ASTM Standards for Steel Tubing Assure Quality around the Globe

ASTM standards are known and used worldwide, and products that meet ASTM tubing and structural steel standards are used every day in projects everywhere. Buildings, infrastructure, and drill rigs made with ASTM structural steel use materials designed for effectiveness and worker safety. At Corpac Steel Products, we provide ASTM tubing, pipe, and structural steel worldwide for projects of every type.

Reasons for ASTM Standards

ASTM standards provide a common basis for the buyer-seller relationship. With ASTM standards, customers can specify exactly the product they want, and producers can give accurate quotes to customers. Knowing applicable ASTM standards saves time for both parties and ensures that customers know exactly the product they'll receive. Project managers know when they specify ASTM structural steel or tubing, the product will meet project requirements.

ASTM and the North American Free Trade Agreement

The Canadian Standards Association, or CSA, has in many cases adopted ASTM standards when it has existed prior to a CSA standard. In recent years, the United States' other North American trading partner, Mexico, has worked closely to extend ASTM standards for steel tubular products and other steel products in Mexico. Widespread adoption of ASTM standards in North America helps simplify trade among North American nations.

Industries that Rely on ASTM Steel Products

Most people naturally think of the petroleum drilling and distribution industry when they think of structural steel and steel tubing, but many industries rely on ASTM structural steel. Water supply and sewage industries use structural steel, steel pipe, and tubing, as do the following industries:

·         Nonferrous metal refineries
·         Pulp and paper production
·         Pharmaceuticals
·         Chemical manufacturing
·         Food processing
·         Mining

The Product Isn't the Whole Story

As important as ASTM and other standard products are to successful projects, the products don't tell the whole story. Some projects require products immediately, while others require them to be delivered over a set timetable. Steel suppliers should have the expertise in the logistics of delivery that allow them to meet customer requirements consistently. At Corpac Steel Products, we not only have the products customers require, we have the knowledge and experience needed to deliver on time whatever the project timetable.

What Should You Expect from the Steel Supplier You Choose?

The steel industry has undergone many changes in the past five years as changing supply and demand conditions have been felt worldwide. Demand for steel used in automobile production dropped in the US, but increased energy drilling products in the US and worldwide have increased need for drilling and pipeline products. Corpac Steel Products is a steel manufacturer with a wide range of steel products to serve the energy, infrastructure, and construction trades worldwide.

Tubular Products for the Energy Industry

The energy industry requires carbon and alloy products for upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. Steel manufacturers must meet international specifications and standards developed for petroleum exploration and production, natural gas recovery and transport, well operation, petroleum processing, storage, transport and distribution. Suppliers must have the products and the logistics expertise to meet diverse needs in far flung locations.

Standard Pipe and Tubing Production and Distribution

Standard pipe and tubing includes carbon and alloy products used in a wide range of applications. These products may be used for conveyance of liquids, gases, and slurries, or they may be used in structural applications. As with energy industry steel products, steel distributors for pipe and tubing must meet rigorous international specifications and standards to meet the requirements of their specific applications.

Structural Steel Products

Structural steel is used in infrastructure projects and building projects and comes in many cross-sectional shapes. Structural products include seamless and welded steel pipe as well as steel plate, and various types of beams, like I-beams and wide flange beams. The steel distributor you choose should be able to advise you knowledgeably about these products and have the necessary experience to meet your delivery requirements.

Logistics Expertise to Meet Project Demands Worldwide

Having the right products is only the beginning. Many projects today take place in remote areas and delivery can involve crossing numerous international borders. Your steel supplier should have the experience necessary to deal with customs and with last mile delivery so you can stay on schedule. At Corpac Steel Products, our reputation is built on having the right products and working with customers to make them arrive at the right place at the right time.

Drill Pipe Considerations for HDD Projects

Horizontal directional drilling, or HDD, is a trenchless technique for installing underground pipes. The pipes are installed along a bore path with a surface drilling rig, and done correctly minimizes impact on the surroundings. HDD is often used when trenching is not practical, and works with many soil conditions. At Corpac Steel Products, we are drill pipe manufacturers who understand the special needs of HDD projects.

