Ordering steel for a site: six things to state
An order described incompletely means a crew waiting on site. What to have in hand before you call.
Arslan Demir İnşaat
Most delays in material orders come not from stock but from an incomplete description. If the six points below are clear, the order closes in a single call.
1. Product and section
Box section, pipe, angle or flat bar? State the section fully: 50×50 for square, 40×60 for rectangular, outside diameter or the inch equivalent for pipe.
2. Wall thickness
The same section is produced in different wall thicknesses and load capacity depends on it. Without it the supplier has to guess, and this is the most common source of a mismatch on site.
3. Grade and standard
For structural work a grade such as S235JRH and a standard such as EN 10219 is usually written into the project. For a member that enters the structural calculation this information is mandatory; on decorative work there may be flexibility.
4. Length and cutting
The standard length is 6 metres. If you need something else, say so — cutting can be done at the warehouse. Cut material is easier to transport and reduces both offcuts and labour on site. It is worth agreeing the cutting tolerance up front as well.
5. Quantity
Pieces, metres or tonnes? For sections, pieces and length cause the least confusion; for sheet, dimensions and number of plates.
6. Delivery place and date
Site address, is there a point the lorry can reach, is a crane or forklift available for unloading, and on what day and time is delivery wanted? A lorry sent to a street six-metre material cannot enter costs both sides a day.
The two things most often left out of an order: wall thickness and how it will be unloaded.
What to check on delivery
Check that the product, size and quantity on the delivery note match what arrived; that galvanised material has no dents or scoring on the surface; and that cut material is the length you asked for. Catching a short or wrong delivery on site is far easier than noticing it after installation.
From our Alanya warehouse we supply pipe, section, sheet, panel and structural steel cut to the length you need. Send us the sizes and quantity and we can confirm stock and lead time the same day.
