What Each Type of Civil Engineering Branches Do

types of engineering — Image via Pixabay

It’s a less than popular known fact that there are many types of civil engineering. People may not talk about it often. However, the different types of civil engineering have been around for many decades already.

Civil engineering is practically one of the oldest jobs in the world. Civil engineering usually includes constructing, designing, and maintaining a physical environment. This comes with structures such as airports, roads, bridges, and many more. For obvious reasons, a civil engineer has an influence on the things we use every day and our surroundings.

Having said all that, here are some of the main types of civil engineering.

Main Types of Civil Engineering

There are quite a few branches of civil engineering. Here are just some of them.

Construction and Management Engineering

Construction and management engineering is largely about creating things like bridges, buildings, roads, and railways. The purpose of engineering construction is to construct these structures in the most efficient, safe, and sustainable way possible. In the present day, they also try to construct skyscrapers as environmentally friendly as possible.

After the construction phase follows an asset management phase. In this phase, the construction and management engineer will draw out the maintenance, operation, and refurbishment. It will be done over the lifespan of the project. These things have to be managed holistically. This is so that the owner of the project can ensure that there is value in return for money invested on the project.

Geotechnical Engineering

Of all the civil engineering types, geotechnical engineering is concerned with understanding how a project interacts with the ground. People in the geotechnical engineering field will usually deal with structures such as tunnels, bridges, roads, railways and similar.

Geotechnical engineers have to deal with a different type of ground for every project. Whether if it is made out of soil or rock, it is the geotechnical engineer’s job to figure out how it will function with the project. This motivates most geotechnical engineers because no two grounds are the same.

Structural Engineering

Assessing and designing the construction of bridges, towers, buildings, dams and more is within the job of a structural engineer. These structures need to be constructed in a way that makes them safe, sustainable, economical, and somewhat pleasing to the eye. Similar to construction and management engineering, structural engineering uses math and physics to do their job.

By using math and physics, structural engineers can see if all parts of the project have sufficient strength to take loads. They can also determine the structures service life and see if it is stable. Of every type of civil engineering projects, structural engineering plays the biggest part in designing and choosing materials for a project.

Transport Engineering

To no one’s surprise, transport engineering is the planning, designing, and operation of huge transport systems. Whether if it is public or private, everybody needs to have access to some form of transportation to move around. People have many ways of transportation today such as air, water, road, and railway transport.

A transport engineers’ job is to ensure that these forms of transportation can meet certain standards. Standards such as sustainability and safety need to be attained. With the technology we currently have, transport engineers are trying to reduce emissions and energy use. They have aimed to become environmentally friendly. Transport engineering is about always looking for a way to improve our transportation systems.

Water Engineering

How does water interact with our surroundings? Water engineering is about understanding why natural water systems behave the way they do. Water engineering also involves designing and creating ways to store or direct water. Understanding how water functions can create a way for us to conserve water. For now, water engineering is focused on dealing with floods, groundwater, and other disasters related to the water element.

Environmental Engineering

Environmental engineering focuses more on designing innovative ways to conserve densely populated areas. At the same time, it also prevents and reduces pollution from destroying the environment and natural resources.

Generally, environmental engineers disseminate detailed analysis on a huge spectrum of environmental issues. They also create solutions to these problems. Projects under environmental engineering help tackle global issues. It also helps to improve control of recycling, public health, water, and pollution.

Coastal Engineering

This is a type of civil engineering that includes the sciences of oceanography and coastal geology. They are to help manage erosion, place, and buildings. Coastal engineering screens coastal structures, nourish beaches and maintains harbours and ports. It also helps monitor other related navigation properties. In an attempt to address environmental and ecological problems, coastal engineering plays an important role in protecting coastlines.

Earthquake Engineering

Earthquake engineering is a type of civil engineering that specializes in extenuating hazards involving earthquakes for structures. This type of civil engineering takes descriptions of earthquake sources to analyse structural responses and site effects. Earthquake engineers also apply their knowledge to design, plan, and construct earthquake-resistant structures. Similar to the other types of civil engineering, the seismic safety of a structure reflects the same processes: design, construction, and location.

