Miscellaneous metals is the package that holds up the final inspection when it is late and gets split across six shops when it is not. Buy it as one schedule, match-marked to the steel it lands on.
Sourcing access steel & screens for a data center project? Call 601.892.5017 or email collin.t@fabtekindustries.com — send the drawings and the spec and we quote to print.
- Package access steel and screens as one miscellaneous-metals schedule with the dunnage and platforms they attach to.
- Specify OSHA 1910 for access and the architect's elevations and wind loads for screens.
- Qualify on galvanizing logistics, trial fit before galvanizing and match-marking.
- Release early: galvanized steel has a kettle turn and the screens gate the architect's sign-off.
What you are buying
On a campus with rooftop chillers, yard generators and elevated pipe racks, the access and screening steel is everywhere: catwalks along racks, crossovers between generator rows, stairs and ships ladders to the dunnage, service platforms at valves and filters, guardrail at every edge, and the louvered or perforated screens and support frames that hide the plant from the street. Stringers, treads, grating, handrail, cages and screen frames, welded to the details and galvanized or powder coated to the architect's color.
Where it sits in the project
GCs and developers buy the miscellaneous-metals package; mechanical contractors buy platforms with their equipment; architects specify the screens. Access steel is needed before equipment is serviced and before the inspector walks the roof; screens are needed before the architect signs off and before the neighbors complain.
What to put in the RFQ
| Access schedule | Stairs, ladders, catwalks, crossovers, platforms and guardrail by location with the detail each references |
|---|---|
| Standards | OSHA 1910 for access; the architect's elevations, materials and wind load for screens |
| Attachment | What the steel lands on: dunnage, pipe racks, roof structure, slab |
| Materials | Shapes, pipe rail, bar or plank grating, aluminum or steel screen panels |
| Finish | Hot-dip galvanized (ASTM A123); powder coat over galvanizing to the architect's color |
| Erection | Who erects; match-marking and erection drawings; piece sizes for roof access |
| Documentation | Shop drawings for approval, material and galvanizing certs |
How to qualify a fabricator
- Structural shop with galvanizing partner. Access steel is structural and lives outside.
- Detailing against the equipment steel. Stairs detailed to the dunnage fit the dunnage.
- Trial fit before galvanizing. Field-cutting galvanized steel ruins the finish.
- Screen fabrication. Louvered and perforated panels on frames, with clearance for equipment service.
Lead time, sequencing and delivery
Release with the dunnage and platforms the steel attaches to, early enough for galvanizing. Screens release from the architect's approved elevations. Everything ships match-marked with erection drawings.
Common mistakes
- Access steel as a late add. It is on the inspector's list whether or not it is on yours.
- Screens without service clearance. The chiller cannot be serviced through a louver.
- Splitting it across many small shops. Six vendors, six finishes, six schedules.
- Field-cutting galvanized steel. Trial-fit first.
How FabTek supplies it
FabTek fabricates catwalks, stairs, guardrail and roof screens at four plants in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, galvanized through finishing partners and powder coated in-house, detailed and match-marked to the dunnage and platforms built on the same floor.
Frequently asked questions
What is a miscellaneous-metals package?
The fabricated steel on a building that is not primary structure or equipment: stairs, ladders, catwalks, guardrail, platforms, screens, bollards, lintels and similar items, usually bought by the GC as one package.
What standard do data center stairs and guardrail have to meet?
OSHA 1910 governs industrial stairs, ladders, platforms and guardrail in the U.S.; the project may add building-code and architect requirements.
Should rooftop equipment screens be galvanized?
Yes for steel screens and frames on a roof; powder coat over galvanizing gives the architect's color with the galvanized life.
Who fabricates catwalks and rooftop screens for data centers?
FabTek Industries fabricates access steel and equipment screens with the dunnage and platforms they attach to at its Mississippi plants, galvanized through partners.
