Steel erectors: what to specify so erection quotes compare, and the site rules the work falls under

A steel erector receives fabricated steel on site, lifts each member into place and makes the site connections by bolting, welding or chemical adhesive. SAQA's unit standard for planning steel erection lists what an erecting team works from: the drawings, the dispatch and bolt destination lists, the erection plan and an erection method statement.^[9]

In South Africa, SANS 10162-1 provides "rules and requirements for the design, fabrication and erection of steel structures", and SANS 2001-CS1:2017 is the construction standard for structural steelwork. SANS 2001-CS1 replaced SANS 1200 H and its related parts.^[5][4]

SAQA's estimating unit standard lists, among the components of structural steelwork pricing, "design and/or detailing, supply and fabrication, transport, erection, corrosion protection, bolts". An erector may quote some or all of them; for the fabricator's side, see what a steel fabrication quote should include.^[10]

The crane can be part of the erection price or come through separate crane hire. Either way, the Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 require every lifting machine to be operated by an operator trained for that type of machine (regulation 18(11)).^[3]

Every steel erector's quote should state the same eight lines, from the drawings to the fall protection plan. A National Department of Health tender bill from 2025, for a steel water tank at a clinic, shows how a public client itemises the work: steel by the tonne per section, holding-down bolt sets and base plate grouting by number, and painting against the total tonnage.^[8]

Sources:^[8][3][1][6]

In the 2025 Department of Health bill, one example of practice, the steelwork is priced against the measured tonnage: sections, base plates, cleats and bolts in tonnes, with holding-down bolt sets and base plate grouting as separate lines counted by number.^[8]

SAQA's estimating unit standard lists, among the market influences on a structural steelwork price, "complexities of the work and risks associated with the contract". Two quotes for the same tonnage can rest on different assumptions, so ask each steel erector to state its crane days, crew size and connection type.^[10]

The contractor must have the risks assessed, give advance notice of work at height, use only trained, authorised operators on mobile plant and have a fall protection plan. For the client's and principal contractor's duties, see who does what under the Construction Regulations.^[1]

Before steel erection starts and while it runs, the contractor must have risk assessments performed by a competent person appointed in writing, with the hazards identified, a documented plan and safe work procedures, and monitoring and review plans (Construction Regulations, 2014, regulation 9(1)).^[1]

The contractor must notify the provincial director at least 7 days before construction work that includes "working at a height where there is risk of falling" starts, unless the project needs a construction work permit (regulation 4(1)).^[1]

Mobile plant, which the regulations define as machinery able to move independently and used for construction work on a site, must be operated by a person who is trained, certified competent, authorised in writing and holds a medical certificate of fitness. The contractor must also ensure that the authorised operator inspects it daily before use against a checklist, with the findings recorded in a register kept in the machine (regulation 23(1)(d) and (k)).^[1]

Where erectors work at height, the contractor must designate a competent person to prepare a fall protection plan, implement it and keep it up to date (regulation 10(1)). Fall arrest equipment may be used "only where it is not reasonably practicable to use fall prevention equipment" (regulation 10(4)(d)).^[1]

The fall protection plan must include (regulation 10(2)):^[1]

• a risk assessment of all work from a fall risk position, with the procedures and methods for each location;^[1]
• the process for evaluating employees' medical fitness to work at a fall risk position, with records;^[1]
• a training programme for those employees, with records;^[1]
• the procedure for inspecting, testing and maintaining all fall protection equipment;^[1]
• a rescue plan with the procedure, personnel and equipment to rescue a person after a fall.^[1]

The contractor. Regulation 11(1) of the Construction Regulations requires the contractor to ensure that "all reasonably practicable steps are taken to prevent the uncontrolled collapse" of any structure that is in "a temporary state of weakness or instability", to load no part of it in a way that makes it unsafe, and to keep its design drawings on site.^[1]

The regulations define temporary works as "any falsework, formwork, support work, scaffold, shoring or other temporary structure designed to provide support or means of access during construction work" (regulation 1). For temporary works the contractor must appoint a temporary works designer in writing to "design, inspect and approve the erected temporary works on site before use" (regulation 12(1)), and a temporary works drawing or other relevant document must include "construction sequences and methods statements" (regulation 12(3)(n)).^[1]

The Department of Labour's 2017 guidelines note that the temporary works designer's three functions, design, inspection and approval, may be carried out by one person or by different people (note (a) to regulation 12).^[2]

In practice, start with which joints use preloaded bolts, then check the bolt assemblies and how they are tightened. SANS 10094:2017, reaffirmed in July 2024, applies to "the assembly and inspection of preloaded bolts (bolts tightened to develop a high tensile force in the fastener)" and friction-grip joints in structural steelwork.^[6]

A technical article SAISC published in 2019 says that SAISC and SANS 10094 recommend bolt assemblies to EN 14399-3 in grades 8.8 and 10.9, and that SANS 10094 does not recommend hot-dip galvanised grade 10.9 bolts, because of the risk of hydrogen embrittlement or hydrogen-induced stress corrosion cracking.^[7]

The same article says that a preloaded bolt and nut assembly, once removed, "cannot be re-used", because its threads may have been strained during tightening, and that torque is only the means to a clamping force: friction changes how much clamping force a given torque produces.^[7]

For tightening, the article reports that SAISC recommends the turn-of-nut method. Where torque wrenches are used, it says each should be checked on the day of use on at least three bolts of the diameter it will tighten, because calibration can change, for example when a wrench is dropped.^[7]