ISO 12944 – Protective Paint Systems

ISO 12944 – Protective Paint Systems

Corrosion must be considered early in the design of steel structures. If left unprotected in corrosive environments, steel structures are liable to corrosion that can be both costly and put lives in danger.

One way to control corrosion is to use paints and coatings. ISO 12944 is the internationally recognised standard that provides instruction and guidance to those working with steel structure design, including planners, painters, inspectors, maintenance, and manufacturers of coatings.

How a steel structure is designed has a real bearing on the ability to protect it against corrosion. Poorly designed structures may have corrosion traps which are difficult to protect and from which corrosion can spread rapidly.

The basic steel structure design criteria that may be exposed to corrosive environments include keeping the design simple and minimising surfaces that may be exposed to corrosive pressures.

Designers should incorporate design elements to prevent water being trapped and where foreign matter may combine to increase the potential for corrosion. Design features that might be considered include inclined surfaces, drainage systems, and chamfered edges.

• The shape of the structure
• The use of the structure
• Structural elements such as method of joining
• Environmental factors

In many instances, steelwork will be in a warm dry interior where it will not corrode, and the structural stability of the building will not be threatened during its design life (generally taken as 50 years). In such conditions (classified as C1) no corrosion coating is required. Examples include steelwork inside dry buildings with neutral atmospheres such as multi-storey office buildings, shops, schools, hotels, residential buildings, airport terminals, and hospitals, etc.

However, when steelwork is exposed to moisture, corrosion will occur at a rate depending on the severity of the environment. In such cases, a coating system appropriate to the environment category should be provided. Note that some buildings may contain areas where different environment conditions apply e.g. hospitals would normally be C1, but may contain kitchens and laundry areas that would normally be C3. Some types of buildings, such as car parks may fall into any of the above categories or combinations of them depending upon their location, design and construction.

Experienced technical sales of Tekmetsan will help you in determining what kind of corrosion class your structure falls. After identifying the corrosion class, our experts will offer you the appropriate coating solution for your budget.

Tekmetsan has very deep knowledge in both high and low corrosion environments and delivered various steel structures with various coating options. Get in contact with us today and let’s discuss your steel building.

Steel Stairs

Steel Stairs

Steel staircases offer several benefits over other traditional materials such as timber and concrete. Other than its obvious durability and longevity, steel is a cost-effective, practical and versatile modern staircase construction material:

• It delivers a modern aesthetic

• It is significantly stronger than timber construction

• It is very flexible to meet almost any design challenges

• It enables fast and secure erection.

A striking staircase design is the focal point of your walkthrough and should blend seamlessly with the rest of your building. Not only should the design impact and complement your structure but it should also be practical.

Tekmetsan has broad experience in designing and fabricating commercial and industrial staircases.

Industrial Staircases

Modular, permanent, code-compliant, industrial staircases (cage, cat ladders) designed to meet the access requirements of industrial applications.

Designed in modular units with a choice of standard stairs or alternating tread stairs. Each unit is assembled and then installed by stacking and bolting together at the base plates for easy alignment. No welding is required for assembly or installation.

• Roof access
• Tank access
• Long-term construction site stairs
• Equipment access
• Work platforms

Commercial Staircases

Tekmetsan fabricates bolted stair systems consisting of pre-fabricated landing, stringer, tread, and rail components that are easily customized to meet specific project requirements.

We provide dedicated, in-house resources for each step of your commercial steel stair project
• Estimating
• Project management
• Modeling and detailing
• Material delivery scheduling and phasing
• Installation drawings and support

Applications
• Hotels
• Apartment buildings
• Office and mixed-use
• Mid- and high-rise buildings
• Health Institutions
• Parking garages
• Multi-level storage facilities
• Student housing

Design & Modeling

Our in-house design team provides all necessary documentation for a successful staircase delivery.
• All projects include modeling and BIM coordination
• .ifc files for structural steel coordination are available
• Complete General Arrangement Set for review and approval

After the order confirmation we provide:
• ISO views
• Section views
• Plan views
• Dimensions
• Connection details

Metal Building insulation

HOW TO INSULATE A METAL BUILDING ?

In most applications, the primary feature of thermal insulation material is its ability to reduce heat exchange between a surface and the environment; or between one surface and another surface. The general rule is the lower a material’s thermal conductivity, the greater its ability to insulate for given material thickness and set of conditions. 

Before buying an insulation system for your metal building, you need to understand insulation R-value.

At its simplest, insulation R-value indicates the amount of heat flow through an insulation product.

The higher the R-value number, the greater the product’s resistance to heat transference.

The more effectively the insulation works, the greater your energy savings.

However, just buying thicker insulation and stuffing it into a wall does not increase energy efficiency.  The more air pockets in insulation, the better the insulation works.

Why Insulation R-Value is so important

Steel buildings have many benefits over other framing materials.  However, steel has one weakness: thermal transference.  In an uninsulated metal building, summer heat and winter cold can follow through the framing, affecting interior comfort.

Nevertheless, insulating metal buildings with a first-class insulation system renders steel’s thermal transference moot.

For example, Tekmetsan’s insulation panels breaks heat and cold transfer through the steel, creating a comfortable, cosy inside interior.

Starting with a Tightly Sealed Structure

Even the best metal building insulation is only part of the energy efficiency equation.

If the structure leaks air, it consumes too much energy in spite of a high insulation R-value.

As an organic material, wood framing twists, warps, creeps, and sags with changing humidity.  As lumber-framed buildings age, nails start to pull out and loosen, creating air leaks and drafts.

