Guide

Commercial structural steel fabrication, multi-storey frames and institutional

Commercial structural steel is a different discipline from residential beam work. The tonnage is higher, the connection complexity multiplies, the coordination chain gets longer, and the schedule pressure is real, a framing crew standing idle because the steel is late costs the GC thousands per day. We fabricate commercial structural steel out of our Burnaby shop on Douglas Road for projects across Metro Vancouver, and the work ranges from 10-tonne tenant improvement packages to 100+ tonne multi-storey frames.

This page is written for general contractors, project managers, architects, and building owners who are evaluating structural steel fabricators for a commercial project. It covers what we do, how we coordinate, what a submittal package looks like, and what separates a well-run steel package from one that causes problems on site.

Multi-storey steel frames

A multi-storey steel frame is the backbone of a commercial building. Columns rise from the foundation, beams span between columns at each floor level, and the floor deck (usually composite steel deck with concrete topping) sits on the beams. The frame carries all gravity loads, floors, walls, mechanical equipment, occupants, and, when designed as a moment frame or braced frame, carries the lateral loads from wind and earthquake as well.

Framing a 4 to 8 storey commercial building in Metro Vancouver typically involves 50 to 150 tonnes of structural steel. The members are larger than residential work, W14 and W18 columns, W18 to W24 beams, HSS braces in the 8×8 to 10×10 range, and the connections are more complex. Every beam-to-column joint is either a shear connection (transferring vertical load only) or a moment connection (transferring vertical load plus bending moment for lateral resistance). The engineer specifies which, and the choice cascades through the entire fabrication process, moment connections require heavier plates, more welding, tighter tolerances, and more inspection than shear tabs.

We fabricate multi-storey frames to CISC standards using steel sourced from Canadian mills per CSA G40.21 350W. All structural welding is performed by CWB certified welders under CSA W47.1, and the fabrication is documented with material test reports and weld inspection records that become part of the project's permanent record.

Parking structures

Steel-framed parking structures have long clear spans (typically 18 to 20 m to allow three rows of parking plus drive aisles), repetitive framing bays, and heavy floor loads from vehicle traffic. The steel package is tonnage-heavy but connection-simple compared to a moment-framed office building, most parking structure connections are simple shear because the lateral system is usually concrete shear walls or braced frames at the perimeter.

The fabrication challenge on parking structures is volume and repetition. A 300-stall parkade might have 200 beams that are nominally identical, same section, same length, same connection detail, but each one has to be fabricated to the same tolerance, match-marked for its specific location in the frame, and delivered in the sequence the erection crew needs. Mistakes in member identification or delivery sequence on a parking structure create expensive crane delays.

Corrosion protection matters on parking structures because they're exposed to road salt, water runoff, and freeze-thaw cycles. The engineer may specify galvanized steel, epoxy-coated reinforcing in the composite deck, or a combination. Our shop can coordinate hot-dip galvanizing per ASTM A123 for parking structure members where specified, the members go from our fabrication shop to the galvanizer and then to site.

Institutional projects, hospitals, schools, public buildings

Institutional structural steel adds another layer of complexity beyond standard commercial work. The buildings are larger, the occupancy loads are higher, the seismic performance requirements are stricter (post-disaster buildings like hospitals must remain functional after the design earthquake), and the approval process involves more stakeholders.

We've fabricated steel for institutional projects including BCIT campus buildings, Guildford Town Centre expansions, and Surrey Memorial Hospital work. Each of these projects involved close coordination with the structural engineer, the architect, the GC, and in some cases the building owner's facilities team. The submittal and approval process on institutional work is more rigorous, shop drawings may go through two or three review cycles before approval, and material substitutions require formal engineering review.

Seismic requirements on institutional buildings in Metro Vancouver are governed by the BC Building Code post-disaster provisions. These buildings are designed to a higher seismic performance objective than standard commercial occupancies, which means more moment connections, heavier braces, and more stringent weld inspection requirements. The connections and seismic page covers this in technical detail.

Tenant improvement steel

Not every commercial steel job is a new building. Tenant improvements (TIs) in existing commercial and retail spaces frequently require structural steel modifications, opening up floor plates, reinforcing floors for heavy equipment, adding mezzanines, cutting new stairwell openings, or supporting new mechanical systems.

TI steel is typically low tonnage (1 to 10 tonnes) but high coordination. The work happens in an existing building, often while other trades are working in adjacent spaces or while parts of the building remain occupied. Access is restricted, crane work may not be possible, and the existing structure has to be surveyed and verified before new steel can be detailed against it. We field-measure existing conditions, produce shop drawings that account for as-built dimensions (which rarely match the original drawings perfectly), and fabricate pieces that fit the real building rather than the theoretical one.

Scheduling on TI projects is driven by the tenant's move-in date, which is usually immovable. Steel fabrication has to align with demolition, mechanical rough-in, and the overall TI schedule. A 5-tonne TI steel package with standard connections and good engineering can go from contract to installed steel in 5 to 7 weeks.