For earthquake engineering, the location means everything. The West Coast in North America, for example, is highly prone to earthquakes. Since that it sits upon the San Andreas Fault. Earthquake engineers usually study special instruments like strong-motion seismographs to comprehend ground motions from earthquakes. Earthquake engineering has similar tasks to structural engineering in terms of defining the stability of structures.

Forensic Engineering

It’s all about finding out what went wrong. By applying their forensic engineering knowledge, these engineers determine the cause of structure or machine failure. With reverse engineering, forensic engineers can find out the causes of why a component, machine, or structure has failed its performance.

Conclusion

Civil engineering has made many of the structures we see and use every day. To say that they have a huge impact on our lives will be an understatement. There are many types of civil engineering branches. However, each one has an important role to fill. Without these different types of civil engineering, our society is less likely to advance.

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4 Reasons Why Engineering Management Matters

23 December, 2020

By Lydia0companies, engineering, Engineering Management, malaysia, management, miri, organisations, sarawak, TKR engineering, you need engineering management

And why you need it

Engineering management covers a wide range of field. Although there is a wide range of different kinds of engineering types, engineering management is where engineering is mixed with management. We have previously talked about engineering management and its uses here.

This is basically what engineering management means:

Engineering management in simple, layman’s explanation means having both the aptitude of engineering skills and management skills. Engineering management basically means preparing the engineer with business acumen. Having a combination of business and management with real technical expertise can bring many benefits to engineering firms. Engineers with strong business management skills play a key role in preparing the next generation of managers in the engineering sector.

However, in a lot of engineering firms, it’s great to have a senior positioned engineer take charge of the firm under the boss. For such a senior engineer, it’s great to have effective management skills.

With that being said, let’s see how engineering management can benefit you.

Why You Need Engineering Management

Here are some reasons how your company can benefit from great engineering management.

1. Skills and insights that can provide better advantages for your company

And why you need engineering management - team work — Image via Canva

Engineering management needs a set of highly technical that comes with emotional intelligence and team management skills. You’ll also need to comprehend how to manage and run a project. Unlike most management roles, engineering managers are expected to the understanding of how to run an engineering business. In a competitive market, these skills are precious. Employers are often on the lookout for engineers who can do the work and will also have a strong grasp of what goes on behind the scenes in the engineering business.

Having a practical business outlook on top of your engineering skills means a lot of useful things. It can mean that you will be able to manage projects while keeping higher-level business needs in mind. This is a quality that many engineering employers look for in an engineering manager: the ability to do the work while meeting business targets.

At the same time, being an engineer manager also means that you are well-prepared for new market changes. Without a doubt, engineering markets are always updating. What’s important is how to weather the emotionally stressful side of the industry. Handle both emotional and workplace issues, you’ll be able to go far with your management skills.

2. Opportunity and Relationship Management

Engineering management can provide better advantages for your company — Image via Canva

Part of having great engineering management set up for excellence is figuring out the “right” opportunities and relationships. As soon as the relationships are in place, the opportunities will start to come in. Understanding which ones to tackle and which ones to give up on is more art than science. it comes with a combination of skillset, bandwidth, and alignment. You will certainly want to keep solving newer and more interesting problems. However, that implies a certain mastery of yesterday’s problems. And, even if all those ingredients are available, the relationship aspect still plays a big part.

You can understand that your engineering manager essentially work for your team and have done what’s needed to establish robust lines of communication. Then you will start focusing on relationships. You understand relationships – long-lived with ups and downs, brimming with potential that’s sometimes unfulfilled. Each individual on your team is in it for the long haul – think and plan accordingly. Going one step further, engineering managers will see that they start to behave as one unit that builds relationships with other teams. These can be users, customers, dependencies, partners, overlords, and whatnot. The success of your team is tied largely to intra-team and inter-team relationships.

3. Aiming for bigger and better goals against your competitors

Engineering management better goals against your competitors — Image via Canva

Working as a team and company developer is great. You get to be hands-on with the technology. At the same time, you get to solve difficult problems and then deliver them as part of the team. However, for some engineering managers, they may be really good at some parts of the technical role. Some others are more skilled and passionate about other parts.

