, the owner holds the greatest amount of control. Instead of hiring an architect to handle the project in construction, or hiring a consortium, the owner oversees every part of the process. They hire the architect, the construction manager and, in many cases, the subcontractors. Proponents of this method believe it speeds up new construction and increases flexibility of projects build with a steel construction design.

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Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Abrams Industries is involved in several markets ranging from construction, real estate, and energy management. Concerning their construction division, Abrams Industries focuses on new construction projects for retail, distribution, expansion projects, and other commercial ventures. In the company's real estate division, they are involved in commercial...

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