How are steel beams made?
There are two primary ways to fabricate steel beams: welding and hot rolling.
Hot rolled steel beams:Beams are a hot rolled structural steel product. Steel resists shaping when it's cold. So, the first step in making steel beams is to heat the steel. To do this, steel goes through a furnace with automatic burner control systems to maintain target temperatures, utilizing complex computer programs.
Welding steel beams:Different types of steel beams can also be assembled by welding separate structural steel plates together. In this way, each flange is attached to the web separately. Welding can decrease the weight of the beam, and add strength. This is how plate girders are made. They are welded, bolted or riveted to form unique dimensions. For instance, plate girders might have a deep vertical web and narrower flanges.