Steel Structures: Fabrication & Erection
NLS Contractors takes structural steel packages in Saudi Arabia, from supply and fabrication to erection: portal frames, pre-engineered buildings, mezzanines, access platforms, solar mounting structures and roof and wall cladding. Work follows AISC 360 for design, AWS D1.1 for welding and SBC 301 for loads, with mill certificates, weld records and coating records handed over.
A steel package starts with tonnage and ends with a crane. In between sit the choices that set the price: section sizes, how many connections each member carries, whether those connections are bolted or welded, the protection system, and how far the steel travels to site. The offer should say which of these the quote assumes, because tonnage alone says very little.
The design and execution references are specific. AISC 360 governs the design of structural steel buildings, loads come from SBC 301, welding follows AWS D1.1, and many specifications add EN 1090-2 for the execution class. Material is named by grade, such as ASTM A572 Grade 50 or EN 10025 S355, and high-strength bolts to ASTM F3125 (the A325 and A490 grades). Mill certificates have to trace to the heat numbers stamped on the steel that arrives.
Corrosion protection decides how the steel ages. ISO 12944 sets corrosivity categories, and coastal sites in Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar sit higher than inland Riyadh. A paint system is specified by category and durability. Hot-dip galvanising to ISO 1461 or ASTM A123 is the alternative where member sizes allow it. Coating thickness is measured and recorded, not assumed.
Most steel enquiries fall into one of four shapes. A pre-engineered building for a warehouse or hangar, with tapered frames, purlins and sheeting. A conventional frame for a plant or a hospital annex. A mezzanine or platform inside an existing building. Or solar mounting structures, where wind uplift and piles dominate. Each has its own page below. NLS Contractors prices the package from the structural drawings or from a preliminary scheme, and steel sections and plate can also be sourced through NLS Industries.
Send the structural drawings or the scheme, the grade and protection specification, the erection programme and the site city. The offer lists its tonnage assumptions, inclusions and exclusions line by line.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What drives the price per ton of structural steel in Saudi Arabia?+
Section sizes and connection complexity, the protection system, transport distance, and the crane and access the site needs. Steel prices also move, so an offer states its validity. A per-ton figure without those assumptions is not comparable.
What is the difference between a pre-engineered building and conventional steel?+
A PEB is designed by the maker as a system, with tapered built-up frames and cold-formed purlins, and suits warehouses and factories with simple geometry and long spans. Conventional steel uses rolled sections designed by the consultant and suits complex plans, heavy cranes and multi-storey frames.
Which standards apply to welding and execution?+
AWS D1.1 for welding, AISC 360 for design, and EN 1090-2 where the specification asks for an execution class. Weld maps and NDT records come with the handover set.
How is steel protected against corrosion on the coast?+
By the ISO 12944 category the specification sets. Coastal sites use higher categories than inland ones, and the choice is a multi-coat paint system or hot-dip galvanising to ISO 1461. Thickness is measured and recorded.
Can you quote solar mounting structures?+
Yes. Send the array layout, tilt angle, foundation type and the wind load basis. The offer covers the galvanised structure, piles or footings and installation.