From Beams to Buildings: A Day in the Life of a Steel Structure
An impressive new building has probably caught your eye more than once: glass facades, beautiful interiors, trendy features. But there’s a lot more underneath that you’ve probably never thought about!
The steel structure – the beams, columns, and braces – quietly does the heavy lifting. And how does it all come together to create a safe, functional space?
Let’s go behind the scenes with O’Shea’s Steel division to follow the journey of structural steel…
Where It All Begins: Fabrication + Transportation
Every steel structure starts its life on the shop floor. As fabrication begins, the steel is cut, shaped, and welded into beams and plates according to precise designs.
Once ready, the pieces are carefully loaded onto trucks and transported to the construction site. Watching a convoy of steel beams arrive at a site means the real performance is about to start.
“Moving steel isn’t just ‘load and go.’ It takes a lot of coordination, including sequencing, scheduling, permits, and more,” says Dillon Fickas, Steel Project Manager at O’Shea.
Fun fact: Oversized steel pieces sometimes travel at night to avoid traffic and make their way safely through cities.
Going Up: Erecting the Building
Now comes the fun part: giant cranes lift the beams into place as ironworkers carefully guide them.
Slowly but surely, a skeleton of steel rises from the ground. And in a few weeks or months, flat steel transforms into a towering framework.
“Watching the steel go up is where precision meets progress. It’s the moment our hard work starts to stand tall,” Dillon shares.
Prioritizing Safety: Inspection
With the structure in place, the final act is inspection.
Engineers and safety inspectors need to make sure everything is rock-solid, so they meticulously check welds, bolts, and alignment. Every bolt is actually torqued to exact specifications: too loose, and it’s unsafe … too tight, and it can stress the steel.
“Structural integrity isn’t just a box to check; it’s the foundation of every safe, reliable building,” Dillon says.
From a Skeleton to a Building: the Finish Line!
Once the steel passes inspection, it’s ready to support the rest of the building: floors, walls, electrical systems, and everything else that turns a framework into a functional space. The steel skeleton carries the weight of the building and everything in it!
You’ll find O’Shea steel holding up buildings across Central Illinois, from Lanphier High School to Springfield Clinic Pediatrics to the Legacy Dome entrance – and most recently, Springfield High School.
Next time you pass one of these beautiful new buildings, now you know what’s underneath the outside… it’s not just metal, but it’s also precision, planning, and teamwork brought to life!
Let’s talk about your structural steel project – give us a call at 217.522.2826.