The submittal package, what we deliver before cutting steel

On every commercial project, the steel fabricator produces a submittal package for the engineer and GC to review before fabrication begins. This is the control point that catches errors before they become expensive field problems. Our submittal packages include:

• Shop drawings. Detailed fabrication drawings showing every member, mark number, section size, length, connection details, bolt hole locations, weld symbols, and surface preparation. One drawing per member or per assembly, depending on complexity. Produced in-house using structural detailing software.
• Erection drawings. Plan and elevation views showing where every piece goes in the building, with mark numbers keyed to the shop drawings. The erection crew uses these to sequence the raising.
• Material test reports (MTRs). Mill certifications showing the steel meets CSA G40.21 requirements, yield strength, tensile strength, chemical composition, Charpy V-notch toughness where specified.
• Welding procedure specifications and welder qualifications. Documentation that the welding procedures are approved and the welders are qualified under CSA W47.1.
• Quality control plan. Inspection points, NDT requirements, tolerance standards, and hold points for the engineer or third-party inspector.

The engineer reviews and stamps the shop drawings. Any markups come back to us for revision and resubmission. On a well-managed project, the submittal cycle takes 2 to 4 weeks. On a project where the engineering is still being resolved or the architect is making changes, it can stretch to 6 weeks or more, and every week of submittal delay is a week of fabrication delay downstream.

GC coordination, what good looks like

The relationship between the steel fabricator and the general contractor defines whether a structural steel package goes smoothly or becomes a source of friction on the project. Good coordination means:

Early involvement. The best outcomes happen when the fabricator is engaged during preconstruction, before the structural drawings are finalized. We can review the engineer's details for fabricability, flagging connections that are difficult or expensive to fabricate, suggesting alternatives that achieve the same structural intent with less shop labour, and identifying material procurement risks (heavy sections with long lead times, specialty grades that require advance ordering).

Clear communication channels. One point of contact on each side. RFIs go through the GC's document control system with defined response times. Shop drawing submittals follow the project schedule. Field issues get flagged immediately, not discovered during erection.

Delivery sequencing. Steel doesn't arrive all at once. On a multi-storey frame, we deliver in erection sequence, foundations and first-floor columns first, then first-floor beams, then second-floor columns, and so on. Each delivery is manifested and marked so the erection crew can identify and place every piece without sorting through a pile. The delivery schedule is coordinated with the GC's crane schedule and site logistics plan.

Field support. When questions arise during erection, a connection doesn't fit as expected, a field condition differs from the drawings, or the erection crew needs clarification, our project coordinator is reachable and responsive. We maintain as-built records of any field modifications for the project's permanent documentation.

Tonnage, complexity, and what drives the quote

Two 50-tonne steel packages can have very different price points depending on complexity. Tonnage is the starting point, it determines material cost, which is a function of section sizes and current steel market pricing. But fabrication labour is driven by complexity, not tonnage alone.

What adds complexity:

• Moment connections, require stiffener plates, CJP (complete joint penetration) welds, and NDT inspection. A moment-connected frame takes significantly more fabrication labour per tonne than a simple shear-connected frame.
• Cope and notch details, beams that have to be coped to fit around other members add cutting and fitting time.
• Mixed member types, a frame with 50 different piece marks is more complex to fabricate than one with 15 piece marks repeated multiple times.
• Tight tolerances, architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) requires dressed welds, tighter dimensional tolerances, and better surface preparation than concealed framing.
• Seismic detailing, higher ductility classes require more welding, more inspection, and more documentation.
• Surface preparation and finish, shop primer is standard; galvanizing, powder coat, or AESS finish adds cost and schedule.

We quote commercial structural steel based on the complete scope, drawings, tonnage, connection complexity, finish, erection requirements, and schedule. For a project-specific quote, send us the structural drawings and we'll return a detailed proposal.

Notable project experience

Our commercial structural steel portfolio includes work for recognized institutional and commercial clients across Metro Vancouver:

• BCIT, campus building structural steel packages, coordinated with the institutional project management team and multiple GCs.
• Guildford Town Centre, expansion and renovation steel, including work in an active retail environment with strict access and noise constraints.
• Surrey Memorial Hospital, structural steel for hospital facility work, fabricated and erected to post-disaster seismic standards under the BC Building Code.

Each of these projects required the full coordination workflow, submittals, RFI responses, sequenced deliveries, and field support, that defines commercial structural steel work. The lessons from projects at this scale carry forward into every commercial job we take on, regardless of tonnage.

Getting started on a commercial steel package

If you're a GC, project manager, or owner's representative scoping a commercial structural steel package in Metro Vancouver, here's what moves the conversation forward fastest:

• Structural drawings (even preliminary) showing the framing plan, member sizes, and connection types
• Estimated tonnage if available
• Project schedule, when erection needs to start
• Whether the scope includes erection or fabrication only
• Any special requirements: AESS finish, galvanizing, specific NDT scope, post-disaster seismic classification

Send us the drawings and the schedule. We'll review the scope, identify any procurement or fabrication risks, and return a proposal. Request a quote here, or call our Burnaby shop directly.

FAQs