Some engineering managers get more satisfaction from achieving a big goal as part of a team. Rather than achieving a smaller one as an individual. As an engineering manager, you can play a small role in towards the bigger goal. Add it all up, and you can see that engineering management made a big impact on the firm’s outcome.

As engineering managers, they are in an intense competition with other top companies for new engineering talent. Choosing a strong candidate takes strategy, execution, and sometimes a little bit of luck. Just like closing out a tennis match against a difficult opponent. If you are great (and you better be good at choosing), you will win more than you lose. When you lose, you need to be able to let it go and learn from your mistakes. You should then get ready for the next one.

What made it so satisfying in engineering management was that while your team may all be strong at execution, remember it’s all about tackling the real work to earn results. Engineering management people should be there to help, challenge, and encourage their teams along the way.

Conclusion

If you ever need engineering services, do not hesitate to contact us. We are willing to help you along the way. Our engineering team is managed by some of the best engineering managements around town. You will not be disappointed by our top-notch engineering management and services.

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Marine Engineering with TKR Engineering

24 September, 2020

By Lydia0borneo, engineering, engineering aspects, malaysia, marine engineering, miri, offshore, offshore life, onshore, sarawak, sea life, TKR engineering

Is Marine Engineering Ever Important?

Marine engineering is perhaps one of the less-talked-about engineering categories. However, that does not mean it does not exist. A lot of people may think that marine engineering isn’t as important or common as some other engineering categories. Well, they are obviously wrong!

Marine engineering has played many vital and substantial roles across many sectors. We are here to enlighten you on what marine engineering is, and what it is for. Read on to find out what it is.

Why You Need Marine Engineers

Marine engineers are people who make and repair boats, underwater crafts, offshore platforms, and drilling equipment. They also design, build, and test ships, boats, and other marine entities.

At the same time, it is normal for them to work closely with naval architects to design small yachts, fishing boats, submarines, and aircraft carriers.

They may sometimes even have to work closely with ocean engineers. In quick summary, marine engineering is a lot like ocean engineering, but with a mix of other engineering types. It is a combination of classical engineering types like civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. What separates marine engineers is their ability to solve complicated problems. These include hydrodynamics, marine acoustics, offshore engineering, marine robotics and naval architecture.

Common Skills Used By Marine Engineers

Marine engineers are expected to know and learn a wide range of skills to stay relevant in the market. Here are some of the core skills your typical marine engineer should have:

Science
Physics
Chemistry
Math
IT skills (so they can use AutoCAD design software)

Soft skills that are good for marine engineers to have to stay in their field:

Problem-solving
Communication
Time management
Leadership

Where Do Marine Engineers Usually Work At?

Marine Engineering - TKR Engineering — Images via Pixabay

Marine Engineers stereotypically work offshore – oilrigs and ships mostly. That stereotype may be true, but it doesn’t mean that there are no offshore jobs for them.

Here are some common marine engineering jobs you can find:

Merchant vessels
Navy vessels where you are able to combine your naval career with your technical experiences
Shipping equipment manufacturers
Oil industries

People generally can understand that not everyone wants to work offshore. To some people, going offshore is a complete put off to them. That being said, here are some onshore jobs that marine engineers can work at:

Hotels that have sea vessels in their services
Government organizations
Shipping companies
Training other marine engineers
Marine engineering firms
Boatbuilders

Conclusion

Marine engineering is an important aspect of engineering. It may not be the most popular aspect, but still is important nonetheless. Its salary is relatively high, albeit not as high as what some other engineering aspects.

If you ever need any engineering services, we have them right here for you. Do not hesitate to contact us for any engineering services!

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Container Rental is Bound to Make an Impact on Your Business

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Container Rental Service is Bound to Make an Impact on Your Business!

18 September, 2020

By Lydia0container rental services, customisation, engineering, exim, export import, shipping, TKR engineering, trade

TKR Engineering’s Mini-Guide to Getting The Best Container Rental Services

Most leading container shipping lines have their global network of services connecting some of the major international trade routes. They own sizeable fleet of containers of their own to meet their global business needs. However, it is neither practically acceptable nor cost-effective to maintain 100% own containers to do business for shipping purposes. Many shipping companies ensure pliability and the quickest access to container units in the anticipated location at the right time on demand. As such, many shipping companies prefer to keep a blend of owned and leased container that is available to them at that point in time.