Physical Properties That Must Be Considered

Drill pipe for HDD projects must be of the correct diameter, with an appropriate wall thickness, and the proper grade of steel for the conditions. Torsional stiffness is important for extended reach projects. With wall thickness, generally thicker means stronger, but there are exceptions. Modern steel alloys address the HDD project's need for pipe that's tougher. Drill pipe manufacturers should have the knowledge to understand the needs of HDD projects so that there are no misunderstandings.

Choosing a Supplier

If you're purchasing new pipe for your HDD project, thoroughly examine the quality control standards of the drill pipe suppliers you are considering. You should also choose a drill pipe supplier with the necessary engineering expertise to understand why you need what you need. Drill pipe suppliers should be about more than looking up inventory and quoting prices.

Planning for Delivery

You're better off planning your drill pipe purchases far enough in advance to find the selection and availability you need. What you don't want is to have to make a choice of "good enough" pipe that's in stock. Evaluate suppliers early so that you can order far enough in advance to get the exact pipe you want rather than running short on time and having to choose only from in stock pipe.

What to Expect from Your Supplier

Choose a drill pipe supplier who can provide reference material about their products to help you make the best decision on drill pipe. They should also offer inspection reports and calculations that can help you choose wisely. Furthermore, your supplier should have extensive logistics expertise to help you keep your project on schedule and on budget. At Corpac Steel Products, we deliver more than just steel pipe: we deliver peace of mind.

Infrastructure Projects Worldwide Depend on Steel Manufacture and Delivery

Enormous projects worldwide, including those in emerging economies like those of Brazil, India, and China, are undertaking infrastructure projects that require materials including ASME structural steel. Suppliers must speak the language of infrastructure engineers in order to meet project needs efficiently. At Corpac Steel Products, our ASME structural steelcan be delivered to your project wherever you're located on the globe.

Commercial and Industrial Buildings

Growth in urban areas is resource intensive and concrete and steel are the two main building materials in demand for commercial and industrial structures. Engineers and contractors have to be confident that the I-beams, hollow structural sections, C-cross sections, and open web steel joints they require will be ready to go as soon as the project demands. This requires the structural steel supplier to have a strong network of mills and freight forwarders to meet demand.

Land Infrastructure Projects

Rail and highway infrastructure projects require massive quantities of steel, and often these products must be "last mile" delivered in challenging conditions. After all, these projects may bring transportation networks to places they've never been before. Choosing a steel supplier with extensive logistics experience is critical to ensuring that projects proceed on schedule and within budgets. Not only must the product be right, the delivery has to be right as well.

Water Infrastructure Projects

Harbor berths and seawalls require structural pipe, and these products must withstand environmental conditions that are harsh. Specific steel formulations are available to work in demanding water environments, including salt water environments. When your steel supplier has experience supplying water infrastructure projects, they can tap their worldwide network of manufacturers to ensure timely delivery while helping you keep costs under control.

Petroleum Exploration

Many new potential oil and gas fields have been found in recent years, and they're located everywhere from the Russian Arctic to the tropical waters off the coast of South America. Petroleum exploration and drilling are structural steel-intensive industries, due to the demands of the rigs, the drill pipes, and transport pipelines associated with them. At Corpac Steel Products, we have the experience that those in the petroleum, land, or water infrastructure sectors require to carry out their projects successfully.

Offshore Pipeline Projects Continue to Address Global Energy Demand

Offshore pipeline projects are thriving in a world where developing economies account for ever-increasing demand for petroleum products. Offshore pipeline suppliers have to be ready to deliver products the international petroleum industry requires. In addition to transport pipe, offshore pipeline suppliers may deliver drill pipe and structural steel. At Corpac Steel Products, our reputation for quality products and superior logistics makes us the go-to choice for offshore projects.

