Colony Construction delivers in-house steel engineering and detailing for every project we build – and for many we do not. From Tekla-modeled structural steel detailing to CWB-compliant steel fabrication drawings, our engineering team is the reason our buildings go together cleanly on sites from coastal BC to remote Peru and the NWT.
What Is Steel Engineering and Detailing?
Steel engineering and detailing is the discipline that turns an architect’s or owner’s concept into a buildable structure. Engineering covers the analysis, member sizing, and connection design that ensures the building is safe and code-compliant. Detailing translates that engineering into the shop drawings, erection drawings, and CNC data that fabricators and erectors use to cut, weld, and assemble every piece. Without accurate structural steel detailing, even the best engineering produces fit-up problems, delays, and budget overruns on the ground.
Colony Construction maintains an in-house engineering and detailing team across our Surrey, Kelowna, and Edmonton offices, supported by 40+ years of field experience and more than 700 completed projects. We use industry-standard Tekla Structures and BIM workflows for every steel fabrication drawing we produce, with integrated checking protocols that catch clashes before they reach the shop floor.
Because our engineers, detailers, fabricators, and erectors all work for the same company, feedback from the field goes directly back into our detailing standards. That loop is why Colony’s fit-up rates consistently exceed industry benchmarks.
Key Benefits of In-House Steel Engineering and Detailing
- Constructability by Design: Our detailers know how our ironworkers assemble a building, so connections are designed for real-world erection, not just theoretical analysis.
- Tekla & BIM Integration: Full 3D modeling catches clashes between structure, MEP, and process equipment before fabrication begins.
- Accelerated Turnaround: In-house structural steel detailing eliminates the weeks typically lost bouncing RFIs between external detailers and fabricators.
- Single-Source Accountability: One team owns the engineering model, the steel fabrication drawings, the fabricated steel, and the erected structure – no handoff gaps.
Industries That Rely on Our Engineering and Detailing
Steel engineering and detailing is a cross-cutting service that touches every Colony project across every industry we serve:
- Mining – complex mill buildings, conveyor galleries, and headframes requiring connection-intensive structural steel detailing.
- Oil & Gas – modular process units, pipe racks, and camp buildings where detailing accuracy determines field productivity.
- Manufacturing & Warehousing – process plants with crane, mezzanine, and equipment-support coordination.
- Aviation – hangars and MRO facilities where large-span framing and door integration demand meticulous detailing.
- Hydroelectric, forestry, agriculture, sports & recreation, and data centers round out the cross-sector portfolio our engineering team supports.
Featured Projects
Brucejack Gold Mine
Colony engineered and detailed the steel structures at this remote BC gold mine operated by Pretium Resources. The scope demanded precise structural steel detailing for components airlifted to a site with no road access – every piece had to fit the first time.
LNG Cedar Valley Lodge
This large-scale BC camp facility required coordinated engineering and steel fabrication drawings across dozens of modular buildings. Our in-house team handled design, detailing, and fabrication in parallel to meet the aggressive LNG project schedule.
Our Engineering and Detailing Process
- Step 1 – Concept Review & Analysis: Engineers review architectural and process inputs, run structural analysis, and confirm member sizes and connections.
- Step 2 – 3D Modeling & Steel Fabrication Drawings: Detailers build the full structure in Tekla, producing coordinated shop drawings, erection drawings, and CNC data.
- Step 3 – Checking & Issue for Fabrication: Drawings pass independent internal check, client review, and CWB-compliance verification before release to the shop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should structural steel detailing be done in-house or outsourced?
Both models work, but in-house detailing dramatically reduces RFIs and fit-up issues in the field. When the same company that erects the steel also produces the drawings, constructability feedback flows directly into detailing standards. Colony has kept this work in-house since day one for that reason.
What software does Colony use for engineering and detailing?
Our standard detailing platform is Tekla Structures with full BIM integration. Our engineers use industry-standard analysis packages for gravity, wind, snow, and seismic design. All deliverables are produced in formats that integrate cleanly with architectural and MEP BIM models.
What is typical turnaround time for steel fabrication drawings?
For a mid-size industrial building, our team produces complete approval drawings in 4-8 weeks and issued-for-fabrication drawings 2-4 weeks after approval. Complex mining or hydroelectric facilities may take longer. We share a detailing schedule up front so fabrication and erection can plan against firm milestones.
How accurate are Colony’s shop drawings?
We run an independent in-house check on every drawing before release and track field fit-up issues back to their detailing source. Our fabrication and erection fit-up rate has tracked above industry benchmarks for decades. Errors that do occur are caught early because the same company that drew the steel is also erecting it.
Ready to Start Your Steel Engineering and Detailing Project?
Send us your scope, schedule, and site details. A Colony estimator will review your project and reply within one business day.