On the other hand, a pre-engineered steel building creates a very tight building envelope.

The steel framing will never move or change in shape.  The high-strength bolts and screws used in a TEKMETSAN metal building hold tightly.  Consequently, our metal buildings stay tight and draft-free for the lifetime of the structure.

Insulating Metal Buildings during Construction is the Smart Move

Customers sometimes consider cutting corners by eliminating steel building insulation from their order.  They think they can add insulation to the building later.

Insulating metal buildings at a later date is possible.  However, it is much more labour-intensive to add steel building insulation to an existing structure than to install insulation during construction.

In delayed insulation installation, some of the structure will require disassembly.

In addition, removing and replacing steel panels could cause leaks, if screws are not placed in exactly the same locations.

Conclusion

You need to consider how to insulate a metal building for maximum efficiency right in the early phase of the project design. Tekmetsan steel buildings come with great options of medium and high R values to provide an energy efficient insulated environment for your building.

Steel Anchoring

Steel Anchoring

TEKMETSAN supplies a detailed Anchor Bolt Plan with every metal building system. These plans show the building dimensions, the precise locations for anchor bolt placement, and the total number of foundation anchor bolts required in the structure. 

Anchor bolts are not just the connection elements between the steel and concrete surfaces but they are one of the most important element in a steel structure. Anchor bolts are responsible for the transfer of loads between the steel and concrete member.

Depending on when the anchors are installed, anchors used by Tekmetsan are classified into two categories;

1. Cast-in Anchors

These are the type of anchor bolts that are installed in place before pouring the concrete and are efficient in handling forces of high magnitude. Bolts are firmly held in place while the concrete is poured to maintain proper alignment and position.

The size and location of the anchors can be determined from construction drawings.

 In the below figure, you can see some examples of cast-in anchors.

2. Adhesive Anchors ( Chemical Anchors)
Adhesive anchors are anchor bolts that are placed in a pre-drilled hole, which contains an adhesive that dries and bonds to the anchor rod thread as well as the concrete.
Adhesive anchors, also known as epoxy anchors or chemical anchors, are capable of reaching high bond-stress values in relatively fast cure times.
Adhesive anchors are fully threaded rods that can be supplied in many different grades and finishes and can be cut to any length required for a given application.
How to install epoxy anchors?

Good installation is critical to performance. Here is the 5-step for the installation. 

1. DRILLING: Drill correct hole size and depth on concrete/brick/stone/masonry.

2. HOLE CLEANING: Blow out dust and clean the hole with brush, then blow out remaining dust.

3. INJECTING: Inject mixed adhesive from the bottom of the hole.

4. INSERTING: Insert and rotate stud/bolt/anchor/rebar/threaded rods into the hole.

5. HARDENING AND CURING: Time table refer to TDS. Don’t touch until full curing.

• All structural columns on a building must be anchored by at least four anchor bolts

• The placement of all actor bolts on the structure must adhere to the approved Engineered Foundation Plan

• All anchor rods shall be placed with their longitudinal axis at a 90-degree angle to the surface of the foundation

• A template (preferably steel) must be used to insure exact placement of anchor bolts in concrete.

Steel Detailing

Steel Detailing

Structural steel detailing has evolved as a critical engineering approach in the construction industry, requiring great precision. Even a minor mistake might result in a significant loss of time and money.

Steel detailing is an important and necessary step in construction of residential and commercial structures, factories and institutes. 

Steel detailing provides a communication that collaborates key stakeholders such as architects, contractors, fabricators, and others who are involved in the project at any level.

Creating comprehensive steelwork drawings serve as a guide for the structural steel detailing process.

What is the scope of steel detailing works at Tekmetsan?

Structural steel detailing entails the development of comprehensive drawings for our fabrication similar as plans, estimates, and other necessary reports and activities. There are two sorts of drawings we used in this process: shop drawings and erection drawings.

The erection drawings specify the placement coordination of each steel component within the structure and detailed dimensioned plans. It is the construction site steel erector who refers these drawings in the steel detailing process, in order to know how and where to build with the fabricated steel pieces. 

Included in the erection drawings are dimensional plans to identify the steel members, in addition to all work required on the site including bolting and anchoring.

Shop drawings on the other hand are more detailed. Each steel component, such as columns, beams, braces and purlins are meticulously detailed in the shop drawings. This describes how steel fabricators should make each component.

Component dimensions and sizes, bolting, welding, material specifications, and other details required for each component’s fabrication are all included in the shop drawings.

With its decades of experience, Tekmetsan is responsible for the design, strength, and integrity of steel constructions. For the fabrication and erection of steel members, structural steel detailing aids in the creation of detailed structural drawings, design plans, and a range of construction documents.

Steel detailing is a vital link in the project’s communication chain and to avoid any kind of misunderstandings during or after the construction process, providing a universal communication ground between the architect, general contractor, client and Tekmetsan.

With steel detailing, comprehensive shop drawings may include for each piece:
• Size
• Material description
• Required dimensions
• Surface preparation
• Bolting
• Welding
• Painting requirements
• Manufacturing conventions
• Special fabricating guidelines.
Traditionally steel detailing was carried out manually by pencils, rulers, templates of circles, triangles, drafters, drafting machines, etc. Later, these primitive methodologies were substituted by Computer Aided Designing (CAD), a specific software used only for designing in 2D and 3D which are nowadays integrated within a BIM interface.