Projects in the North Sea

The UK is busy with its Greater Stella Area project in the central North Sea, which includes four wells, and all the sub-sea structures and related infrastructure, such as a drill center manifold, and oil and gas export assemblies. Without steel, exploration and export of petroleum from these valuable offshore pipeline projects simply could not be attempted.

Russia's Arctic Pipeline Network

Russia's vast oil pipeline network is extending offshore in the Arctic, as exploration gets underway for crude oil in the icy Kara Sea. A pipeline in northern Siberia could be extended to Taz Bay if oil resources are found. More than 60% of Russia's oil is produced in Siberia, and engineers and geologists hope that offshore drilling will discover an extension of Siberia's oil-rich geology. With temperatures below minus 60 Centigrade and thick ice, drilling and pipeline infrastructure will have to withstand harsh conditions.

South American Pipeline Projects

Drilling and transport in the Gulf of Venezuela is underway, with multiple drilling platforms and an offshore pipeline of 67 km being constructed. Platforms some 300 km off the coasts of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are being constructed, as are two offshore pipelines in waters that reach depths of 2,200 meters.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline

Albania, Italy, and Greece are coordinating support for the natural gas Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, a network of pipelines designed to add competition to Europe's energy sector. If constructed, the pipeline would carry up to 700 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year across part of the Adriatic, depending on supply and demand. Massive international drilling and transport are the future of petroleum, and steel pipeline suppliers like Corpac Steel Products are there to meet demand for drill pipe, transport pipe, and structural steel.

Worldwide Infrastructure Depends on Steel Pipes and Structural Steel

Roads, bridges, buildings, and pipelines all depend on steel in order to serve their purposes. It's not difficult to find a steel tubing supplier, even in developing economies. But just because a company calls itself a steel tubing supplier doesn't mean it can meet your steel tubing, steel pipe, and structural steel needs. At Corpac Steel Products we are logistics experts and know exactly how to get your products to you so as to maximize project efficiency.

Water Infrastructure

Water infrastructure around the world is being built up continually, particularly in societies that are pursuing major urban initiatives like China. Water infrastructure in other places requires extension and sometimes repair. Steel continues to be a material of choice in water infrastructure, on large and small scales. The best suppliers have the engineering expertise to ensure products meet specs and projects meet schedules.

Structural Steel and Building Infrastructure

Structural steel comes in a variety of cross-sectional shapes and sizes and makes up significant portions of commercial and industrial buildings. When your structural steel supplier understands the "whys" behind a particular design, they can advise you properly when it's time to order structural steel. And if your project is in a remote area or in another country, they should be able to tap a worldwide network to deliver products safely and on time.

Oil and Gas Infrastructure

Oil and gas pipelines will only become more extensive as worldwide energy demand continues to increase. Steel tubing distributors with experience in drill string production, OCTG products, and the various international standards that apply to the oil and gas industry are the ones you should call on when your project is a drill rig or a transmission pipeline.

Your Distributor Should Do More than Sell You Tubing

Anyone can sell you steel tubing. But steel tubingdistributors with an extensive background in the projects their products are used in and the logistics expertise necessary to bring products to their "last mile" are the only ones you should consider. At Corpac Steel Products, we not only understand our products thoroughly, we also have extensive knowledge of shipping, customs, the most appropriate steel transport methods for your needs.

The Many Challenges of Today's Steel Pipe and Tubing Supplier

Pipe manufacturers face big challenges in developing and processing materials used in line pipe, drill pipe, and API tubing. The steeltubing supplier has to be prepared with large-diameter, longitudinally welded line pipe for oil and gas transport, and other products that accommodate high operating pressures and severe environmental conditions. Steel must possess high strength, good weldability, and optimized geometry. Does your steel tubing supplier deliver all this? At Corpac Steel Products, we have the technical and logistics expertise to meet demand impeccably.

