Steel Engineering Blog

Technical notes and worked-example templates for steel design workflows. Links to calculators and reference tables. Educational use only.

The blog is the "explanation layer" for steelcalculator.app. The calculators are intentionally fast and interactive; the blog is intentionally slow and detailed. Posts aim to:

• document assumptions and typical pitfalls,
• provide worked-example structures (without copying copyrighted code text),
• link to calculators and reference pages, and
• create linkable resources that earn natural backlinks.

This index page should be fully server-rendered and list posts with summaries. Avoid rendering the list only after JavaScript runs.

Editorial policy (legal-safe)

Posts follow a conservative policy:

• No project-specific design recommendations.
• No reproduction of copyrighted standards tables/clauses.
• Focus on terminology, workflow, and verification patterns.
• Clear disclaimers about educational intent.

If a post uses numeric examples, they are illustrative only and should not be treated as design-ready values.

Current posts

• EN 1993-1-8 Steel Connections — Technical Workflow Guide
• AS 4100 Bolt Group Design — Step-by-Step Guide with Calculator
• Why Excel Spreadsheets Are Holding Back Your Steel Design Workflow
• CSA S16-19 Base Plate Design — Complete Worked Example
• Steel Section Properties — IPE vs HEA vs UB Comparison
• Fillet Weld Design to AS 4100 — Capacity Tables and Calculator

Suggested categories (for future posts)

To build topical authority and internal link depth, expand into categories such as:

• Bolted connections (bearing vs slip, block shear, net section)
• Welded connections (effective throat, group effects, detailing)
• Member checks (beam stability screening, column buckling)
• Serviceability (deflection limits, vibration concepts)
• Loading workflows (wind pressure parameters, load combinations)
• Data and QA (section properties provenance, unit consistency)

Each new post should link to the specific tool pages it references and to the relevant reference tables.

FAQ

Are blog posts a substitute for the governing standard? No. Posts explain workflows and pitfalls. The standard remains the authoritative source for requirements.

Will posts include exact code clauses? No. The site avoids reproducing copyrighted text. It focuses on interpretation and process.

Can I request a topic? Yes—prioritize topics where users routinely make mistakes: units, hole types, deflection limits, and load definitions.

Why does the blog help SEO? Long-form content earns backlinks and captures informational queries, then links internally to calculators.

Can posts include spreadsheets? They can, but be careful not to publish proprietary code tables. Focus on generic verification templates.

How should posts link to calculators? Use clean internal links and avoid parameterized URLs as canonical references.

Will posts be updated? They can be, but keep an edit history or last-updated date for transparency.

Are comments or user submissions allowed? If implemented, moderate carefully and avoid creating an implied engineering advice channel.

Related pages

• EN 1993-1-8 steel connections guide
• AS 4100 bolt group design guide
• Spreadsheet problems in steel design
• CSA S16-19 base plate design guide
• IPE vs HEA vs UB steel sections
• AS 4100 fillet weld design guide
• Bolted connections calculator
• Welded connections calculator
• Guides and checklists
• Tools directory
• Reference tables directory
• Disclaimer (educational use only)

Disclaimer (educational use only)

This page is provided for general technical information and educational use only. It does not constitute professional engineering advice, a design service, or a substitute for an independent review by a qualified structural engineer. Any calculations, outputs, examples, and workflows discussed here are simplified descriptions intended to support understanding and preliminary estimation.

All real-world structural design depends on project-specific factors (loads, combinations, stability, detailing, fabrication, erection, tolerances, site conditions, and the governing standard and project specification). You are responsible for verifying inputs, validating results with an independent method, checking constructability and code compliance, and obtaining professional sign-off where required.

The site operator provides the content "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the operator disclaims liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, this page or any linked tools.