ABC’s entirely production line and jigs are optimised for a specific workflow. DO NOT deviate from their requirements. There is a need to be pedantic because otherwise things won’t work – beams and steel will be wasted, delays will result, and we will be cursed to the high heavens.
Rules:
Do not edit model.
Do not renumber anything.
Do not rotate ANYTHING.
Do not change the names of drawings. Name of the drawing should be the name of the truss.
If there are any issues, msg client.
Rotationand Flipping – check if rotation / flipping has happened
Check if any rotations happened. How?
(1) Everything with our client works: Left-to-Right. If something is not Left to right – then it may have been rotated. We need to alert our client to this.
(2) We have the PDFs. We must check the drawings against the pdfs and note where they are any discrepancies. If there are discrepancies – alert our client. Because Tekla may be rotating the drawing.
(3) After we do the drawings – then we should send the PDFs back to the client.
Blue Angle Issue
When dimension beams, dimension just beams. Do not dimension to the end plates. Probably because they are cutting the beams and adding the end plates later. (i.e. their production facility is optimised for this workflow).
Information
Pink Notes: pink notes in the model which mostly has information like weld types and other information that are not necessary for a detailer.
Length of Purlins / Girt
CSB can handle purlin / girts up to 16m. So you don’t need to question anything under that length.
Fly-Bracing
No need to model holes. CSB using self tapping Tek screws. If you want to see a video of how this is done checkout the example here.
Input information was an Inventor model and pdf drawings
We have extracted the information from inventor, cross checked with pdf drawings, Checked constructurability, Resolved design details so that items can be fabricated at lowest cost.
These chutes were submitted for approval, and was approved without any issues.
Eventhough these chutes are for grain transfer, mining projects have similar requirements.
I spoke to a TL re: something that was missed on an MTO. The reason given was that it was a junior who did the work, and that this work is not usually checked.
That is not a great answer.
Any work done by a junior must be checked until you are confident that you don’t need to check it anymore. And even then, you still need to check occasionally.
You are responsible for your junior.
The Consequences of Bad Work?
You will lose the client, and all the work / bonuses which come from that client – whom you threw away before they never came into the door.
Bad workmanship is not a joke.
How to avoid “missing things”?
Document it via a checklist: It is much harder to “miss” if you work through a checklist. For example, here is the checklist for Material Take Offs (MTOs): https://www.tek1.com.au/staff-memos/memo-44-formatting-required-for-mtos/
Someone asks you for a professional opinion on an area that is not your area.
Should you give an opinion?
Should you give your opinion for free?
Should you give an opinion and charge for it?
Rule 1: If it is not your area of expertise: don’t give your opinion
Do not give an opinion on something that is not your area, or not your responsibility: if you give the correct advice, then you will not gain, but if you give the wrong advice, they will use this as an opportunity to charge you (or back charge you).
In this country, you need a license in order to give engineering advice. If you give engineering advice without a license:
(i) there are potential criminal issues
(ii) there are potential liability issues (huge costs and penalties for the firm).
Rule 2: If it is your expertise: make sure you charge for it
We charge for our expertise.
And we don’t charge by the hour.
I have made available a “design review” fee. Put in your number and that’s what the client will get.
As part of our policy – on anything which may give rise to a claim you are not allowed to admit liability or mistakes. In fact, people will try to get you to admit – to make you the person at fault – when it could be the system at fault, or themselves:
Suppose there are 120 emails exchanges and conversations with engineers + architects over 3 weeks. Phone conversations, markups, various revisions.
You miss one email.
Then an engineer will say: “Aha! It’s your fault” when there is an error.
Is it really your fault? Or is it the fault of the engineer / architect / builder to have designs so bad, that they necessitate umpteen emails going back and forth: and revisions on top of revisions. Perhaps it may be your fault, but it becomes an argument.
If you admit to mistakes then you lose insurance coverage. You will be violating your own insurance contract.
Let the insurers debate the matter.
Insurance: Court Cases
Leave it to the insurers to decide or argue this. They are looking for an “easy admission”. Judges are not welders or fabricators. They don’t know how builders can send you a million emails / revisions due to their bad designs – that does not matter if you “admit” something. You’re probably wrong anyways.
Let the insurance company handle it.
It’s very easy to miss mails and emails.
Fighting things out in court is super expensive.
If you miss an email / letter – then in a few months, the courts could “garnish” your bank account. This means they take money out of your account while you are asleep at night. Almost like a theif.
Please supply checklist and special notes with every take off report you complete.
What is the purpose of an MTO?
The purpose is to enable our client to quote on a job. These structural steel jobs are expensive, ranging between $2m – 30m dollars. They employ us to do a “take off” i.e. to count the steel elements to enable them to quote, accurate.
If you make a mistake, then you could potentially cost our client millions of dollars. It is especially important that you DO NOT miss anything which should be in your take off.
Clients typically price their job based on tonnage of steel. i.e. $x / tonnge. if there are 100 tonnes, then they would quote: $x * 100. However, pricing on steel tonnage is not always accurate. Some jobs may require a lot of site welding. This requires a higher price. It is cheaper to do work in a factory than on a construction site.