High Strength Steels: A Brief Overview

High strength steels for use in API tubing, line pipe, and drill pipe benefited from thermomechanical rolling that replaced some hot rolling and normalizing in the 1970s. Alloying steels with niobium and vanadium has reduced carbon content in some steel pipes. Thermomechanical rolling was supplemented with accelerated cooling in the 1980s, making even higher strength materials possible while retaining excellent weldability.

Development and Production of High Strength Steels

The use of molybdenum, nickel, and copper now allow even higher strength steels when the steel is processed into plate form by thermomechanical rolling and accelerated cooling. In general, longitudinally welded line pipe of large diameter is used for petroleum transport because it offers improved safety and better cost effectiveness while permitting high operating pressures for pipeline.

Microstructure in Line Pipe Steel

Conventionally rolled and normalized steels show coarse ferrite grain size with banded ferrite and pearlite. Higher grade rolled steels show more uniform microstructure along with finer ferrite grains. When thermomechanical rolling is followed by accelerated cooling, the result is an even more uniform and very fine microstructure, giving the steel and the pipe and tubing it is made into improved properties including superior strength and safety.

Growth in Global Energy Consumption Necessitates Expert Pipe Logistics

The steel tubing supplier today must keep pipe prices down while providing the highest quality for natural gas and oil transport. Predicted growth in worldwide energy consumption will necessitate steel tubing and line pipe that works in severe environmental conditions, transporting oil and gas to end users. At Corpac Steel Products, we are at the forefront of technology and logistics and ready to meet worldwide challenges today.

Pipeline and Drilling Projects Can't Settle for Less than Superior Products and Services

Petroleum drilling and transport have stepped up worldwide due to increasing demand, particularly in emerging economies like China's and India's. From offshore pipeline to land-based drill strings, the demand for API 5L pipe and related pipe and tubing makes strategic worldwide distribution of these products indispensable to the global economy. At Corpac Steel Products, our reputation is built on meeting demand, keeping costs contained, and consistently meeting or exceeding customer expectations.

The Products

API 5L pipe isn't the whole story, and petroleum isn't the only industry that needs uncompromising steel pipe and tubing products. Locating the products themselves is only the first step. Buyers have to be confident of product quality, and they have to be able to rely on their suppliers to transport the products to the last mile, even if it means crossing international borders multiple times on the way.

The Costs

Costs must be considered in context. A low price on a product doesn't mean anything if the product arrives late and puts a project behind schedule. Costs must be evaluated along with reputation, networks, logistics, and experience to be meaningful to a particular project. That said, there are suppliers who are able to keep a lid on costs through exemplary efficiency and worldwide networks of manufacturing and inventory location.

The Logistics

Not all steel pipe and tubing suppliers have the logistics expertise to cope flawlessly with the demands from an offshore pipeline project or construction of a steel structure in a remote location. It's best if you know the name of your supplier's logistics coordinator and have a point of contact that you don't have to educate about your requirements. Logistics expertise saves time, and time is money, particularly with major drilling or infrastructure projects.

The Worldwide Network

Your project may be located in a remote part of the world, so getting your steel pipe and tubing, or structural steel products delivered in a timely manner often depends on your supplier having an extensive worldwide network of mills and inventory. At Corpac Steel Products, we believe in superior products, and the network required to get them to customers on time while containing costs.

With Steel Pipes, Quality, Expertise, and Customer Service Are Critical

Steel pipes have been used with confidence for years in many industries such as

           ·          Commercial construction

           ·          Electric power generation

           ·          The petroleum industry

           ·          Shipbuilding

With superior strength and durability, steel is the product of choice in many industries, and your steel pipe supplier must meet or exceed expectations. Your steel supplier should be able to provide the exact product you need at a competitive price, get it to you on time, and provide optimum service throughout the purchasing process.

Today You're Faced with Many Choices

A combination of a world economic downturn that began in 2008, plus emerging world economies in India, China, and Brazil have resulted in more choices than ever for those who need steel products. All choices are not equal, however, and you must research your options carefully to ensure you get the level of quality that your project demands.