The carriers may face a state of affairs where they have a shortage of containers at some locations or they may have a need of certain types of containers (Flat Racks, Open Tops, high cube GP 45ft/48ft etc) at other locations. The necessity to ensure the availability of container units as and when required is the leading consideration for many shipping companies to go for leasing. Having said that, leasing may be a suitable choice for the carriers to avoid the costs and problem of re-positioning their own units and also capital investment in container rental service. To respond to the unpredictable and multifaceted shipping market conditions, many company rental services try to maintain their own container stock in the range of 40% to 60% out of their clients’ total container fleet.

In all honesty, leasing is approximately 60 to 70% more expensive compared to ownership from an operational point of view. On the other hand, the size of container fleet handled by the pioneer Leasing companies like Textainer, Pacific Tycoon, CAI International, Triton, Florens, and among others, show their growing market share in the container leasing business internationally. This is because of the comparative business advantage of different lease choices provided by the world-class container rental service companies. Statistics show that in 2019, container rental service companies owned approximately 41% of the global container fleet. The remaining 59% are under the ownership of ocean carriers and other transport operatives.

Different Kinds of Container Rental Services

There are several kinds of container rental services. Here are the few main ones.

Master Lease

Master lease agreement is exclusive among the leasing choices as it permits a great amount of flexibility to the shipping line or other renters. A master lease is designed for a range of containers (maximum and minimum), the duration of the term is flexible (usually short to medium). Furthermore, the collection and return locations are generally more flexible and based on credits.

The leasing company is accountable for the full management of the container fleet (maintenance and repair) and for re-positioning following off-hire and contract conclusion. Under this agreement, the container rental service company acts as a logistics service provider as it has to allocate the distribution of its container assets in line with the container service renters’ transport strategies. This type of agreement permits full flexibility with respects to the location of the containers and as such helps the shipping line to plan and estimate their costs accordingly.

Long Term Lease

Long term rent (sometimes referred to as dry lease), is implemented for longer periods of time which varies between 5 to 8 years. The duration of the lease is equivalent to about 1/2 of the useful life of a container. Unlike a master lease, it does not include any management service by the container renting company. Long term leasing comes with a fixed number of containers and has a predetermined re-delivery timetable. Under this agreement, the container renter is responsible for all kinds of management of the containers during the contractual period. This includes maintenance and repairs and re-positioning. At the end of the schedule, the container renter can either renegotiate the terms for the lease’s extension or deliver the container to an agreed location.

Short Term Lease

Short term container renting (sometimes referred to as ad hoc or spot lease) is generally related with the renter’s temporary need for equipment. Its time frame may be for one way or round-trip service of a vessel. The prearrangement normally takes place when there is a provisional surge in demand either cyclical or unforeseen. Container rental service companies try to avoid having a large share of their equipment on the spot market as container rental fees are unpredictable and strongly influenced by the current global market conditions. During low demand periods, the risk exposure of short-term lease is high due to expected increase in the capacity of indolent equipment. The renter is responsible for re-positioning and repair of the equipment.

Container shipping companies need to build up a container inventory having a suitable blend of owned and leased containers which can help maximize utilization of the equipment for fulfilment of its growing business obligation. At the same time container units to be hired under a combined policy of master lease and long-term lease to get optimal flexibility for maximum utilization of the units as per the business plan of the container rental company.

Conclusion

Container Rental Services is definitely an important aspect when you are looking to transport items long-range by sea. If you ever need such services, do not hesitate to contact us. We are willing to accommodate your container rental service needs accordingly.

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Chemical Injection Skids: The Basics

21 August, 2020

By Lydia0chemical injection skid, chemical injection skid systems, engineering, O&G, oil and gas industries, TKR engineering

TKR Engineering provides chemical injection skid services for any industry players who need it. Not everyone knows what chemical injection skid is and what it does. If you are here to find out what chemical injection skid is, then read on. In this article, we will try our best to explain what it is, what it does, and who uses it.