Some items SHOULD NOT be quoted on a tonnage rate. For example: balustrades and stairs. Why? Because these items require a lot of work: they are intricate, and should not be quoted on a tonnage rate. Another example is grating. Therefore we must warn our client if there are special items, so that these may be priced separately.
The Actual MTO report:
Please provide two MTO reports:
(a) Full Material List
The first: is Koshy’s Material List.xls.rpt (Please use the file here saved here. (click on link)) – see instructions on where to save it below.
(b) The second: Excel – Material List – which shows all sub-totals.
(c) IFC file.
(d) db1 file
(e) and if applicable, your .dwg line work file.
Where to save the .xls.rpt files? Ssave it to the appropriate file in your Tekla Program directory. In my computer it is here: C:\Users\All Users\Trimble\Tekla Structures\2023.0\Environments\Australasia\General\common_reports
You’ll have to go into the file and add/edit fields if applicable.
Please make sure that you do not double count “sub-totals” in the sub-total report otherwise you will get an incorrect tonnage report.
Read the report: (i) is there anything with a zero weight?
If so, you have probably used the wrong “material” or grade. Is there anything obvious?
I want the files format in .xlsx (if possible)
Why? Because when the client opens up .xls files they complain about some error. If you are using LibreDocs then please open your .xls file and save as .xlsx:
If you are using Excel, the please open Excel and save the file as .xlsx (one with and without.with an ‘x’ on the end of it).
If I’m dealing with 10 projects then I have to coordinate 20 different emails. NO. I want them all together.
Separate Areas – Do Separate Reports
e.g. You may have a main building, and a bike shed near the building – combine them into separate reports, so that fabricators can quote for them separately.
Provide Screenshots
to make it easy for your clients.
Bridging Report
I need separate bridging report.
Include the bridging in the “overall” report.
On Refurbishment Jobs – make special notes
These jobs are extra complicated, require a great deal of coordination (plus site measurements). Make special note of the difficulties inherent in such jobs:
(This was for Respect Care Avonlea). Note: they want the EXISTING steel frames to have rust removed and recoated. Make such items clear for the person quoting – that this is to be in or out of scope.
Check architectural and sturctural drawings and note discrepancies
Sometimes architecturals and structurals don’t match. They might miss steel e.g. frames.
Check The Notes for Steel and / or other extra items items
e.g. see below – we need steel grating over EAs. Please make sure you don’t miss such notes.
When doing take-offs and marking pdfs – make sure to mark the pdf so that the reviewer can see that you have accounted for the steel in the markup.
Please quantify the exclusions in your report to give some basic idea on what the client needs to price. Please tell the client that your numbers are rough estimates and the client should verify independently – because we are not actually modelling those items.
2025-06-18 – Clients are quoting steel. Help the clients establish what is and is not in their scope. e.g. while you might EXCLUDE e.g. lintels in your modelling, you must provide a note saying to the client that LINTELS exist if they exist. This goes for ANY steel in the job. e.g. a special steel door, or grating – if they are excluded from your take off, you must still provide a note saying we haven’t modelled it, and if possible, to provide an estimation of it.
Add In Finish on Beams
MTO STEEL FINISHES – this is a part of take-off:
Primer only
Painted ( usually only for metal works ) we do not do Metal works mto
Fire rated (Intumiscent or Vermicular)
These finishes must go on the member finishes
Also when taking the snap shot, Each finish must have different color. There is already a method to render with steel finishes
Different colors must be present on IFC files.
If in doubt – ask.
How to do bridging / purlin reports
Add Status For quote:
Type in the quote number to get to the material_take_off page.
Add in the ETA date.
Invoicing:
When you finish a job – I need to create a “variation” with hours 0.
In the “description” add in the following: (I) tonnage, and (ii) a google drive link to where your MTO reports are. This is for invoicing purposes – so the client can check our reports, and whether the details are correct.
Mark it as “IFA” or ready to invoice.
Example of what to write on the “variation” on the MTO:
27.3 Tonnes
Proof: Link-to-google-drive
Code via .dwg file
The source code + documentation is located here. (Sorry only accessible to Tek1).
We will be regularly updating the code, and documenting how we do material take offs.
List all files in the MTO:
Go to the relevant folder in Windows File Explorer.
Press the CTRL button on the key board AND then RIGHT CLICK h your mouse
(Now the files should be listed in the “file_list.txt” file.)
Watch this video for further instructions:
Any MTOs submitted after 2025-07-15 which are non-compliant will risk incurring an immediate demerit.
Outdated Checklists – Immediate Demerit to be applied
Some are using outdated checklists – this prevents the latest process being applied uniformly across all take offs. This has happened before more than once. If this happens, and you’re caught, this will result in an immediate demerit, unless you can explain otherwise.