Without a Quality Product, You Have Nothing

Many projects require steel that meets specifications made by standards organizations like the American Petroleum Institute, ASTM, and the International Organization for Standardization. When you are certain that your steel pipe supplier's products meet the relevant standards, you have the confidence to put your crew to work, knowing they are dealing with high quality materials. Without this confidence, materials failure could cause scheduling problems or worse, safety problems.

Expertise in Logistics Is Necessary for Today's Projects

You may be a US-based company working on a project in another country in a remote region where delivery is a challenge. Does your steel supplier have experience in getting product to similar projects? When suppliers have to cross multiple international boundaries to get products to you, you need to know that they have dealt with similar issues and helped their customers' projects succeed.

Customer Service Makes a Tremendous Difference

When you have questions about products, schedules, or logistics, your steel supplier should be available to answer them. Customer service issues should never get in the way of completing a project successfully. At Corpac Steel Products, we are committed to the highest quality products, the logistics support you need, and customer service that will bring you back for your next project.

The Steel Supplier for Offshore Application Faces Many Challenges

Ambient hydraulic pressure and bending associated with it are concerns with deepwater pipelines. Pipes need lower diameter to thickness ratios and should be made from higher strength materials for these applications. At Corpac Steel Products, we understand how pipe manufacturing and various coatings can alter stress-strain behavior in offshore pipeline applications. Today's projects are located in ever more remote areas and expose pipe to more extreme conditions than in the past. Can your steel supplier meet these challenges?

Concerns at Different Stages of Manufacture

When steel is manufactured, its chemical composition, cleanness, and surface quality are the primary determinants of its quality. At the plate stage of manufacture, slab reheating, rolling parameter, and cooling parameter affect plate microstructure, mechanical properties, and resistance to corrosion. Formation of pipes must address pipe and weld geometry, weld quality, mechanical properties, and residual stresses on the pipe. Ensure that your supplier understands all aspects of the manufacturing process.

What Today's Market Demands

Today's petroleum projects demand (among other things) steel purity that is up to the challenges of transporting sour gas, high strength steels that demand superior plate rolling and pipe formation, and arctic grade pipe that demands the highest quality longitudinal seam welding. Pipe geometry for deep sea applications must meet tough specifications due to hydraulic pressures and chemical reactions in these environments.

Concerns of Submerged Arc Welded Seams

Mechanical properties and corrosion resistance must meet stringent toughness and hardness specifications, which have to do with welding parameters like consumables and base metals. Misalignment of weld shapes or problems with weld linearity can cause problems in offshore applications. It's critical for project managers to work with suppliers with the engineering expertise to understand exactly what is needed and why it's needed.

Delivery Logistics Effects on Schedule and Budget

Corpac Steel Products understands that having the products that meet specifications is only part of the job. Getting the products to customers quickly, safely, conveniently, and cost-effectively is critical too. A supplier's distribution system can have serious effects on schedules and budgets when there are problems. Choose a supplier with widespread industry experience and the logistics know-how to deliver on promises consistently.

API Steel Casing and Tubing

API steel is used in offshore drilling projects, for drill pipe, drill casing, and production tubing. It may be used in pipe for cement pumping, oil lines, or drill fluid pumping. After production is established, API line pipe is used for transportation of the petroleum product as well as distribution. Corpac Steel Products has extensive experience in supplying products meeting American Petroleum Institute specifications to projects of all sizes in all locations.

API Casing

Casing maintains borehole stability, prevents contamination of water sands, controls well pressures during drilling and production, and is where blowout preventers, wellhead equipment, and production tubing is installed. Casing is a major part of the overall cost of a well. Therefore selection of size and grade of casing, as well as connectors must be made with engineering and economic factors in mind.

API Tubing

Oil and gas are transported from their producing formations to the field surface using tubing, which must be strong enough to resist the loads and deformations that can occur in the production process. API tubing must be sized according to the expected rate of oil or gas production. API standards for tubing and casing have to do with how these products are manufactured, steel grades used, types of joints, wall thickness, and length ranges.

