The assumption most people bring to steel beam pricing is straightforward: a bigger beam costs more than a smaller one. This is true in the narrowest sense — a heavier section has more steel in it and steel is priced by weight, so the raw material cost of a larger section is higher. But raw material cost is rarely...

Steel is incombustible. It does not burn, it does not contribute to fire load, and it will not ignite. These facts lead a significant number of builders to assume that steel beams do not require fire protection. That assumption is wrong, and in certain situations it is dangerously so. The problem is not...

Terraced houses with no side access. Semi-detached properties where the gap between buildings is barely a metre wide. Victorian townhouses with a ground floor plan that means any beam going into the rear extension has to travel through the house. A rear kitchen knock-through where the only route from the street to...