Structural Steel vs. Other Steel

[Bagman2524]

The AISC Code of Standard Practice (CSP) section 2.1 defines "structural steel" & section 2.2 lists "other steel" which is not included in the "structural steel" category. Under "other steel" are catwalks, flag poles, crane rails, stairs, etc. "Other steel" members are not required to comply with CSP requirements. AISC spec 360 section A1 also limits its' scope to "structural steeL" as defined in CSP section 2.1. How should "other steel" then be designed/fabricated etc.? Is the engineer and steel supplier for these components free to do as they choose?

 

[SteelPE]

When I design steel stairs, I always do the best that I can to make sure the stairs are in compliance with the AISC. Don't know if this is right.... but they sure do have some handy formulas in there (like trying to calculate the capacity of a steel plate stringer for LTB).

 

[JLNJ]

You can write the misc steel spec to read that these other components be designed per AISC requirements. Obviously, things like joists, lightgauge, metal deck, etc have their own design guidelines.

My understanding for such a specfic definition of "structural steel" is so that all the bidders know for certain which items are in the "structural steel" bid. Everyone works off the same baseline. There is no wondering about who is responsible for providing the anchor bolts, for example.

The smaller the project, the more likely that some or all of the miscellaneous items get included in the "structural steel" contract.

 

[JedClampett]

Back in the bad old days, there was a structural steel subcontractor, who did the big steel framing, trusses, columns and basically the steel skeleton. They had lots of shop drawings with W14's, W36's etc. on them.
Then there was a miscellaneous metals guy who did stairs, gratings, handrails and the smaller pieces that the big shops couldn't do (or didn't want to handle) very efficiently.
The general would set a dividing line. Of course, since everything was priced by the ton, the structural steel sub was getting a lot less per ton than the miscellaneous metals supplier. I can't remember who did the girts.

 

[JStephen]

Some of those items (flagpoles, for example), have their own standards.