API Connection Ratings and Failure

The API recognizes three basic types of joint connections: rounded thread coupling, asymmetrical trapezoidal thread coupling, and trapezoidal thread casing without coupling. Casing failures usually occur at connections and may be caused by improper design or use, failure to meet manufacturing tolerances, or damage during handling or storage. Your supplier should understand casing failure and why you need the casing or tubing you order.

Your Casing and Tubing Supplier

Corpac Steel Products supplies casing and tubing to projects worldwide and knows how to get products to customers even in remote areas and even when products must cross one or more international borders. Customizing a delivery system to the client can go a long way toward helping projects stay on schedule and within budget. Make sure that your API casing and tubing supplier knows the products thoroughly, and understands the importance of on-time delivery.

Choosing ASTM Structural Steel and Steel Pipe Properly

Design and construction materials are usually designated by reference to ASTM specifications that simplify design and construction since they're matched to engineering needs. However, there are dozens of ASTM specifications that apply to steel building construction projects, so it's important to check that you use current standard designations in your contracts. At Corpac Steel Products we're knowledgeable about these specifications and understand your needs.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask Your Supplier Questions

If you are not sure about availability of ASTM steel products, ask your supplier. Top suppliers have networks that allow them to obtain the exact products you require, wherever your project is located. Your supplier should understand that ASTM specs change and expand, and that a specification that applied 20 years ago may not apply to your specific situation today.

ASTM Steel Pipe Isn't the Same as Round Hollow Structural Section

While ASTM steel pipe is a lot like round hollow structural section material, it isn't the same, and different ASTM standards apply to each. For example, ASTM A500 applies to hollow structural section, while ASTM A53 applies to steel pipe. Often, round hollow structural section with the same cross-section dimensions as steel pipe is stocked and available, so you'll have an easier time procuring round hollow structural section in cross section geometry that matches that of available steel pipe.

Anchor Rods and Bolts

Anchor rods and bolts are not the same, though some people confuse the two. ASTM A325 and A490 apply to cover headed bolts with specific thread lengths and lengths up to eight inches. They're governed by specifications for steel-to-steel structural joints. ASTM F1554 covers hooked, headed and threaded or nutted rods in three different strength grades. Accurate specification will help reduce miscommunication with your supplier.

ASTM Structural Steel Supplier with Comprehensive Knowledge

At Corpac Steel Products, we have comprehensive knowledge of ASTM standards and speak your language when it comes to steel construction projects. When your supplier is conversant in the various standards you require, and when they are experienced in logistics and delivery across international lines and in remote areas, you have fewer worries with your construction project.

ASTM Steel Is Critical to Numerous Industries

Steel pipe (measured on the basis of inside diameter) and steel tubing (measured on the basis of outside diameter) are critical to numerous industries. Tubes are considered structural, while pipes are considered as transport vessels, but both are found in numerous applications, from processing industries to consumer products. In many industries, these products must meet strict criteria set out by industry standards organizations like the American Petroleum Institute (API) or the ASTM (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials).

Welded Pipe and Tubing

Welded pipe or tubing may be made from a hot rolled or cold rolled steel coil. Cold-rolled steel gives the finished product closer tolerances and a smoother surface finish. Welded pipe or tubing is made when the steel coil is slit to a precise width and then formed, welded, sized, and cut. Today, laser welding can be used for applications in industries with higher purity requirements.

Seamless Pipe and Tubing

Seamless pipe or tubing is made from a metal bar that is pierced, extruded, or gun drilled. The process used depends on the metal alloy used. Further processing after piercing, extrusion, or gun drilling may be required to meet dimensional or metallurgical requirements. Cold drawing and cold pilgering are methods that can reduce a pipe or tube's diameter or change its shape.

Process Industries and ASTM Steel Standards

The chemical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food, beverage, and dairy industries are industries that generally require steel tubing or pipe that meets various ASTM standards. These standards specify things like which alloys the tubes must be made of, nominal wall thickness of the tubing or pipe, or the alignment of tube-to-tube fitting required for orbital welding in the industry.