Folder Locations
Please do not dump your reports in random locations. This makes it very difficult for clients to find especially if there are addendums, which means they MAY be using incorrect reports – which is unforgivable. If I catch you you will lose your entire bonus. (2025-10-31)
If there is no profile information – PICK a random profile! (2025-02-18)
Take for example the 537 Malvern Road MTO. Let us read from the special notes section:
Structural drawings indicate steel columns (SC1,SC2 & SC3) in structural plan, but there is no member profile nomination provided for these columns in the member schedule. Therefore, those steel columns were not included in this takeoff report. Please refer below snap showing yellow highlighted columns. In addition we have attached the highlighted markup for clarity
And then the following image is attached:
This is bad policy. Why? Because the client might not read the special notes and might mis-quote steel. it is better to add in an item with a nominated profile than to omit it entirely – in this case, at least the client will be ok if he quotes. If I see this happen again, you may endanger your bonus for a particular job.
Make items perfectly visible (2026-02-18)
This was for 26 Railway Parade, Hornsby. Almost all the items are not included, except the last one. But it is not highlighted in any particular way. Are you guys trying to confuse your clients? Highlight critical items to ensure it isn’t lost.
Here is another example:
This is 156 square meters of checker plate – which is not cheap. If you leave it like this, the client might miss – so consider highlighting where relevant.
Isolated Material List Reports must have a separate IFC with them
(again on the 537 Malvern Road MTO).
When you have reports that segregate steel, you should also have the IFCs generated for each one of those reports. For example, if there is a PV platform, a canopy, a pergola, and roof steel, you should have separate IFC models for each one, as the case may be. This is so that people can recognise which steam corresponds to which items. Not doing so confuses myself, the client and wastes a lot of time.
Special Client
One of our clients wants their MTOs in a very special type of formatting. To that end, I have created an Apps script so we can transform our Tekla Members to be client with our client’s workflow:
Google App Scripts – to manage mapping from Tekla to our client specific take off codes. Link and instructions will be posted here.
Answers to RFIs need to be provenwith markups
e.g. see Q18810 – PEGS Junior Boys Campus Stage 1 by Hari.
This is the question by the client / builder:
Include:
Window Shround Secondary Steel
Refer elevations BE3 through to BE5 on ST-300-02
Structural Steel Member shown in blue on Concrete Outline Plans
These are shown on structural documentation throughout
Structural Steel Lintels
These are shown on structural documentation throughout
Structural Steel to Makers Façade
Refer elevations BE3 through to BE5 on ST-300-02
Structural Steel to GRC Metal Cladding
Refer elevations BE3 through to BE5 on ST-300-02
Secondary Steel to Makers Entrance Eaves Gutter
This is shown on ST101-1
Structural Steel Framing concealed within ceiling cavity
And here is the response:
Inclusion:
Window Shroud Secondary Steel.
Structural steel lintels.
Structural steel to makers facade.
Structural steel to GRC metal cladding.
Secondary steel to makers entrance eaves gutter.
Structural steel framing concealed within ceiling cavity.
Structural steel framing of planter storage(WT-03).
Exclusion:
Steel angle for perforated balustrade including steel plate and steel verticals
Steel plate to support door frame
Terrible. Why? (a) Poor English: First of all the grammar is not clear. What do you mean: “Inclusion”? Does this mean you have included the steel or not? (b) Why Excluded? Secondly the exclusions: any reason why this is excluded? The client is paying you for doing the work, so you need a very good reason to exclude it, or there must be a measure, or a proxy by which you should enable the client to quote. (c) No proof: Generally speaking, if someone asks you a question, it is not enough to give the answer. You must provide your reasons / proof as well. In this case, if a client asks if you have accounted for PF1 profiles, what will constitute is the isometric view with the mark numbers. That is enough.
Organise Folders – Don’t be a slob
Architectural Finishes
Please say yes / no if arch finishes are required. IF clients progress in the tendering stages, then they will almost certainly request an architectural review of the paint finishes. This might be an additional $6000 / tonne extra cost.
Here are some planters we have detailed for Straight UP. There are some steel planters and brick planters here. Each planter brings a unique aesthetic and functional appeal to your garden or patio.
This project was detailed a while before. However I am posting this now
We have detailed transfer structure, conveyors, Chutes, Vibrating Grizzlys on this particular projects. These Items are typical for mining projects. There is a fair bit of care required when it comes to bracing to avoid weld clash.
At Tek1, it is our standard practice to check all handrails , stairs, ramps ladder to relevant standard. We do not simply go by the Engineer Architect drawings. We check whether it will comply.
Actually, once can simply tell us, put a stair here, give us the heights and spacing available, we could detail a stair for you, which will comply to Australian standards (AS1657 or AS1428 as the case may be)
This video show cases a few elements of the mining structure.
If your bolt report has ferrule bolts, then you have to specify what is the Bolt Dia and Length of the Bolt dia. Also you must specify no nut required.
The other thing to note is that, You cannot give extra length. Your bolt length should be a bit less than the Thread in the ferrule + the washer + the material to be bolted.
If we nomintate extra length, then the Bolt will bottom out on the ferrule.
Problems with Incorrect specifications.
Any thing like FEB in bolt report does not make any sense to our clients.
Unless we annotate nuts are not required, large number of nuts will be purchased
If we give extra length, the bolt cannot be used. Costing significant delays at site.
