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Hiring the right erector to construct your steel building will have a critical effect on the overall success of your project. Poorly trained steel building erectors can cause a variety of problems for you and your steel building project. The most common problem is improper erection of the building, so you need to find someone who is knowledgeable and practiced in the type of building you want erected. Some erectors have training in some, but not all, steel building systems.
There are some guidelines in securing a qualified erector and a competent crew to assign to your project. Also, there are qualified metal building consultants who can help you locate a professional erector if you are inexperienced with steel building construction.
The first thing to do is to check the workmanship on one of the past projects of the erector you are considering and include at least one recent and one older project. Make sure the craftsmanship on these projects was satisfactory and check that any problems that arose were resolved. It is important to find out if the erector is certified by a particular steel building supplier to erect your type of building, and to find out if he and his crew have attended recent training sessions to update their skills. Make sure there is a project superintendent who will oversee the work and communicate with each and every crew member daily about how to do his part of the job.
Do not always opt for the lowest bidder on a job. Low bids sometimes are harbingers of poor performance, as there might not be ample funds in a low bid to allow all of the work to be completed satisfactorily. The cheapest erector can very easily turn into the most “costly” one. The erector you are considering needs to submit a copy of his OSHA-approved safety program. He must be current on all safety requirements and hold frequent jobsite safety meetings.
Once you have decided on an erector there are some additional considerations to be handled before the steel building project actually commences. Make sure that erection drawings and instructions are available for the job. You and/or a professional consultant should review all of the jobsite drawings to make sure they are complete. Make sure there will be a full-time on-site superintendent to take daily charge of the worksite and solve any problems that may arise during erection. Do not permit design changes. You should inspect the work regularly and make sure that the proper tools and equipment are being utilized, that temporary bracing is being used constantly throughout the worksite, that design bracing requirements are implemented for the permanent bracing, and that the appearance is not “out-of-plane.” These guidelines will help you secure a successful completion of your steel building project.
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