API Pipe and ASTM Standards

Steel pipe and tubing suppliers must be conversant in the various industry standards. For example, API 5L pipe is a type of API pipe that must meet more stringent criteria than a comparable ASTM pipe. Some pipe is made to meet stringent standards, but it automatically meet less stringent standards as well. Therefore, you may see pipe stamped with markings indicating more than one standard that it meets.

The Right Steel Distributor Can Help You Save Money and Time

Don't be afraid to use the expertise of structural steel and pipe distributors early in your project. Choose the right distributor and you can realize savings due to their knowledge of mill schedules, the worldwide market, and timing of your orders. With a trusted steel distributor on your side from early on, you have a better chance of avoiding mistakes and reworks and staying on or accelerating your schedule.

Expect Worldwide Drilling Projects to Increase in Number

Oil exploration is expected to increase in coming years. A January, 2013 find in southern Australia is just one example of a massive oil deposit that could change that country's status from being an energy importer to being an exporter. This particular untapped shale deposit equivalent to hundreds of billions of barrels of oil could well indicate a coming shale boom down under.

Does Your Steel Distributor Know the Market?

Sourcing oil country tubular goods and structural steel from a supplier that knows the industry on a worldwide basis is your smartest move. Knowledge of product availability and steel rolling schedules can make an enormous difference in the efficiency of delivery, helping the various trades coordinate their work better and preventing scheduling conflicts. In some cases, projects can even be accelerated without compromising safety.

Getting Delivery Right Is a Key to Savings

When your structural steel and steel pipe and tubing supplier has a worldwide network of mills, and expertise with delivery that crosses international boundaries and encompasses the "last mile," you will have fewer headaches and can be more confident of scheduling without the hassles of storing products your project isn't ready for yet.

OCTG Pipe and Structural Steel: There When You Need It

Many suppliers talk about just in time delivery, but when your supplier has the experience to back up the talk, you can be confident that your drilling, pipeline, or construction project will have the products required to proceed right when they're needed. Your supplier should know their products well, but they should also know how the projects that require them work and how to help those projects proceed on schedule.

Involve Steel Manufacturer Early for Cost and Time Savings

Choosing your structural steel supplier is important, but do you know how important it really is? If you are able to make use of your structural steel supplier's knowledge of product availability, you can expect fewer change orders, better coordination between the trades working on the project, and ultimately better on-time performance. Does your supplier know about the steel process, the market, and fabrication efficiencies? It should.

Ask Early On About Structural Steel Product Availability

When you bring your steel supplier on-board during the design phase, you can prevent problems that result in redesigns and reworks and the cost overruns that can result from them. When your steel manufacturer is there early in the project, they can provide guidance regarding such things as steel rolling schedules, and processes that can be done in-shop rather than in the field.

What Suppliers Can Bring to the Table

A good structural steel supplier can provide valuable input when they're involved early on, including:

• Information on commodity savings due to coordinated mill run schedules
• Information on materials selection
• Structural steel connection options that can improve construction efficiency
• Field activities that can be done in-shop (such as pre-assembly, coatings, and attachment of accessories)
• Knowledge of industry and technology trends

How Your Choice of Supplier Helps Keep Costs Under Control

Choosing your steel manufacturer carefully and availing yourself of their expertise can help you keep costs down by doing the following:

• Helping coordinate erection schedules, which enhances safety
• Allowing better trade coordination on the project
• Allowing strategic task overlap that can accelerate the project schedule

In some cases, manufacturers can provide input on minimization of material and fabrication costs too.

Making Just In Time Delivery Work

Your choice of steel supplier is critical with the just in time delivery philosophy. When your supplier can precisely pack and sequence deliveries, your project can realize savings. Every construction project is different, but when your supplier has access to a real-time supplier database and current pricing and production data, you can be confident your steel supplier is procuring your materials most cost effectively.