What is Chemical Injection Skid?

chemical injection skids - mix images — Image via IF Solutions and Shipserv

As the name implies, the chemical injection skid is a piece of equipment made to inject chemicals into a system. People usually use it to inject chemicals at a certain level of pressure for the system.

The chemical injection may work continuously or intermittently. On top of that, many marine and offshore industries use it in a wide range of settings and for many different purposes. Engineers will then inject water into the reservoir through this kind of oil industry system.

This is to increase pressure and stimulate production. People also use the chemical injection skid to displace or sweep the oil from the reservoir, pushing it towards water injection wells. Those injection wells are usually found in both onshore and offshore. To increase and maintain the reservoir’s rate of production long-term, people only extract 30% of the oil in a reservoir.

There are chemical injection skids with medium and high-pressure injection systems and packages. You can also find other upstream and downstream chemical injection skids. All of those are to clean the waters really well, improve pipeline flow or oil recovery, among many others.

What Are Included in a Chemical Injection Skid System?

You can find quite a few components that make up a chemical injection skid system. Here are some of the main components that make up one.

Tanks

Tanks are one of the most important components of any chemical injection system. This is mostly because they need to store the chemicals that get injected into the system. Tank sizes and structures may differ. However, they generally will be horizontal and cylindrical. They may feature a flat, conical, or hollow bottom with a flat or a hollow top.

Pumps

Pumps are another important part of the chemical injection system. It is mostly because they offer the source for generating the flow the pressure needs to achieve the system’s objective. Pumps can be a diaphragm or plunger type and may come in a number of different power sources including the electric motor, air-operated motor, solar power motor, or solenoid driven motor.

Valves and Instrumentations

Chemical injection skid needs valves and instrumentation to measure and monitor what is going on in the system. For example, they will monitor the liquid level inside the tank, allow for the calibration of the flow rate, monitor and adjust the pressure within the system. It may also set off alarms and other fail-safes made to ensure safety and proper functionality. Specific gauges and valves may differ depending on the exact purpose of the chemical injection system and the client’s own specific set of requirements and needs.

Electrical

A chemical injection system’s electrical system provides a way for the skid to start or stop. It can be done either locally or remotely. Usually, the various controls and functions will route to a control panel for ease of use and function.

Skid Structure

All skid mounted chemical injection systems will also feature a skid structure as part of their fundamental component part. The skid structure offers the structure itself for the system and is made in such a way to protect the system while accommodating its various parts. It will usually feature structural steel that has been continuously welded. A lot of times it will also feature a drip pan made to collect drained chemicals.

What Does a Chemical Injection Skid Do?

Oil rig explosion - oil spill — Image via Pixabay

Traditionally, chemical injection skids are used to clear off any oil spillages and dirty contaminations in rivers or seas. However, it’s not just the oil and gas industries that use chemical injection skids.

It is also common to see agriculture industries using chemical injection skids too. However, they will usually use chemical injection skids to inject pesticides into waters. The pesticide-water mixture is usually for killing off any pests in plantations.

Some common chemical injection skid pumps you can find on the market are:

Gear pumps
Centrifugal pumps
Positive displacement pumps
Diaphragm pumps
Metering type pumps

You can also find pumps for extremely caustic chemicals. People will usually use centrifugal pumps and gear pumps, as they are more popular. Both the pumps are made to be able to handle chemicals and are usually made from chemical resistant materials.

Commonly Used By Oil & Gas Industries

Oil and gas industries are still the biggest users in using chemical injection skid pumps. And for fair reasons too. Those oil and gas industry companies will usually increase their production with the help of chemical injection skid pumps.

The chemical injection assimilates software and hardware equipment. The same hardware equipment helps to impede any dangerous deposits and corrosions. It will also help to improve the quality of oil and gas before transport it to their destinations.

The equipment that the O&G companies need may vary depending on its application, environment, and usage. It can be installed above ground, or even below ground. It some cases, it may be installed in deep water or other harsh environments.

If you are to properly use it, a chemical injection skid system can also provide other benefits. They can assist in minimizing internal corrosion in production tubing. Those can be caused by hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.

On top of that, it can remove wax deposits, excess salt, and other minerals that build up. All those build-ups can decrease production efficiency.

