Steel Structure and Fabrication Inspection Services
Independent, third-party quality control for steel structures and fabricated steelwork. We check material certificates, dimensions and straightness, welding, bolt holes and connections, surface preparation, coating or galvanizing, piece marks and packing before the steel leaves the fabrication shop.
- On-site inspection at your supplier’s fabrication shop
- Photo-backed report within 24 hours of the inspection
- Inspectors available across 25+ sourcing countries
Why Steel Structures Need Their Own Checks
A beam a few millimetres short or a row of bolt holes drilled out of position looks fine in the yard — and only shows up when the steel will not fit together on site.
Fabricated steel is made to shop drawings and has to fit with other members, sometimes from other suppliers, once it reaches site. A dimension out of tolerance, a missing or poor weld, a bolt hole in the wrong place, or coating that is too thin can mean site rework, delays or early corrosion. Each piece has to be checked against your purchase order, the approved shop drawings and the referenced standard, from material certificates to final coating and marking. An on-site inspection does that at the fabrication shop, before the steel is bundled, loaded and shipped.
Every Fabrication Type, Its Own Checklist
A building column, a welded skid and a set of gratings are made and fail in different ways. Our inspectors work to the checklist that matches what you are actually buying.
- Length, camber and straightness
- Section size and material marking
- Bolt hole size and position
- Weld and coating condition
- Overall dimensions and squareness
- Weld size, profile and continuity
- Distortion after welding
- Mounting points and lifting lugs
- Dimensions against the drawing
- Weld quality at joints and supports
- Galvanizing or coating condition
- Edges, burrs and finish
- Plate thickness and hole pattern
- Bolt grade, size and quantity
- Thread and coating condition
- Marking, packing and quantity
What We Check
Every inspection is set up against your purchase order, the approved shop drawings and the referenced standard. A typical steel structure checklist covers:
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Material verification mill certificates checked against heat numbers, section sizes and the specified grade
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Dimensions and straightness length, camber, sweep, squareness and hole positions against the shop drawings
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Welding weld size, profile and visual condition, with NDT reports reviewed where required
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Bolt holes and connections hole size, position and edge distance, and fit of connection plates
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Surface preparation blast cleaning, removal of burrs, sharp edges and weld spatter before coating
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Coating and galvanizing coating thickness, coverage and adhesion, or galvanizing condition
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Piece marks and traceability every member marked to match the drawings and packing list
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Bundling and packing protection of coated surfaces, bundling, blocking and lifting points for transport
Whether you need a one-off pre-shipment check or oversight across a full fabrication schedule, we build the checklist around your purchase order and the shop drawings it references.
Defects We Catch Before the Order Ships
These are the findings that most often turn into site rework, delays or early corrosion when nobody looks before shipment.
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Section size, grade or heat number that does not match the certificate
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Length, camber or squareness outside tolerance
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Weld defects such as undercut, porosity, incomplete fusion or missing welds
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Bolt holes out of position, wrong size or missing
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Distortion or twist caused by welding
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Coating too thin, missed areas, runs or poor adhesion
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Bare spots, drips or rough surfaces on galvanized steel
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Missing or incorrect piece marks
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Damaged coating or bent members from poor bundling and loading
Which Inspection Stage Do You Need?
Dimensional and welding problems are cheapest to fix before the steel is coated. Most buyers combine two or more of these across a fabrication schedule.
Everything You Need to Know About Steel Structure and Fabrication Inspection
Still unsure about scope or timing? Talk to us — we will tell you what a given order actually needs.
What kinds of steel structures and fabrications do you inspect?
Do you check coating and galvanizing thickness?
Do you check dimensions against the shop drawings?
How quickly do I get the report?
How much does a steel structure inspection cost?
Which countries can you inspect steel structures in?
Ready to Secure Your Supply Chain?
Our experts in Asia provide professional, fast-response solutions for your inspection and audit needs.