When considering steel structures it is easy to obtain information on engineering and technological aspects, however little information is available on how to choose steelwork economically. Increasingly, the viability of a building project depends upon critical financial considerations. It is important, therefore, for designers to have a good general appreciation of the components that make up the cost of fabricated steel, and of how decisions made at the design stage can influence these costs.

This publication aims to supply some of this information. It is not a design manual, rather a publication that discusses from a cost point of view the matters that a structural steel designer should consider. It takes into account current fabrication practices and material/labour relationships, both of which have changed markedly since the last edition of this publication.