After saying all of that, if you are to stack all of these benefits together, it can help increase production times between invasive good interventions. All those benefits (and more) makes chemical injection skid systems a really solid offshore investment.

Conclusion

If you are working in the oil and gas industry, then its good to have a series of chemical injection skids. Even if you don’t work in the oil and gas industry, but still need some, then have at it.

There’s no harm in

getting your company some if you need it to mix 2 kinds of components together belligerently. After all, it’s about increasing production and maximizing company profits.

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Types of Engineering

Types of Engineering You Should Know

08 August, 2020

By Lydia0engineering, malaysia, miri, sarawak, TKR engineering, types of engineering

There are many types of engineering people need to get things done. Engineering is an important aspect when it comes to construction – be it physical or genetically. Here’s a quick definition of what engineering means, according to Encyclopedia Britannica:

Engineering is the application of science to the optimum conversion of the resources of nature to the uses of humankind. The field has been defined by the Engineers Council for Professional Development, in the United States, as the creative application of “scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design, or to forecast their behaviour under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation and safety to life and property.” The term engineering is sometimes more loosely defined, especially in Great Britain, as the manufacture or assembly of engines, machine tools, and machine parts.

However, here at TKR Engineering, we touch on the following aspects: Civil Engineering and Marine Engineering.

Regardless of what TKR Engineering services provide in regards to engineering, here are some of the most common engineering you will ever find. Each has their own different uses and can help you accordingly in your workplace.

Common Types of Engineering

Let’s find out what are the common types of engineering in this mini-list. There are a lot of engineering types. However, in this list, we will be touching on the most common kinds of engineering types. Note that some of the engineering types may overlap with each other. It’s normal as every engineer needs to have some kind of basic understanding of other types of engineering.

Civil Engineering

The quick and short description would be that civil engineering involves the design, construction, maintenance and inspection of large infrastructure projects. If you see infrastructures such as highways, railroads, bridges, tunnels, dams, airports, those buildings and structures need the help of civil engineers.

Early period civil engineering includes structures such as the Giza Pyramids, Great Wall of China, Roman Empire roads, Mayan ruins, to name a few. As long as it includes the design and construction of public works, you will always need the help of civil engineers.

Besides designing and constructing large construction projects, civil engineers also have to handle site preparation projects. They will also have to oversee and write the specifications for destructive or non-destructive testing. All that encompasses the performance, reliability, and long-term reliability of materials and structures.

Mechanical Engineering

This branch of engineering is one of the oldest branches of engineering. Mechanical engineering dates all the way back to when the first wheels are put together for practical uses. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) says:

Mechanical engineering dates to ancient Greece and China, where mechanisms like screw pumps, steam engines, clocks, seismometers and even differential gears were invented.

Mechanical engineers basically create straightforward and non-complicated commodities that your regular Joe will use. They can also create other high-value items for the military or government sectors too. Any weapons made for modern warfare falls under the predisposition of mechanical engineering.

To put it in simple words: mechanical engineering deals with anything that moves. Mechanical engineers still use basic components that people have been using for many years. Mechanical engineers use components such as the wheel, axles, levers, screws, springs.

Movement generally can be powered and operated by human beings or animals. It can also be run by animals, heat, pressure of combustion, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, electromagnetism, etc. Your average mechanical engineer is best familiarized with all these basic motions and more.

Mechanical engineers traditionally hold office jobs. They may have to visit worksites from time to time. They usually work around engineering services, research and development, manufacturing industries, and similar.

Structural Engineering

This is where it involves the design, construction, and inspection of load-bearing structures. Large commercial buildings, bridges, and industrial infrastructure falls under this overview. Structural engineers focus on the framework of structures. They also design structures to withstand the stress and pressure of their environment. Structural engineers ensure that buildings do not fall down and bridges don’t collapse.

Structural engineering falls under civil engineering. So, in some ways, you can also say that structural engineering is one of the oldest types of engineering. It goes way back to the first time where people use tree branches and vines to make a shelter.

When it comes to structural engineering, its engineers will have to ensure that the structures they build are able to withstand battle gravity, rain, snow, and other natural elements to provide everyone with outstanding structures.

These engineers will usually design roof framing, floor framings, arches, columns, braces, frames, foundations, and walls. The materials they use to create and design the structures include steel, concrete, wood, masonry, and aluminium.

Structural engineers need to have critical thinking skills – especially in physics and maths. They will have to know the properties of various materials such as material density, hardness, tensile strength, bulk modulus, and bending strength. At the same time, they have to be able to calculate how different material will perform under stress as well as various environmental conditions. They will also need to predict how these structures and materials will perform over an extended period of time too.

Conclusion

It’s no huge surprise that there can be considerable overlap between different kinds of engineering specialities. Generally, it means your average engineers have understandings of several engineering areas.

At the same time, it is without a doubt that engineers do need to have an in-depth knowledge of maths, physics, and computer applications. It’s normal to see simulation programs in colleges that include basic engineering courses in a wide range of topics. This is before engineering students choose to specialise in one particular area that they are good in. That’s why it’s engineers that brought the human race out of the caves, took us to the moon and back (literally), among others.

If you have any engineering needs, do not hesitate to reach out to us for a business quote.

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Fabricated Structural Steel: Its Uses

24 July, 2020

By Lydia0buildings, civil engineering, engineering, fabricated structural steel, foundation, steel, structural steel, structures

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Miri, Sarawak

Structural steel fabrication is a process used by civil engineers when it comes to building constructions. The process includes bending, cutting, and shaping steel to make a steel product. Fabricated structural steel is not your regular kind of welding where the steel is strengthened and repaired. That’s not what steel fabrication is meant to do. It simply means that engineers use several pieces of steel are combined together to form different structures of pre-established shapes and sizes.

Not every engineer is skilled in structural steel fabrication. The process of structural steel fabrication needs well-trained and experienced technicians who are able to take raw elements and turn them into marketable products. You may really need help and assistance from structural steel fabricators at home. Especially when let’s say, you want to build a staircase made of structural steel.

What Is Structural Steel Made Of?

structural steel Image — Image via Pixabay

Structural steel is mostly classified according to its chemical composition. They include the following kinds of steel:

Carbon Manganese Steels. The main chemical elements included in these kinds of steel include iron, carbon, and manganese. It is usually seen as a kind of mild structural steel or carbon steel. Carbon Manganese Steels usually have high strength and ductility. They are widely used by many construction companies mostly because it is economical.
High Strength, Low Alloy Steels. The main chemical elements in high strength but low alloy steels are iron, carbon, and some additional chemical components. Those elements are added to improve and expand the steel’s strength. This is a relatively recent development in the steel industry in some countries in the last couple of years.
High Strength Tempered and Quenched Alloy Steels. These kinds of steels are used for structural purposes. Tempered and quenched steel tend to be the kind of high strength and abrasion-resistant steel with high fabrication qualities and mechanical properties. In order to increase and improve the hardness and strength of the steel, it is subjected to hardening processes such as tempering and quenching.

Varying Structural Steel Composition

However, the composition of structural steel can vary. For obvious reasons, there are many elements used to create structural steel. Those different kinds of fabricated structural steel are used to build different kinds of structures. And those structures are not limited to just constructing buildings.

We should mention that structural steel has always been made of carbon. Those kinds of carbon steel have a carbon content of up to 2.1% by weight. At the same time, do you know that carbon is the most important element in carbon steel just after iron? By increasing the amount of carbon composition in steels can result in materials that have high strength and low ductility. It all depends on how the steel is used that can determine the carbon level or content it needs.

Low-carbon steel is also known as mild steel. Those kinds of steel are a widely used form of carbon steel. They are commonly used for construction purposes. This is why low-carbon steel is the first kind people think of when they talk about structural steel.

Medium and high-carbon plates of steel are steels with carbon content ranging anywhere from 0.31% to 1.50% of carbon in it. While they can be considered as structural steel, they are usually used for mechanical engineering purposes.

Common Structural Steel Shapes

Structural steels do come in different shapes too. As mentioned previously, people often use structural steel for construction purposes. A structural steel shape is a profile made with a specific cross-section. Here are some common steel shapes you can find:

I-Beam – This is an I-shaped cross-section capped with flanges (projections) on either side
Z-Shape – Half of its projections going in opposite directions that resembles the letter Z
Angle – This is an L-shaped cross-section steel beam
Tee – A T-shaped cross-section steel beam
Bar – A rectangular, cross-sectioned long piece of steel beam
Rod – A round or square piece of steel, usually long

Due to structural steels’ ductility, the variety of shapes, thickness, and even the sizes can be customized to meet specific construction needs.

How Are Fabricated Structural Steel Made?

As mentioned again and again – fabricated structural steel is one of the most important properties when it comes to construction. Whether if it is for building bridges, buildings, or other large structures, you will definitely need to use structural steel.

The material used to make structural steel has a long list of benefits. These benefits are important to construction companies that build and maintain countries’ infrastructure.

For the majority of construction projects, structural steel forms its backbone. Because of that, it is really important to place a high requirement on the composite and the demanding process. That reason is to form the material and adapt it to whatever important parts it will become. If it is not handled properly, there will be obvious risks that can jeopardize a project’s long-term practicality.

The quick summary of how structural steel is made: It involves heating up iron and adding certain substances to it. The mixture is to achieve specific properties. However, the long version is much more involved.

The chief ingredient in creating fabricated structural iron is raw iron. However, people hardly find iron as a pure element in nature. Most usually contains a high level of carbon concentration. Some of that carbon needs to be removed, but not entirely. Consequently, steel products manufacturing can be an involved process.

Basic Step-By-Step Guide to How Fabricated Steel Are Made

Below is a basic step-by-step process of how companies create structural iron:

Step 1 – The raw iron is crushed and sorted. There are numerous different ways of the refining process. These refining processes are all made to sort out the best iron grades, usually at about 60%
Step 2 – Ore is then loaded into the blast furnace from the top, then heated. At the same time, hot air is blown into the furnace from the bottom. The proceeding reaction begins to eliminate impurities as the pure iron sinks to the bottom of the furnace.
Step 3 – The molten iron is taken off and further heated to allow the inclusion of other substances. Substances such as manganese and other substances that deliver different properties to the finished steel products.

At the completion of steel creation, companies have many uses for it. Its uses can include turning into many different formations depending on how you plan to use it. The most common structural steel you usually find in construction are beams, channel, angle, plate, and hollow steel tube.

How Is Fabricated Structural Steel Any Different?

There are numerous different formations that you can find structural steel in. However, for the most part, it is the same material inside. Like any other types of steel, the main elements are iron and carbon. The more carbon added to the alloy, the higher the strength and lower the ductility of the final product. Engineers may add other chemicals or substances in the production process to:

Improve strength
Deliver ductility
Improved economics use

As mentioned before, the other commonly added material to structural steel besides iron and carbon is manganese. It improves the machinability of steel and also helps bind steel better. That way, the steel can resist cracking and splitting during the rolling process.

The carbon ratio in structural steel is important if you are going to consider how to use the metal with. Lower carbon content may be easier to weld, however, it also can make the material more difficult to work with overall. It lowers the construction speed with the material that comes with the steel. It is really crucial to find the perfect balance when considering its use.

The end steel product usually has an excellent ratio of low weight to massive strength. That makes the end steel product the perfect construction material. Here are some ways that we can benefit from structural steel.

Large buildings can benefit from the speed of construction
You can build and repair a lot of industrial buildings for cheaper and easier
Residential buildings and living spaces can benefit from increased strength and durability
Structural steel can easily benefit bridges due to its low weight and immense strength

Fabricated Structural Steel

Even when structural steel has been made into shape, structural steel still needs fabricating and welding. Skilled fabricators or welders can take advantage of the structural steel’s relative malleability. They can use it to create whichever shape a specific application needs it for.

Welding is becoming the most common method of fabricating structural steel, replacing riveting in the process. And with good reasons too. Welded structures from fabricated structural steel are said to be:

Lighter in weight compared to similarly riveted structures
Cost-effective, more so than riveting
Much easier than riveted counterparts to navigate and mould

Those are some of the great uses of fabricated structural steel.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that fabricated structural steel has many beneficial uses in construction structures. Get in touch with us today for your engineering needs.